1After a three-year period, word reached Judas and his men that Demetrius, son of Seleucus, had sailed into the harbor at Tripolis with a strong force and a fleet,
2and had taken control of the country, having done away with Antiochus and his guardian Lysias.
3Now a certain Alcimus, who had formerly been high priest but had willfully defiled himself in the times of mingling, realized that there was no safety for him in any way, nor any longer access to the holy altar.
4He came to King Demetrius in the one hundred and fifty-first year, presenting him with a golden crown and a palm branch, and in addition to these, some of the customary olive branches from the temple. And for that day, he kept quiet.
5But having found an opportunity that served his own folly, when he was summoned to a council by Demetrius and asked about the disposition and intentions of the Jews, he said in response:
6“Those of the Jews called Hasideans, whose leader is Judas Maccabeus, are stirring up war and inciting sedition, not allowing the kingdom to attain stability.
7Therefore, having been deprived of my ancestral glory—I mean the high priesthood—I have now come here,
8first, because I am genuinely concerned for the king’s interests, and second, because I also have regard for my own fellow citizens. For by the irrationality of the men I mentioned, our entire nation is suffering no small misfortune.
9Now that you have taken note of each of these matters, O king, take thought for our country and for our beleaguered nation, in keeping with the accessible benevolence you show to all.
10For as long as Judas is around, it is impossible for the state to find peace.”
11When he had said these things, the rest of the king’s Friends, who were hostile toward Judas, quickly inflamed Demetrius further.
12He immediately appointed Nicanor, who had been commander of the elephants, and designated him general of Judea and sent him out,
13giving him orders to do away with Judas, to scatter those with him, and to install Alcimus as high priest of the most great temple.
14And the Gentiles in Judea who had fled from Judas flocked to join Nicanor, thinking that the misfortunes and calamities of the Jews would be their own good fortune.
15But when the Jews heard of Nicanor’s advance and the assault of the Gentiles, they sprinkled earth on themselves and supplicated the one who had established his own people forever and who always comes to the aid of his own inheritance with a manifestation of his presence.
16When their leader gave the command, he immediately broke camp from there and met them near a village called Dessau.
17Now Simon, Judas’s brother, had engaged Nicanor, but was briefly checked due to the sudden panic of his adversaries.
18Nevertheless, when Nicanor heard of the valor of Judas and his men and their courage in the struggles for their homeland, he was hesitant to decide the issue by bloodshed.
19Therefore he sent Posidonius, Theodotus, and Mattathias to give and receive pledges of friendship.
20After a lengthy consideration of these matters, and after the leader had conferred with the people and a unanimous opinion became apparent, they agreed to the treaties.
21They set a day on which they would meet privately. A ceremonial chair came forward from each side, and they set up seats.
22Judas stationed armed men in strategic places, lest any treachery should suddenly come from the enemy. They held a suitable conference.
23Nicanor stayed in Jerusalem and did nothing improper; he dismissed the crowds that had gathered in droves.
24He kept Judas constantly in his presence, for he was warmly disposed toward the man.
25Nicanor urged him to marry and have children. So Judas married, settled down, and enjoyed a normal life.
26But Alcimus, seeing their goodwill toward each other, took a copy of the treaties that had been made and went to Demetrius. He said that Nicanor was disloyal to the interests of the state, for he had appointed Judas, a conspirator against the kingdom, as his successor.
27The king became furious and, provoked by the slanders of that utterly wicked man, wrote to Nicanor, stating that he was displeased with the treaties and ordering him to send Maccabeus to Antioch as a prisoner at once.
28When these orders reached Nicanor, he was dismayed and distressed that he would have to annul the agreements, since the man had done no wrong.
29But since it was not possible to oppose the king, he watched for an opportunity to carry out the command by a stratagem.
30But Maccabeus, noticing that Nicanor was dealing with him more harshly and was treating him more rudely in their customary meetings, realized that this harshness did not come from a good motive. So he gathered a number of his men and went into hiding from Nicanor.
31But Nicanor, realizing that he had been nobly outmaneuvered by Judas, went to the great and holy temple; and while the priests were offering the customary sacrifices, he ordered them to hand over the man.
32But when they declared with oaths that they did not know where the man being sought was,
33he stretched out his right hand toward the sanctuary and swore this oath: “If you do not hand over Judas to me as a prisoner, I will make this precinct of God a level field, raze the altar, and erect here a glorious temple to Dionysus.”
34After saying these things, he departed. But the priests, stretching out their hands toward heaven, called upon the one who is always the champion of our nation, saying this:
35“You, O Lord, though in need of nothing, were pleased for a temple of your dwelling to be among us.
36And now, O Holy One, Lord of all holiness, keep this recently cleansed house forever undefiled.”
37Now a certain Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to Nicanor—a man who loved his fellow citizens, was very well respected, and because of his goodwill was called “Father of the Jews.”
38For in the former times of separation, he had been brought to trial for Judaism and had risked body and soul for Judaism with all zeal.
39But Nicanor, wishing to make clear the hostility he had toward the Jews, sent more than five hundred soldiers to arrest him.
40For he thought that by arresting that man he would inflict a great calamity on them.
41When the troops were about to capture the tower, forcing the courtyard gate and calling for fire to be brought to set the doors ablaze, he, being trapped, fell on his sword,
42choosing to die nobly rather than fall into the hands of those wretches and suffer insults unworthy of his noble birth.
43But because of the haste of the struggle, he had not struck a fatal blow, and with the crowds now bursting through the doors, he ran bravely up onto the wall and manfully threw himself down into the crowds.
44But as they quickly drew back, creating a space, he fell into the middle of the empty area.
45Still breathing and burning with rage, he got up. Though his blood was gushing out and his wounds were severe, he ran through the crowd and stood on a steep rock.
46Now completely drained of blood, he pulled out his entrails, and taking them in both hands, he hurled them at the crowd. Then, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit to restore them to him again, he died in this way.
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