Knox Bible

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Now turn we to Demetrius’ other son, Antiochus.✻ He it was directed a letter, from the islands over sea, to Simon, high priest and ruler of the Jews, and to the whole nation;

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and this was the tenour of it. King Antiochus, to the high priest Simon and to the people of the Jews, greeting.

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Here is the kingdom of my fathers overrun by ill folk; I mean to challenge them, and bring back the old ways. To this end, I have made a great levy of mercenaries, and built ships of war;

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passage I needs must have through yonder territory, ere I can take vengeance for lands of mine ravaged, cities of mine laid waste.

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This grant, then, I make thee; exemption, such as thou hadst, in the name of former kings, from public offerings and all other payment due to me;

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the right of minting money within thy own borders;

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for Jerusalem, enjoyment of her sacred liberties; of weapons thou hast made, strongholds thou hast built, the undisturbed possession.

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Never a claim the king has, or shall have hereafter, on his subjects, but to thee it is remitted;

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and, when the kingdom is ours, such honours we will bestow as shall make thee, and thy race, and its sanctuary, renowned all the world over.

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So, in the hundred and seventy-fourth year, Antiochus returned to his native country, and the armies rallied to him, until Tryphon had but a small following left;

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all down the sea-coast he fled, with Antiochus at his heels, till he reached Dora;

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and ever he saw the toils closing round him, now his troops had played him false.

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With a hundred and twenty thousand foot, and eight thousand horse, Antiochus came to the gates of Dora

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and began the siege of it; his ships, too, blockaded the coast, so that it was cut off by land and sea alike; enter it none might, nor leave it …

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And now here were Numenius and his fellow envoys come back from Rome,✻ with a copy of despatches sent out to kings and nations everywhere, and this was the tenour of them.

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Lucius, the Roman consul, to king Ptolemy, greeting.

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Envoys we have but now received in audience from a friendly country, to wit, Judaea; the people of the Jews, with their high priest Simon, had sent to renew their old treaty of alliance with us,

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and had made us a present besides, a golden target of a thousand minas weight.

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Agreed we then to warn kings and nations everywhere, they should not hurt or assault the Jewish people, its cities and country-side, nor comfort its enemies;

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and for the target of gold, our pleasure was to accept the gift of it.

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If then there be malcontents from Judaea sheltering among you, our bidding is you should hand them over to the high priest Simon, for such punishment as the Jewish law prescribes.

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Copies of this decree have been sent to Demetrius, Attalus, Ariarathes and Arsaces,

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and to these countries following: Lampsacus, Sparta, Delos, Myndos, Sicyon, Caria, Samos, Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Coös, Side, Arados, Rhodes, Phaselis, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus and Cyrene.

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A further copy has been sent to the high priest Simon and to the Jewish people …

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Once again✻ king Antiochus laid siege to Dora, bringing fresh force to bear, and devising fresh engines; and ever he kept Tryphon hemmed in, so that escape was none.

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Thereupon Simon despatched two thousand picked men to aid in the siege, with silver and gold and a deal of tackle besides;

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but accept them the king would not; all his promises were forgot, and Simon a stranger now.

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Athenobius it was, one of the king’s friends, that came to treat with him, and this was the message he bore: Cities of mine you hold, Joppe, and Gazara, and Jerusalem citadel;

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lands about them you have laid waste, and done Syria much mischief besides, encroaching everywhere on my domain.

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Needs must you should hand over cities you have occupied, revenues of Gentile lands you have detained,

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or else five hundred talents of silver in exchange, and five hundred more to compensate for damage done and revenue lost; if not, we will come and overpower you by force of arms.

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So came Athenobius, the king’s friend, to Jerusalem, where he saw what state Simon kept, much display of gold and silver, and a great throng of attendants, till he was dazzled at the sight. Yet delivered he his errand;

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to which Simon made this answer: Other men’s fief seized we never, nor other men’s rights detain; here be lands that were our fathers’ once, by enemies of ours for some while wrongfully held;

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opportunity given us, should we not claim the patrimony we had lost?

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As for thy talk of Joppe and Gazara, these were cities did much mischief to people and land of ours; for the worth of them, thou shalt have a hundred talents if thou wilt. Never a word said Athenobius,

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but went back to the king very ill pleased, and told him what answer was given; of Simon’s court, too, and of all else he had seen.

Antiochus was in a great taking of anger;

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here was Tryphon newly escaped by ship to Orthosias!

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He must needs leave the sea-coast in charge of Cendebaeus, with a strong command both of horse and foot,

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while himself gave Tryphon chase. This Cendebaeus had orders to advance and threaten Judaea; Gedor✻ he should fortify, and there make himself fast, the better to levy war on Juda.

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So he marched away to Jamnia, and set about harassing the Jews; now it was an inroad, with prisoners carried away, now a massacre; and all the while he was fortifying Gedor.

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Cavalry he quartered there, and other troops besides, to sally out and patrol the roads into Judaea; the king would have it so.