1 Macc 15

1 Moreover Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent letters from the isles of the sea to Simonthe priest and prince of the Jews, and to all the people; 2 The contents whereof were these: King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and prince ofhis nation, and to the people of the Jews, greeting: 3 Forasmuch as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, and my purposeis to challenge it again, that I may restore it to the old estate, and to that end have gathered a multitudeof foreign soldiers together, and prepared ships of war; 4 My meaning also being to go through the country, that I may be avenged of them that havedestroyed it, and made many cities in the kingdom desolate: 5 Now therefore I confirm to you all the oblations which the kings before me granted you,and whatever gifts besides they granted. 6 I give you leave also to coin money for your country with your own stamp. 7 And as concerning Jerusalem and the sanctuary, let them be free; and all the armor thatyou have made, and fortresses that you have built, and keep in your hands, let them remain to you. 8 And if anything be, or shall be, owing to the king, let it be forgiven you from this timeforth for evermore. 9 Furthermore, when we have obtained our kingdom, we will honor you, and your nation, andyour temple, with great honor, so that your honor shall be known throughout the world. 10 In the hundred threescore and fourteenth year went Antiochus into the land of his fathers:at which time all the forces came together to him, so that few were left with Tryphon. 11 Wherefore being pursued by king Antiochus, he fled to Dora, which lies by the sea side: 12 For he saw that troubles came upon him all at once, and that his forces had forsakenhim. 13 Then camped Antiochus against Dora, having with him an hundred and twenty thousand menof war, and eight thousand horsemen. 14 And when he had compassed the city round about, and joined ships close to the town onthe sea side, he vexed the city by land and by sea, neither suffered he any to go out or in. 15 In the mean season came Numenius and his company from Rome, having letters to the kingsand countries; wherein were written these things: 16 Lucius, consul of the Romans to king Ptolemee, greeting: 17 The Jews' ambassadors, our friends and confederates, came to us to renew the old friendshipand league, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews: 18 And they brought a shield of gold of a thousand pound. 19 We thought it good therefore to write to the kings and countries, that they should dothem no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries, nor yet aid their enemies against them. 20 It seemed also good to us to receive the shield of them. 21 If therefore there be any pestilent fellows, that have fled from their country to you,deliver them to Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their own law. 22 The same things wrote he likewise to Demetrius the king, and Attalus, to Ariarathes,and Arsaces, 23 And to all the countries and to Sampsames, and the Lacedemonians, and to Delus, and Myndus,and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Rhodus, and Aradus,and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene. 24 And the copy hereof they wrote to Simon the high priest. 25 So Antiochus the king camped against Dora the second day, assaulting it continually,and making engines, by which means he shut up Tryphon, that he could neither go out nor in. 26 At that time Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him; silver also, and gold,and much armor. 27 Nevertheless he would not receive them, but brake all the covenants which he had madewith him before, and became strange to him. 28 Furthermore he sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to commune with him, and say,You⌃ withhold Joppa and Gazera; with the tower that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my realm. 29 The borders thereof you⌃ have wasted, and done great hurt in the land, and got the dominionof many places within my kingdom. 30 Now therefore deliver the cities which you⌃ have taken, and the tributes of the places,whereof you⌃ have gotten dominion without the borders of Judea: 31 Or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that you⌃ havedone, and the tributes of the cities, other five hundred talents: if not, we will come and fight againstyou 32 So Athenobius the king's friend came to Jerusalem: and when he saw the glory of Simon,and the cupboard of gold and silver plate, and his great attendance, he was astonished, and told him theking's message. 33 Then answered Simon, and said to him, We have neither taken other men's land, nor holdenthat which appertains to others, but the inheritance of our fathers, which our enemies had wrongfullyin possession a certain time. 34 Wherefore we, having opportunity, hold the inheritance of our fathers. 35 And whereas you demand Joppa and Gazera, albeit they did great harm to the people inour country, yet will we give you an hundred talents for them. Hereunto Athenobius answered him not aword; 36 But returned in a rage to the king, and made report to him of these speeches, and ofthe glory of Simon, and of all that he had seen: whereupon the king was exceeding angry. 37 In the mean time fled Tryphon by ship to Orthosias. 38 Then the king made Cendebeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him an host of footmenand horsemen, 39 And commanded him to remove his host toward Judea; also he commanded him to build upCedron, and to fortify the gates, and to war against the people; but as for the king himself, he pursuedTryphon. 40 So Cendebeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and to invade Judea, andto take the people prisoners, and kill them. 41 And when he had built up Cedron, he set horsemen there, and an host of footmen, to theend that issuing out they might make outroads upon the ways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.