2 Maccabees

Persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes

The Simon mentioned earlier as the informer about the treasures of the temple, who was a traitor to his country, spoke evil of Onias, accusing him of a plot against Heliodorus and saying that he was responsible for all the troubles.

He even dared to blame Onias, who was the great benefactor of the city, the defender of his fellow citizens, and a zealous observer of the laws, for everything.

The hostility between them grew so intense that some of Simon’s supporters even committed crimes.

Onias recognized the dangers involved in such an unbearable rivalry. Even Apollonius, son of Menestheus and governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, provoked Simon to do evil.

So Onias went to the king not to accuse his fellow citizens but for the good of the entire nation.

He saw that it was impossible to keep the peace and stop Simon’s foolishness without the king’s intervention.

When King Seleucus died, his son Antiochus, called Epiphanes, inherited the throne. Then, Jason, the brother of Onias, the high priest, took over as high priest.

In a conversation with the king, Jason promised to pay three hundred sixty talents of silver and eighty talents from other revenues.

He also agreed to pay an additional one hundred fifty talents if he could establish a gymnasium and a center for youth cultural development at his own expense, and if the statute of Antioquian citizenship could also apply to Jerusalem’s inhabitants.

With the king’s approval and leveraging his influence, he immediately began encouraging his fellow citizens to adopt Greek customs.

He revoked privileges that kings had granted to the Jews through John, the father of Eupolemus, who had built a friendship and alliance between the Romans and the Jews. He dismantled lawful institutions and introduced new customs that went against the law.

Eventually, he founded a gymnasium right beneath the Citadel. He persuaded the most prominent young men to be educated in the Greek style.

Paganism spread through Jason’s influence, who proved to be more of a godless wretch than a high priest. Greek customs became so popular

that priests no longer took an interest in serving at the altar. They despised the sanctuary and ignored the sacrifices. When the discus throw started, they would run to the stadium to join in athletic competitions outlawed by law.

They no longer valued their ancestors’ customs but held the Greek way in the highest regard.

This put them in a difficult position because the people they admired and tried to imitate turned out to be their enemies and oppressors.

As the following episodes will show, breaking divine laws without facing consequences is not easy.

When the quinquennial games held every five years took place in Tyre before the king,

the wicked Jason sent some “citizens of Antioch” from the inhabitants of Jerusalem as envoys, and he entrusted them with three hundred drachmas of silver designated for the sacrifice to Hercules. When these envoys arrived, they decided it was not appropriate to spend the money on the sacrifice and instead preferred to use it for other purposes.

So, through the sole decision of those sent to spend the money for the sacrifice to Hercules, the amount was used to build trireme ships.

Antiochus sent Apollonius, son of Menestheus, to Egypt to represent him at King Philometor’s enthronement. But when Antiochus found out that Philometor had become his political rival, he became concerned for his safety.

So, he left Joppa and traveled to Jerusalem, where Jason and the entire city warmly welcomed him. He entered the city amid cheers and torches. Afterwards, he moved with his troops to Phoenicia.

After three years, Jason sent Menelaus, the brother of the previously mentioned Simon, to deliver the money to the king and begin negotiations on urgent matters.

Menelaus presented himself to the king, whom he impressed with his commanding presence, and thus he secured the office of high priest for himself by offering three hundred talents more than Jason did.

After receiving the royal mandate, he returned with nothing fitting for a high priest—only with the rage of a cruel tyrant or a wild beast.

Jason, who had usurped his brother’s office, was now replaced by someone else and had to flee to the land of Ammon.

Menelaus held the office but failed to pay the amount he promised to the king.

However, Sostratus, the commander of the Citadel, demanded payment since the king had entrusted him with collecting revenue. The king then summoned both of them because of this.

Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus as his substitute, and Sostratus left Crates, the commander of the Cypriots.

Meanwhile, the people of Tarsus and Mallus revolted because their cities were given as a gift to Antiochis, the king’s concubine.

The king immediately set out to restore order, leaving Andronicus, one of his ministers, as his deputy.

Menelaus thought of taking advantage of the opportunity and stole some of the golden vessels from the temple, which he then gave to Andronicus as gifts. He also managed to sell others in Tyre and the neighboring cities.

When Onias had clear evidence of what Menelaus had done, he sought refuge in Daphne near Antioch, a place of asylum, and from there denounced him.

For this reason, Menelaus met Andronicus privately and urged him to kill Onias. Andronicus went to Onias and deceitfully gained his confidence, offering Onias his right hand in oath. He was able to persuade Onias, despite his suspicion, to come out of his place of refuge. Then Andronicus killed him immediately, showing no regard for justice.

For this reason, not only Jews but also people of other nationalities became indignant and grieved over the unjust killing of that man.

When the king returned to the regions of Cilicia, the Jews of Jerusalem, along with the Greeks who favored justice, went to see him and complained about Onias’s murder.

The king was moved and grew sad, even weeping as he remembered the personality and noble conduct of the departed.

He became angry with Andronicus and immediately removed him from office. Then he ordered that Andronicus be stripped of his purple robe, had his garments torn off, and led him all around the city to the place where Andronicus had murdered Onias. There, the king ordered him to be put to death, meting out exactly the punishment he deserved.

Lysimachus committed numerous sacrilegious thefts in Jerusalem with Menelaus’s approval. When this was discovered, the people rebelled against Lysimachus, who had already stolen many gold vessels from the city.

When Lysimachus saw the crowd rising up and becoming angry, he armed about three thousand men. He launched a brutal crackdown, appointing Auranus as leader, an old man with very little intelligence.

So, as the men of Lysimachus attacked the people, they responded by picking up stones and clubs, gathering handfuls of ashes at hand, and throwing everything at the men of Lysimachus.

In this way, they wounded many, killed some, and forced the rest to flee. As for the sacrilegious robber Lysimachus, they killed him near the treasury.

Because of all this, a charge was brought against Menelaus.

When the king arrived at Tyre, three men sent by the elders of Jerusalem informed him of Menelaus’ cruelty.

Seeing his downfall, Menelaus promised a substantial sum of money to Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, to gain the king’s favor.

Ptolemy then privately accompanied the king to an arcade for some fresh air and persuaded him to reconsider.

The king dismissed all accusations against Menelaus, the source of all this evil. At the same time, he condemned to death Menelaus’ unfortunate accusers, who would have been acquitted if judged by a tribunal of barbarians.

Those who defended the city’s cause, the people, and the sacred vessels were executed immediately.

Some Tyrians, enraged by this crime, prepared a grand funeral for them.

But through the rulers’ corruption, Menelaus remained in power, growing more wicked and becoming a tyrant over his people.