eers over all the people, and he
commanded the cities of Judah to sacrifice, city by city. And from the
people were gathered together unto them many, everyone that had
forsaken the law; and they did evil things in the land; and they made
the Israelites to hide themselves in every place of refuge which they
had.

III.

_How Mattathias the Priest and His Five Sons Rebelled Against the
Authority of the King, and Fled to the Mountains_.

In those days rose up Mattathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a
priest from Jerusalem; and he dwelt at Modin. And he had five sons,
John, who was surnamed {423} Gaddis; Simon, who was called Thassi;
Judas, who was called Maccabaeus; Eleazar, who was called Avaran;
Jonathan, who was called Apphus.

And he saw the blasphemies that were committed in Judah and in
Jerusalem, and he said,--

"Woe is me! wherefore was I born to see the destruction of my people,
and the destruction of the holy city, and to dwell there, when it was
given into the hand of the enemy, the sanctuary into the hand of
aliens? Her temple is become as a man without glory: her vessels of
glory are carried away into captivity, her infants are slain in her
streets, her young men with the sword of the enemy. What nation hath
not inherited her palaces, and gotten possession of her spoils? her
adorning is all taken away; instead of a free woman she is become a
bond woman: and, behold, our holy things and our beauty and our glory
are laid waste, and the Gentiles have profaned them. Wherefore should
we live any longer?"

And Mattathias and his sons rent their clothes, and put on sackcloth,
and mourned exceedingly.

And the king's officers, that were enforcing the evil laws, came into
the city Modin to sacrifice. And many of Israel came unto them, and
Mattathias and his sons were gathered together. And the king's
officers answered and spoke to Mattathias, saying, "Thou art a ruler
and an honorable and great man in this city, and strengthened with
sons and brethren: now therefore come thou first and do the
commandment of the king, as all the nations have done, and the men of
Judah, and they that remain in {424} Jerusalem: and thou and thy house
shall be in the number of the king's Friends, and thou and thy sons
shall be honored with silver and gold and many gifts."

And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice, "If all the
nations that are under the king's dominion hearken unto him, to fall
away each on