2 Maccabees 4

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

Simon Accuses Onias

4 The previously mentioned Simon, who had informed about the money against^[a] his own country, slandered Oni′as, saying that it was he who had incited Heliodor′us and had been the real cause of the misfortune. ² He dared to designate as a plotter against the government the man who was the benefactor of the city, the protector of his fellow countrymen, and a zealot for the laws. ³ When his hatred progressed to such a degree that even murders were committed by one of Simon’s approved agents, ⁴ Oni′as recognized that the rivalry was serious and that Apollo′nius, the son of Menes′theus^[b] and governor of Coelesyria and Phoenic′ia, was intensifying the malice of Simon. ⁵ So he betook himself to the king, not accusing his fellow citizens but having in view the welfare, both public and private, of all the people. ⁶ For he saw that without the king’s attention public affairs could not again reach a peaceful settlement, and that Simon would not stop his folly.

Jason’s Reforms

⁷ When Seleu′cus died and Anti′ochus who was called Epiph′anes succeeded to the kingdom, Jason the brother of Oni′as obtained the high priesthood by corruption, ⁸ promising the king at an interview^[c] three hundred and sixty talents of silver and, from another source of revenue, eighty talents. ⁹ In addition to this he promised to pay one hundred and fifty more if permission were given to establish by his authority a gymnasium and a body of youth for it, and to enrol the men of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. ¹⁰ When the king assented and Jason^[d] came to office, he at once shifted his countrymen over to the Greek way of life. ¹¹ He set aside the existing royal concessions to the Jews, secured through John the father of Eupole′mus, who went on the mission to establish friendship and alliance with the Romans; and he destroyed the lawful ways of living and introduced new customs contrary to the law. ¹² For with alacrity he founded a gymnasium right under the citadel, and he induced the noblest of the young men^[e] to wear the Greek hat. ¹³ There was such an extreme of Hellenization and increase in the adoption of foreign ways because of the surpassing wickedness of Jason, who was ungodly and no high priest, ¹⁴ that the priests were no longer intent upon their service at the altar. Despising the sanctuary and neglecting the sacrifices, they hastened to take part in the unlawful proceedings in the wrestling arena after the call to the discus, ¹⁵ disdaining the honors prized by their fathers and putting the highest value upon Greek forms of prestige. ¹⁶ For this reason heavy disaster overtook them, and those whose ways of living they admired and wished to imitate completely became their enemies and punished them. ¹⁷ For it is no light thing to show irreverence to the divine laws—a fact which later events will make clear.

Jason Introduces Greek Customs

¹⁸ When the quadrennial games were being held at Tyre and the king was present, ¹⁹ the vile Jason sent envoys, chosen as being Antioch′ian citizens from Jerusalem, to carry three hundred silver drachmas for the sacrifice to Her′cules. Those who carried the money, however, thought best not to use it for sacrifice, because that was inappropriate, but to expend it for another purpose. ²⁰ So this money was intended by the sender for the sacrifice to Her′cules, but by the decision of its carriers it was applied to the construction of triremes.

²¹ When Apollo′nius the son of Menes′theus was sent to Egypt for the coronation^[f] of Philome′tor as king, Anti′ochus learned that Philome′tor^[g] had become hostile to his government, and he took measures for his own security. Therefore upon arriving at Joppa he proceeded to Jerusalem. ²² He was welcomed magnificently by Jason and the city, and ushered in with a blaze of torches and with shouts. Then he marched into Phoenic′ia.

