Глава XII

The war of the Jews with the surrounding pagans: revenge on the Joppians and Jamnites and their treachery towards the Jews (2 Mac. 12: 1–9). The pacification of the Arabs (2 Mac 12:10–12). Capture of the fortress of Caspina (2 Mac. 12:13–16). Persecution of Timothy and other enemies (2Mac 12:17–37). The incident at the city of Adollam (2 Mac 12:38–45). 2Mac.12:1-2 At the end of these treaties, Lyshas went to the king, and the Jews took up farming. But among the local military leaders, Timothy and Apollonius, the son of Geneas, as well as Jerome and Dimophon, and, moreover, Nicanor, the commander of Cyprus, did not allow them to live in peace and security. Timothy, as can be seen from the comparison of v. 17. etc. from 1 Mac V: 11–12 and art. 21, 26 with 1 Mac V: 34, 43 etc. - not another, as precisely mentioned before (VIII: 30, 32; X: 24, 32, 37). That in the last place he is shown killed by the Jews does not prevent us from recognizing the identity here, and only shows that his death is incorrectly attributed to this war. - Apollonius - through the addition, the son of Geneas - differs from the other two Apollonius - the son of Thraseus (III: 5, 7) and the son of Menestheus (IV: 21), and we must also distinguish him from Apollonius, the governor of Coele-Syria under Demetrius I, since this Apollonius was then probably under Demetrius in Rome (see 1 Mac X: 69). – Jerome and Dimophon are not mentioned anywhere else. – Nikanor, through the addition of Κυπριαρχης, differs from Nikanor, the son of Patroclus (VIII: 9) and the chief of the elephants, Demetrius (XIV: 12). – Κυπριαρχης – or the head of Cyprus, during the period of the possession of this island by Antiochus Epiphanes, or the manager of sacred games in honor of the gods, by analogy with 'Ασιάρχαι, Συριάρχαι, etc. (Acts XIX: 31). 2Mac.12:3-7 The Joppians committed such an ungodly deed: they invited the Jews living with them with their wives and children to board the boats they had prepared, as if they had no evil against them. When they agreed, because they wanted to maintain peace and did not have any suspicion, then, according to the general verdict of the city, the Joppians, sailing, drowned them, no less than two hundred people. When Judas learned of such cruelty committed against his fellow tribesmen, he announced this to those with him and, calling on the righteous Judge God, went against the nasty murderers of his brothers, set fire to the pier at night and burned the boats, and killed those who ran there. And since this place was locked, he withdrew, intending to come again and destroy the entire company of the Joppians. “Since this place was locked...”, that is, fortified, and could not be taken without a siege or assault. 2Mac.12:8-9 Having learned that the inhabitants of Jamnia wanted to do the same with the Jews living there, he attacked the Jamnites at night and set fire to the pier with the ships; so that the flame was visible in Jerusalem two hundred and forty furlongs away, 240 stadia - 6 miles - about 40 versts. About Jamnia - see 1 Mac IV: 15. – “Flame...”, αί αυγαί τού φέγγους – glor.: the dawn of fire, i.e. glow. 2Mac 12:10 And when they had gone nine furlongs from there, going against Timothy, the Arabs attacked them, no less than five thousand and five hundred horsemen. Arabs, i.e. Bedouins, nomads, who from ancient times lived on the border between Egypt and Palestine (from where they also invaded the Philistines). 2 Mac.12:11-13 The battle was fierce, and when those who were with Judas, with the help of God, won the victory, the defeated Arab nomads asked Judas for peace, promising to deliver them cattle and to be useful to them in other ways. Judas, realizing that they could really be useful in many ways, agreed to make peace with them; Having made peace, they retired to their tents. He also attacked a city with a strong bridge, surrounded by walls and inhabited by different peoples, named Kaspin. Kaspin - considered identical with the fortress of Hasphorus or Hasphon mentioned in 1 Mac V: 20 and 36, and is probably the present Khastin on the eastern side of the Sea of ​​Galilee. 2Mac 12:14-15 The inhabitants, relying on the strength of the walls and the supply of food, acted very boldly, slandering those who were with Judas, blaspheming and uttering inappropriate speeches. But those who were with Judas, calling for help from the great Lord of the world, Who, without battering machines and guns, destroyed Jericho in the time of Jesus, brutally rushed to the wall. Θηριωδώς, as in X: 35, with the courage of lions. 2Mac 12:16-17 With the help of God they took the city and carried out countless murders, so that the nearby lake, which was two furlongs wide, seemed filled with blood. Having departed from there seven hundred and fifty furlongs, they came to Charak to the Jews called Tuviians; “For 750 stadia” – 16 3/4 geographer. miles. – “To Kharak” – εις τον χάρακα – a very vague place. That the Jews, called Thubians, lived here shows that this place is somewhere in the land of Tob (between Ammonitis and Syria). It is also unknown how to read this χάρακα - as a proper name, or as a common noun. In the latter case, this χάρακα (from χάραξ) would mean a dug-in, fenced camp. This last understanding is supported both by the member τον before χάρακα, and by the testimony of the 16th verse, that the Jews did not find Timothy in those places - επί των τόπων, since he withdrew from those places - από των τόπων. The twice used plural τόποι - places, towns, and precisely in contrast to εν τινι τοπω (“leaving a very strong guard in a certain place...”), suggests that τον χάρακα is the general name of several places that probably made up the camp area - either at that time, or ever before. 