When the priests of the temple of Nane′a had set out the treasures and Anti′ochus had come with a few men inside the wall of the sacred precinct, they closed the temple as soon as he entered it.

In the same way Judas also collected all the books that had been lost on account of the war which had come upon us, and they are in our possession.

When he had arrived at Jerusalem and had been kindly welcomed by the high priest of the city, he told about the disclosure that had been made and stated why he had come, and he inquired whether this really was the situation.

For terror and bodily trembling had come over the man, which plainly showed to those who looked at him the pain lodged in his heart.

For he who has his dwelling in heaven watches over that place himself and brings it aid, and he strikes and destroys those who come to do it injury.”

Therefore Menela′us, taking Androni′cus aside, urged him to kill Oni′as. Androni′cus 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 to come out from the place of sanctuary; then, with no regard for justice, he immediately put him out of the way.

and should slay those who did not choose to change over to Greek customs. One could see, therefore, the misery that had come upon them.

I beseech you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being.

They captured the money of those who had come to buy them as slaves. After pursuing them for some distance, they were obliged to return because the hour was late.

Then it was that, broken in spirit, he began to lose much of his arrogance and to come to his senses under the scourge of God, for he was tortured with pain every moment.

But when his sufferings did not in any way abate, for the judgment of God had justly come upon him, he gave up all hope for himself and wrote to the Jews the following letter, in the form of a supplication. This was its content:

Then, because the city’s gates were closed, he withdrew, intending to come again and root out the whole community of Joppa.

Therefore I have laid aside my ancestral glory—I mean the high priesthood—and have now come here,

And he exhorted his men not to fear the attack of the Gentiles, but to keep in mind the former times when help had come to them from heaven, and now to look for the victory which the Almighty would give them.

By the might of thy arm may these blasphemers who come against thy holy people be struck down.” With these words he ended his prayer.