Menelaus Becomes High Priest

²³ After a period of three years Jason sent Menela′us, the brother of the previously mentioned Simon, to carry the money to the king and to complete the records of essential business. ²⁴ But he, when presented to the king, extolled him with an air of authority, and secured the high priesthood for himself, outbidding Jason by three hundred talents of silver. ²⁵ After receiving the king’s orders he returned, possessing no qualification for the high priesthood, but having the hot temper of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a savage wild beast. ²⁶ So Jason, who after supplanting his own brother was supplanted by another man, was driven as a fugitive into the land of Ammon. ²⁷ And Menela′us held the office, but he did not pay regularly any of the money promised to the king. ²⁸ When So′stratus the captain of the citadel kept requesting payment, for the collection of the revenue was his responsibility, the two of them were summoned by the king on account of this issue. ²⁹ Menela′us left his own brother Lysim′achus as deputy in the high priesthood, while So′stratus left Crates, the commander of the Cyprian troops.^[h]

The Murder of Onias

³⁰ While such was the state of affairs, it happened that the people of Tarsus and of Mallus revolted because their cities had been given as a present to Anti′ochis, the king’s concubine. ³¹ So the king went hastily to settle the trouble, leaving Androni′cus, a man of high rank, to act as his deputy. ³² But Menela′us, thinking he had obtained a suitable opportunity, stole some of the gold vessels of the temple and gave them to Androni′cus; other vessels, as it happened, he had sold to Tyre and the neighboring cities. ³³ When Oni′as became fully aware of these acts he publicly exposed them, having first withdrawn to a place of sanctuary at Daphne near Antioch. ³⁴ Therefore Menela′us, taking Androni′cus aside, urged him to kill Oni′as. Androni′cus^[i] came to Oni′as, and resorting to treachery offered him sworn pledges and gave him his right hand, and in spite of his suspicion persuaded Oni′as^[j] to come out from the place of sanctuary; then, with no regard for justice, he immediately put him out of the way.^{[k] 35} For this reason not only Jews, but many also of other nations, were grieved and displeased at the unjust murder of the man. ³⁶ When the king returned from the region of Cilic′ia, the Jews in the city^[l] appealed to him with regard to the unreasonable murder of Oni′as, and the Greeks shared their hatred of the crime. ³⁷ Therefore Anti′ochus was grieved at heart and filled with pity, and wept because of the moderation and good conduct of the deceased; ³⁸ and inflamed with anger, he immediately stripped off the purple robe from Androni′cus, tore off his garments, and led him about the whole city to that very place where he had committed the outrage against Oni′as, and there he dispatched the bloodthirsty fellow. The Lord thus repaid him with the punishment he deserved.

Unpopularity of Lysimachus and Menelaus

³⁹ When many acts of sacrilege had been committed in the city by Lysim′achus with the connivance of Menela′us, and when report of them had spread abroad, the populace gathered against Lysim′achus, because many of the gold vessels had already been stolen. ⁴⁰ And since the crowds were becoming aroused and filled with anger, Lysim′achus armed about three thousand men and launched an unjust attack, under the leadership of a certain Aura′nus,^[m] a man advanced in years and no less advanced in folly. ⁴¹ But when the Jews^[n] became aware of Lysim′achus’ attack, some picked up stones, some blocks of wood, and others took handfuls of the ashes that were lying about, and threw them in wild confusion at Lysim′achus and his men. ⁴² As a result, they wounded many of them, and killed some, and put them all to flight; and the temple robber himself they killed close by the treasury.

⁴³ Charges were brought against Menela′us about this incident. ⁴⁴ When the king came to Tyre, three men sent by the senate presented the case before him. ⁴⁵ But Menela′us, already as good as beaten, promised a substantial bribe to Ptol′emy son of Dorym′enes to win over the king. ⁴⁶ Therefore Ptol′emy, taking the king aside into a colonnade as if for refreshment, induced the king to change his mind. ⁴⁷ Menela′us, the cause of all the evil, he acquitted of the charges against him, while he sentenced to death those unfortunate men, who would have been freed uncondemned if they had pleaded even before Scyth′ians. ⁴⁸ And so those who had spoken for the city and the villages^[o] and the holy vessels quickly suffered the unjust penalty. ⁴⁹ Therefore even the Tyr′ians, showing their hatred of the crime, provided magnificently for their funeral. ⁵⁰ But Menela′us, because of the cupidity of those in power, remained in office, growing in wickedness, having become the chief plotter against his fellow citizens.