Глава XIV

Demetrius's campaign to Media and his captivity there (Antt. XIII, 5, 11) (1 Mac.14:1-3). The welfare of Judah under the reign of Simon and his services to his people (1 Mac. 14:4–15). Renewal of friendship and alliance with the Romans and Spartans (1 Mac 14:16–24). Perpetuation of the merits of Simon and the Maccabean family to the Jewish people on copper memorial plaques (1 Mac. 14:25–49). 1 Mac.14:1 In the one hundred and seventy-second year, King Demetrius gathered his troops and went to Media to get help for his war against Tryphon. "In 172" e. Seleucus. - 141–140 BC Demetrius “went to Media to get help for himself for the war against Tryphon...” This testimony must be understood only as meaning that Demetrius wanted, first of all, to conquer Media, so that then from this conquered country he could gather an auxiliary army to fight Tryphon. 1Mac.14:2 But Arsaces, king of Persia and Media, hearing that Demetrius had come into his territory, sent one of his commanders to take him alive. "Arsak", Αρσάχης - the common name of all Parthian kings, named after the founder of the Parthian kingdom. Here, it is believed, was Arsaces VI, whose proper name is Mithridates (I). This king annexed to his kingdom all the Seleucid provinces on the other side of the Euphrates, which since the time of Antiochus III had tried to become independent, and thus extended his kingdom from the Euphrates to India. In this place he bears the title of king of Persia and Media for the two most important provinces, which were used to designate the entire kingdom (cf. VI: 56). Arsaces sends a military commander to capture Demetrius “alive.” They guess that by this Arsaks wanted to more easily fulfill his intention - to become the Syrian king himself. It is also possible that the command to “capture alive” simply expressed contempt for the enemy’s strength. 1 Mac.14:3 He went and defeated the army of Demetrius, took him and brought him to Arsaces, who put him in prison. The capture of Demetrius, according to other sources, was not so easy. According to Justin (XXXVI, 1 and XXXVIII, 9), he had several (“many”) battles with the Parthians, and finally was captured only by cunning (under the pretext of peace negotiations and by ambush). As a prisoner, he was paraded through all the provinces that had fallen away from him for the final disgrace of him and his followers, but subsequently the favor of Mithridates returned to him so much that he was even awarded a marriage with the daughter of Mithridates Rhodoguna, after which he made several unsuccessful attempts to escape, and according to Ios. Antt. VIII, 4 – released. 1Mac 14:4 And the land of Judea rested all the days of Simon; he strove for the good of his people, and they liked his power and glory all the days. In the expression “all the days of Simon” the limitation must be made that towards the end of his reign the world was darkened by a new war with Antiochus Sidetes (XV: 27 et c.; XVI: 1 et d.). Next (verses 5–15) the glorious deeds and services of Simon to his people are listed. 1Mac 14:5-7 And to all his glory, he also took Joppa for a landing, and opened an entrance to the islands of the sea, and expanded the borders of his people, and took possession of that country. He took many captives and ruled over Gazara and Bethsura and over the fortress, cleansed it from defilement, and there was no one who opposed him. 1 Mac.14:5–7: The liberation of Judea from the enemy's yoke, and the expansion of its borders. - “Took Joppa for a landing…”, έλαβε τήν Ιόππην είς λιμένα. This expression alludes to the natural inconvenience of Joppa being a pier, which had to be eliminated only artificially - by improving its harbor and protecting it from the sea. - “Opened the entrance to the islands of the sea...”, i.e., trade relations between their inhabitants and Judea through Joppa. “He gathered many captives...”, more precisely, the famous: “gathered (συνήγαγεν) captivity many...”, the expression obviously means not that he “took” many enemies captive during the war, but that he “liberated” many Jewish captives and “gathered” them again in his homeland. About the capture of Gazara, Bethsura and the “fortress” (in Jerusalem) - see XIII: 43 etc.; XI: 65 etc. - “There was no one opposing him...” - an expression that actually means not the absence of opponents, but the absence only of successful resistance on their part. 1 Mac 14:8–10 The Jews quietly tilled their land, and the land yielded its produce, and the trees of the fields its fruit. The elders, sitting in the streets, all consulted about the benefits of society, and the young men dressed themselves in magnificent and military clothes. He delivered food supplies to the cities and made them fortified in places, so that his glorious name was pronounced to the end of the earth. Description of the civil welfare of the people. The elders sitting on the streets in a peaceful conversation are an image of the peaceful, blessed state of the earth (Zechariah VIII: 4 et c.). - “About the benefits of the public...”, περί αγαθών, more precisely, famous: “about the good...” - de salute publica. – Just as it is characteristic and natural for happy old age to express its happiness through peaceful conversation on the streets, so the self-satisfied mood of youth was expressed in flaunting military attire, which at that time could always be useful for protecting the fatherland from a possible attack from enemies. - “He made them fortified in places...”, έταξεν αύτας εν σκεύεσιν όχυρώσεως , more precisely glorified: “making them into vessels of affirmation...”, i.e. not only strengthened them, but also supplied them with all kinds of supplies and military equipment made them strongholds - capable of firmly and indestructibly fulfilling their purpose, even in the event of the longest siege. 