1 Maccabees

The Glory of Simon

In one hundred and seventy-two (in 140 B.C.), King Demetrius assembled his army and marched into Media to look for help to fight Trypho.

Arsaces, king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had entered his territory, so he sent one of his generals to capture him alive.

The general went and defeated Demetrius’s army, captured him, and brought him to Arsaces, who imprisoned him.

Judea had peace as long as Simon lived. He worked for the well-being of his country. His rule pleased the people, and he enjoyed Much renown as long as he lived.

To add to his glory, he took Joppa and made it a harbor, opening a way to communicate with the islands of the sea.

He extended the frontiers of his land and was lord of his nation.

He brought back many captives, conquered Gazara, Beth-Zur, and the Citadel, and cast out everything pagan. No one was able to resist him.

The inhabitants tilled their fields in peace. The land yielded its grain, and the trees bore their fruit.

The elders sat at ease in the squares and discussed their welfare while the young men wore finery and armor.

He supplied the cities with food and made them into strongholds until his fame spread to the ends of the earth.

He established peace in the land, and Israel knew great joy.

Each sat under the shade of his vine and his fig tree, with no one to disturb him.

There was no one in the land to fight them, For the kings had been defeated.

He raised the humble among his people. He observed the law and cleared out the renegades and the wicked.

He restored the temple’s splendor and increased the number of its sacred vessels.

These people were deeply saddened when news of Jonathan’s death reached Rome and Sparta.

But as soon as they learned that his brother Simon had taken over as High Priest and was ruling the country and its cities,

they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew the alliance and friendship they had made with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.

The letter was read aloud in Jerusalem before the entire assembly.

This is a copy of the letter sent by the Spartans: “The leaders and the people of Sparta to Simon, High Priest, and the elders, to the priests and all the Jewish people, their brothers: Greetings:

The envoys you sent to our people informed us of the successes and prosperity of your nation. We rejoiced at their arrival.

We have recorded their declaration in our public acts as follows: ‘Numenius, son of Antiochus, and Antipater, son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, have come to renew their relationship with us.

It has been a pleasure for the people to receive them with honor and deposit a copy of their statement in the public archives as a remembrance for the people of Sparta.’ And they made a copy of all this for the High Priest Simon.”

After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a large gold shield weighing a thousand minas to confirm their alliance with the Romans.

When the people came to know these events, they said: “What favor can we do for Simon and his sons?

It was he and his brothers and the family of their fathers who strengthened the resistance; they have fought the enemies of Israel and restored its freedom.”

So they engraved an inscription on bronze sheets and set it up on pillars on Mount Zion. This is a copy of the text: “On the eighteenth day of the month Elul, in one hundred and seventy-two (in B.C.), the third year of Simon, the High Priest,

in the grand assembly of the priests of Israel, the leaders of the nation and the elders of the people, the following was proclaimed:

During the frequent wars for freedom in our land, Simon, the son of Mattathias, a priest from the family of Joarib, and his brothers risked their lives and stood up against the enemies of their nation to preserve the Holy Place and the law, and brought eternal glory to their nation.

Jonathan rallied the nation, became the high priest, and rested with his fathers.

The enemies of the Jews then planned to invade their land to destroy their Holy Place.

So Simon rose to fight for his country. He spent much of his wealth to acquire weapons and pay the soldiers’ salaries.

He fortified the cities of Judah and Beth-Zur on the borders of Judea, where the enemy’s arsenal had been, and he stationed a Jewish garrison there.

He also strengthened Joppa by the sea and Gazara on the borders of Azotus, which were formerly inhabited by enemies, and established Jewish colonies there, providing them with everything they needed.

The people recognized Simon’s faith and the glory he was determined to win for his nation. They appointed him as their commander and High Priest because of his service, the justice and loyalty he demonstrated to his people, and because he consistently worked to boost their honor.

In his days, the Jews succeeded in driving out the pagans from their land, especially from the city of David, Jerusalem, where they had built a citadel from which they went out to defile the area around the temple and to violate its holiness.

He settled Jewish soldiers there, fortified it for regional and city security, and raised the walls of Jerusalem.

And for this, King Demetrius confirmed him in his office as high priest,

made him one of his friends and bestowed high honors on him,

for he had heard that the Romans had considered the Jews their friends, allies, and brothers, and had received Simon’s envoy with honor.

The king also believed that the Jews and the priests had agreed that Simon should be their leader and High Priest until a trustworthy prophet appeared.

They wanted him to be their leader, oversee the Holy Place, and appoint men to supervise the work and manage the country, the army, and the fortresses.

They also wanted everyone to obey him; all national documents should carry his name. He was dressed in purple and adorned with golden ornaments.

None of the people or priests shall be allowed to act against these provisions or contradict his orders, to convene a public assembly without his consent, to wear purple, or to wear the golden brooch.

Anyone who opposes or violates these decisions will face punishment.

Everyone agreed to give Simon the authority to act under these provisions.

And Simon accepted and agreed to take on the office of High Priest and to be the general and leader of the Jews and the priests, and to preside over everything.

They decided that this decree should be carved on bronze tablets and displayed prominently in the sacred enclosure,

and that copies should be deposited in the temple treasury and made available to Simon and his sons.”