2Mac 12:18-20 But they did not find Timothy there, who, having done nothing, withdrew from the country, leaving, however, a very strong guard in one place. Therefore, Dositheus and Sosipater, from the leaders who were with Maccabee, went and killed the people left by Timothy in the fortress, more than ten thousand. Then Maccabeus, dividing his army into detachments, placed them over these detachments and rushed towards Timothy, who had with him one hundred and twenty thousand foot soldiers and one thousand five hundred horsemen. “He placed them,” that is, Dositheus and Sosipater, “over these detachments...” The number of Timothy’s troops, as well as the number of those wounded by Judas (v. 23), is apparently significantly exaggerated. 2Mac 12:21 When Timothy learned about the approach of Judas, he sent his wives and children and other baggage to the so-called Carnion, for this fortress was inconvenient for a siege and inaccessible due to the cramped conditions of the entire area. Timothy's army (1 Mac. 5:38) largely consisted not of disciplined warriors, but of nomads from the surrounding areas. The wives and children of these nomads followed Timothy's army out of fear of the armies of Judah. – Carnion – fortress – undoubtedly Karnain 1Mac V: 26, 43, Astharot-Karnaim, residence of King Og of Bashan. The exact location of the fortress is unknown. 2 Mac.12:22-23 When the first detachment of Judas appeared, fear fell on the enemies, and horror seized them from the appearance of the All-Seeing One: they fled, rushing one here, the other there, so that for the most part they were struck by their own, pierced by the edge of their swords. Judas persistently continued to pursue, killed the lawless and destroyed up to thirty thousand people. According to 1 Mac. 5:34, which probably speaks of the same battle, only about 8,000 people fell in it. 2 Mac.12:24 Timothy himself fell into the hands of those who were with Dositheus and Sosipater and with great cunning begged to be released alive, for he had many (Jewish) parents, and some brothers, and they would not be spared if he died. “With great cunning, he begged...” The trick was that in fact Timothy did not have any Jews (“parents” and “brothers”); be that as it may, he begged for his life. 2Mac 12:25-26 When he had assured them with many words of his promise that he would return them unharmed, they let him go for the salvation of the brothers. Then Judas went against Carnion and Atargation and killed twenty-five thousand people. “Against Carnion (see Art. 21) and Atargation...” Atargation - τό ᾿Αταργατείον - not a city, but actually the church of the goddess Atargatis or Derketo in Carnion (1 Mac V: 43 etc.). Atargatis is a Babylonian-Syrian-Philistine female deity with a fish body, like Dagon, a male deity of the same species (half fish, half man, deification of water or moisture in general, as one of the productive forces of nature). 2Mac 12:27 After the victory over them and defeat, Judah went against the fortified city of Ephron, in which Lysias and many different tribes were staying: strong young men who stood before the walls fought stubbornly; There were also large reserves of guns and arrows. About Ephron - see 1 Mac V: 46 ff. 2Mac 12:28-29 But they, calling on the help of the Almighty, who crushes the forces of enemies with His might, took possession of this city and killed those in it up to twenty-five thousand. Rising from there, they rushed to the city of the Scythians, six hundred stadia distant from Jerusalem. “City of the Scythians” - Scythopolis, or Beisan (see 1 Mac. 5:52). 2Mac.12:30-33 But as the Jews who dwelt there testified to the goodwill that the Scythian inhabitants had towards them, and to the meek treatment of them in times of trouble, then, thanking them and asking them to be kind to their family in the future, they went to Jerusalem, because the Feast of Weeks was approaching. After the holiday called Pentecost, they went against Gorgias, the military leader of Idumea. Judas set out with three thousand foot soldiers and four hundred horsemen. “Judas set out with 3,000 foot and 400 horse...” In the Slavic and Greek text the subject is not indicated here (εξηλθεν δέ ... from the same ...). All interpreters believe that the subject here should be considered not Judas, as the Russian translation does, but Gorgias, since Judas did not have any cavalry. However, the horsemen in his army are further mentioned. 2Mac 12:34-35 When they entered into battle, it happened that a few of the Jews fell. Dositheus, one of those under the command of Vakinor, a horseman, a strong man, caught Gorgias and, grabbing him by the cloak, pulled him strongly in order to take the damned prisoner alive; but one of the Thracian horsemen galloped at him and cut off his shoulder, and Gorgias fled to Marisa. Dositheus, the horseman mentioned here, is obviously different from the one mentioned in vv. 19 and 24. – About Marisa, – see to 1 Mac V: 66. 2Mac 12:36 When those who were with Ezra, having fought for a long time, were exhausted, Judah called on the Lord for help, that He might be the leader in the battle. “Those who were with Ezdrin...” Οί περί τόν Ἐσδριν. This Ezrin (Greek form of the name Ezri, cf. 1 Chron. XXVII: 26 in LXX) is no longer mentioned. Some interpreters think that this is another name for the same Gorgias; This is how it seems in glory. text: “the warrior Gorgiev, fighting on the mountain...” 