Chapter 11
Lysias Must Deal with the Jews.[a] 1 Very soon after that, Lysias, the guardian and kinsman of the king, who was in charge of the government, became greatly angered at what had occurred. 2 He mustered about eighty thousand foot soldiers and all of his cavalry and advanced against the Jews. His intent was to make Jerusalem a settlement for Greeks, 3 to levy a tax[b] on the temple as he did on the shrines of other nations, and to put the office of high priest up for sale every year. 4 He gave no consideration whatsoever to the power of God, for he was supremely confident in his infantry numbering in the tens of thousands, and in his thousands of cavalry and his eighty elephants. 5 Therefore, he invaded Judea, and when he reached Beth-zur, a fortified place about twenty miles distant from Jerusalem, he launched a strong attack against it.
6 When Maccabeus and his men were informed that Lysias was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people implored the Lord with lamentations and tears to send a good angel to deliver Israel. 7 Maccabeus himself was the first to take up arms, and he urged the others to join him in risking their lives to save their fellow Jews. Then they all resolutely set out together. 8 And while they were still near Jerusalem, a horseman suddenly appeared at their head, clothed in white and brandishing weapons of gold. 9 Together they united in praising their merciful God, and they were so filled with a spirit of courage that they were ready to attack not only men, but even the most savage beasts and walls of iron. 10 They advanced in battle order with the aid of their heavenly ally, for the Lord had shown mercy toward them. 11 They charged like lions against the enemy and laid low eleven thousand of them, in addition to sixteen hundred cavalry, and the remaining forces they put to flight. 12 Most of those who escaped were wounded and without their weapons, and Lysias himself escaped only by taking flight in a cowardly manner.
13 However, Lysias was not lacking in intelligence, and as he reflected upon the defeat he had experienced, he came to the realization that the Hebrews were invincible because the all-powerful God fought on their side. Therefore, he sent emissaries to them 14 to convince them to settle everything on terms that were fair to both sides, and he promised to persuade the king to be their friend. 15 Solicitous for the common good, Maccabeus agreed to everything that Lysias proposed, and the king granted every request on behalf of the Jews that Maccabeus submitted in writing to Lysias.
16 Lysias Writes to the Jews. This is the tenor of the letter that Lysias wrote to the Jews: “Lysias sends greetings to the Jewish people. 17 John and Absalom, your envoys, have delivered to me your signed communication and inquired about the matters put forth in it. 18 Anything that required the king’s attention, I referred to him, and he has agreed to whatever was possible. 19 If you maintain your goodwill toward the government, I will endeavor to promote your well-being in the future. 20 As to whatever concerns the details of these matters, I have authorized your envoys and my representatives to confer with you. 21 Farewell. The twenty-fourth day of Dioscorinthius, in the year one hundred and forty-eight.”[c]
22 Antiochus Eupator Writes to Lysias. The king’s letter read as follows: “King Antiochus sends greetings to his brother Lysias. 23 Now that our father has taken his place among the gods, we desire that the subjects of our realm be left undisturbed in the conduct of their own affairs. 24 We have heard that the Jews are opposed to our father’s policy concerning the adoption of Greek customs but rather prefer their own way of life and request that they be permitted to observe their own laws. 25 Accordingly, since it is our will that this nation too should be free from disturbance, we decree that their temple shall be restored to them and that they be allowed to live in accordance with the customs of their ancestors. 26 Therefore, please send them word of our pledges of friendship so that, informed of our policy, they may be reassured and go contentedly about their business.”
27 The king’s letter to the people was in these terms: “King Antiochus sends greetings to the Jewish senate and to the rest of the Jews. 28 If you are well, this is our wish. We ourselves are also enjoying good health. 29 Menelaus[d] has informed us of your wish to return home and attend to your own affairs. 30 Therefore, those who return by the thirtieth day of Xanthicus will have our pledge that they will be permitted 31 to observe their own dietary laws and other laws as formerly, and none of them will be molested in any way for offenses committed as a result of ignorance. 32 I am also sending Menelaus to assure you. 33 Farewell. The fifteenth day of Xanthicus in the year one hundred and forty-eight.”[e]
34 The Romans Write to the Jews. The Romans also sent a letter to the Jews, which read as follows: “Quintus Memmius and Titus Manius, legates of the Romans, send greetings to the Jewish people. 35 Whatever Lysias, the kinsman of the king, has granted you, we also approve. 36 In regard to those matters that he has submitted to the king for judgment, as soon as you have considered them, send someone to us without delay that we may make suitable proposals on your behalf, for we are on our way to Antioch. 37 Therefore, do not lose any time in sending messengers to us to inform us about your opinions. 38 Farewell. The fifteenth day of Xanthicus in the year one hundred and forty-eight.”
Footnotes
- 2 Maccabees 11:1 Once again, the author confuses the date and exaggerates the numbers. In his accounts of war, a heavenly apparition symbolizes the help that Judas and his men receive from God. Lysias’s flight evokes that of Nicanor (2 Mac 8:35). These ways of proceeding are deliberate.
- 2 Maccabees 11:3 Levy a tax: all temples were subjected to taxes, but the temple of Jerusalem had been exempted by Antiochus III.
- 2 Maccabees 11:21 The year one hundred and forty-eight: 164 B.C. Dioscorinthius: should read “Dioscorus,” which corresponds to February–March.
- 2 Maccabees 11:29 Menelaus: the high priest spoken of in 2 Mac 4:23-25; 5:15.
- 2 Maccabees 11:33 The date given here is the same as for the Romans’ letter in verse 38, which cannot be the case. The king’s letter must be related to the peace treaty of the Seleucid year 149, that is, 163 B.C. Some believe that the appearance of the month Xanthicus in the body of the letter (v. 30), as well as in the close, caused the date of the Romans’ letter to be transferred to the king’s letter.