1Mac 14:11-15 He restored peace to the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy. And every man sat under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one made them afraid. And there was no one left on earth who would fight against them, and the kings humbled themselves in those days. He strengthened all the poor among his people, demanded the fulfillment of the law and destroyed every lawless and evildoer, beautified the sanctuary and multiplied the sacred utensils. Restoring peace in the country. “Sitting” of everyone “under his own grapes and under his own fig tree” is an image of contentment, peace and the generally blessed state of the country, often used in the Holy Scriptures. Scripture, cf. 1 Kings IV: 25; Mic IV: 4; Zechariah III: 10. - “There is no one left on earth who would fight against them...”, more precisely, the glory: “and fight them in poverty (about πολεμών) on the earth...” 1Mac 14:16–24 When word reached Rome and Sparta that Jonathan had died, they were greatly saddened. When they heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place and was ruling over the country and the cities in it, they wrote to him on copper tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance they had concluded with his brothers Judas and Jonathan. They were read in Jerusalem before the congregation. Here is a list of letters sent by the Spartans: “The Spartan leaders and the city, Simon the high priest, the elders and priests, and all the people of Judah, our brothers, rejoice. The ambassadors sent to our people told us about your glory and honor, and we rejoiced at their arrival and wrote down what they said in the popular council as follows: Numinius, the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew their friendship with us. And it pleased the people to accept these men with honor and to record their words in the open books of the people, as a keepsake for the Spartan people. And we wrote a list from this for the high priest Simon.” After this, Simon sent Numinius to Rome with a large golden shield weighing a thousand minas to conclude an alliance with them. 1 Mac.14:16–24: Among Simon’s merits to the people was his renewal of friendship and alliance with the Romans and Spartans. Judging by v. 16–18, the initiative for this renewal seems to be taken over by the Romans themselves; however, it is more natural to think that Simon, and not the Romans, sent ambassadors for this purpose, as seems to be the case with the renewal of friendship with the Spartans (21–33). This follows even more clearly from v. 24, which directly states that “Simon sent Numinius to Rome... to conclude an alliance with them...”, and the answer brought from the Romans by Numinius (cf. XIV:24; XV:15-21), leaves no doubt that Simon himself began this matter. - “They wrote...” (Art. 18) - here we mean not only the Romans, who entered into an alliance with Judas and Jonathan (chap. VIII and XII), but also the Spartans, although these renewed the alliance only with Jonathan (XII: 6). This same double subject (Romans and Spartans) also belongs to the expression - “they were saddened...” (Art. 16). The message of the Spartans (20–23) is entitled not by the name of the king, but by “Spartan leaders and the city...”, άρχοντες Σπαρτιατών, i.e. ephors: after Pelops, who succeeded his father Lycurgus in 211 BC. X., Sparta no longer had kings, and after the death of Nabis in 192 BC, it no longer had tyrants. - Those sent to the Spartans were the same now as before - under Jonathan (XII:16). - “In open people's books...”, έν τοίς αποδεδειγμένοις του δήμου βιβλίοις..., slav.: “in special people’s books...”, i.e. books intended for public use and information. “Weighing a thousand mines...” Taking a mine as 1/60 of an ancient Greek talent (see XI:28), we get a thousand mines value of about 37,000 rubles in our money. 1Mac 14:25-27 When the people heard about this, they said, “What thanks will we give to Simon and his sons?” For he stood firm, and his brothers and his father's house, and repelled the enemies of Israel, and brought him freedom. And they wrote about it on bronze tablets and set them up on pillars on Mount Zion. Here is a list of what was written: “On the eighteenth day of Elul in the year one hundred and seventy-two—it was the third year under Simon the high priest— “On Mount Zion...”, that is, more precisely, on the church mount (see I:33, as well as 48 v. of this chapter). - “On the 18th day of Elul (i.e., the 6th month of the church year. cf. Nehemiah VI:15) of the 172nd year” e. Sat down. – 140 BC. 1Mac 14:28 At Saramel, in the great assembly of the priests and the people and the princes of the people and the elders of the land, it was announced to us: “In Saramel...”, έν Σαραμέλ (according to some texts ένασαραμέλ, vet. Lat.: in Asaramel) is a dark, difficult to interpret name, probably denoting the place of public meetings in Jerusalem. 