2 Mac.12:37 Having begun to sing in the native language with a loud voice, he exclaimed and, unexpectedly rushing towards those with Gorgias, put them to flight. “Beginning in the native language, chanting with a loud voice...” glorious: “began with a fatherly voice to cry out with songs...” Songs - υμινοι - psalms of David (such as 113, 117, 123, 135, 149), which were sung when entering battle (cf. 2 Chronicles XX: 21 etc.). 2Mac 12:38 Then Judah, taking with him an army, went to the city of Adollam, and since the seventh day was approaching, they purified themselves according to custom and celebrated the Sabbath. City of Adollam - Heb. Adullam, a city in Sephela of Judah, its location is more precisely unknown. 2Mac 12:39-40 The next day those who were with Judas went, as duty required, to carry the bodies of the fallen and lay them along with their relatives in their fathers’ tombs. And they found from each of the dead, under their tunics, things dedicated to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbade the Jews: and it became clear to everyone for what reason they had fallen. ' Ιερώματα των ειδώλων - dedicated to idols - some here mean various jewels, others think that this refers to small images of pagan gods, gold or silver, which were worn as amulets on the body and were put on by the Jews either for better preservation, or out of superstition. For the prohibition of this by law, see Deut. VII: 25 and 26. 2Mac 12:41 Therefore they all glorified the righteous Lord, the Judge, who reveals hidden things, “They glorified... the Lord,” who revealed the hidden - partly to warn those who remained alive and preserved from this sin, partly so that these remaining could plead with Him for the sin of those who had fallen, which is what is done further. 2Mac 12:42 And they turned to prayer, asking that the sin they had committed might be completely blotted out; and the valiant Judas exhorted the people to protect themselves from sins, seeing with their own eyes what happened due to the fault of the fallen. The Jews pray that the sin committed would be completely blotted out, because it fell with its weight on those who remained alive and could be the cause of God’s wrath on them too (Joshua VII: 1 et c.; 2 Kings XXI: 1 et c.; XXIV: 1 et c.). 2Mac 12:43 Having collected according to the number of men, up to two thousand drachmas of silver, he sent to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice for sin, and acted very well and piously, considering the resurrection; Instead of 2,000 drachmas, the Latin text indicates 12,000, the Syriac 3,000. 2Mac 12:44-45 For if he did not hope that those fallen in battle would rise again, then it would be unnecessary and in vain to pray for the dead. But he thought that an excellent reward was in store for those who died in piety - what a holy and pious thought! Therefore, he offered a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead, so that they would be freed from sin. 2Mac 12:43–45. The act of Judas is usually cited to justify the Orthodox (and Catholic) teaching about the power and meaning of prayers for the dead. Objecting to the cited case in favor of this teaching, Protestant theologians argue that neither the very fact of Judas making a sacrifice after this incident, nor the transmission of this fact in this place in the Bible clearly says that Judas made a sacrifice specifically for the sin of the dead. According to verse 42, the sacrifice is made simply for sin, i.e., according to Protestants, for the entire Jewish society, which to a certain extent was burdened by the sin of the fallen and which in such cases, in solidarity with the transgressors of the law, had previously suffered the punishment of God’s wrath (see v. 42). There is no mention of the sin of the dead in v. 43 either. If the writer of the book, or perhaps its original source - Jason of Cyrene - adds his own additions and interpretations to the transmission of the fact, which in fact give support to Catholics and Orthodox Christians, then these additions and interpretations - say Protestants - have no weight, even if they belonged to Judas himself; they would have such power only in the mouth of an inspired prophet and messenger of God; and since this is not the case here, the religious ideas of these private individuals should have no bearing on the symbolic truths of the faith. That the interpretation of the fact by the writer of the book was made so correctly that - more than likely - it agreed with the actual views of both Judas and his contemporaries - this is felt without much evidence. As for the fact that Judas did not have the authority of a prophet and messenger of God, then this act of his does not constitute the only support for the doctrine of the salvation of prayers for the dead. In dogmatic discussions about this teaching, the act of Judas is actually cited as a simple reference regarding how long the belief in the salvific nature of prayers for the dead has existed (it does not matter here whether the writer only or Judas also held this belief; the important thing is that the writer here expresses this belief as universal in his time and is already able to justify it). This belief, of course, finds its main evidentiary force only in the New Testament teaching of the Savior and the Apostles.