4 Maccabees 8:1-2

Common English Bible

Antiochus confronts the seven brothers

8 By following a philosophy consistent with godly thinking, young boys have held out against even more cruel instruments of torture. ² When the tyrant was publicly defeated in his first attempt by failing to force an old man to eat polluting food, he was overwhelmed by a violent rage and ordered other Hebrew prisoners to be dragged forward. Anyone who ate the polluting meat would be released, but anyone who refused would be tortured even more severely.