1Mac 14:29 Since there were many wars in this country, Simon the son of Mattathias, the son of the sons of Jarib, and his brothers, exposing themselves to danger, resisted the enemies of their people in order to preserve his sanctuary and the law, and glorified their people with great glory. "Son of the sons of Jarib", "ο υίός τών υίών Ιαρίβ", see II: 1. 1Mac 14:30 Jonathan gathered his people together and became their high priest, but he was gathered to his people. “Jonathan gathered his people...”, cf. IX: 28–31. - “He was venerated to his people...”, that is, he died (see II:69). 1Mac 14:31 And when their enemies were determined to enter into their country, to destroy their country, and to stretch out their hands against their sanctuary, About the intentions of the enemies after the death of Jonathan - see III: 1 et c.; 20 etc.; about Simon’s speech in defense of the fatherland – XIII: 10 etc. 1Mac 14:32-34 Then Simon rose up and fought for his people and spent a lot of his own money, supplying the brave men of his people with weapons and giving them wages. He fortified the cities of Judah and Bethsura on the borders of Judah, where the enemy's weapons had previously been located, and placed guards there from the Jews. He also strengthened Joppa by the sea and Gazara on the borders of Azoth, where enemies had previously lived, and settled the Jews there, supplying these places with everything they needed to restore them. About Bethsura - see XI: 65 et c.; about Joppa – XII: 33 etc.; about Ghazar – XIII: 43–48. 1Mac 14:35-36 And the people saw the deeds of Simon and the glory that he tried to bring to his people, and they made him their ruler and high priest because he had done all this, and for the justice and loyalty that he kept to his family, trying in every possible way to exalt his people. In his days, by his hands, the pagans were successfully driven out of the country and occupied the city of David in Jerusalem, who, having built a fortress for themselves, came out of it and desecrated everything around the sanctuary and did much harm to the shrine. On the expulsion of the pagans from the fortress of Jerusalem - XIII: 49 and d. 38–39. Reference to the letter of Demetrius XIII: 36–39 etc. 1Mac 14:37-40 He settled the Jews in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city and raised up the walls of Jerusalem. Therefore, King Demetrius established the high priesthood for him, and counted him among his friends, and honored him with great glory. For he heard that the Romans called the Jews friends and allies and brothers and received Simon's ambassadors with honor, “Friends and allies and brothers...” In fact, the Romans called the Jews only φίλοι καί σύμμαχοι, cf. 18th century and to VIII: 20; XV: 17. 1Mac 14:41 that the Jews and the priests agreed that Simon should be their ruler and high priest forever until the faithful prophet arises, “A ruler and high priest for ever...” Here, therefore, this dignity is also recognized for the descendants of Simon as hereditary - for eternity (cf. 25 and 49 vv.). - “Until the faithful prophet arises...”, εως τού άναστήναι προφήτης πιστώς ... - A faithful prophet, that is, whose judgments will deserve full faith, since he will proclaim the Divine Revelation, in contrast to the prophets who spoke from his own invention. Some also understood the “Messiah” here, although the absence of “ό” before προφήτης seems to contradict this understanding. One way or another, the faithful prophet had to decide whether Simon and his successors should be granted the hereditary dignity of the principality and high priesthood or not? - a question that was all the more aggravated in its essential importance because some innovation was allowed - the transfer of high priestly succession to the Asmonean family (after the flight of Onias, the last legitimate high priest to Egypt), in which the high priesthood was inextricably linked with kingship, which, in fact, was to be realized (and forever “according to the order of Melchizedek”) in the person of the promised successor of David at home (2 Kings VII: 14 et c.; cf. 1 Mac II:57; Ps 109). 1Mac 14:42-49 that he should be their commander and have charge of the saints and put them in charge of their work, and over the region, and in charge of the weapons, and in charge of the fortresses, so that he would have charge of the sanctuary, and everyone would obey him, so that all treaties in the country would be written in his name, and so that he would dress in purple and wear gold jewelry. And let none of the people or priests be allowed to abrogate any of this, or to contradict his words, or without him to call an assembly in the country and to dress in purple and wear a gold buckle. And whoever does anything against this or cancels any of this will be guilty.” And all the people agreed to obey Simon and do according to these words. Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest and commander of the army and ruler of the Jews and priests and to rule over everyone. And they decided to inscribe this record on copper tablets and place them in the fence of the church in a prominent place, and put the copies of them in the treasury so that Simon and his sons could have them. The books of Maccabees are translated from Greek because they are not in the Hebrew text.