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24
He sent also that detestable ringleader Apollonius with an army of two and twenty thousand,
commanding him to slay all those that were in their best age, and to sell the women and the younger
sort:
25
Who coming to Jerusalem, and pretending peace, did forbear till the holy day of the sabbath,
when taking the Jews keeping holy day, he commanded his men to arm themselves.
26
And so he slew all them that were gone to the celebrating of the sabbath, and running through
the city with weapons slew great multitudes.
27
But Judas Maccabeus with nine others, or thereabout, withdrew himself into the wilderness,
and lived in the mountains after the manner of beasts, with his company, who fed on herbs
continually, lest they should be partakers of the pollution.
CHAPTER MACCABEES 6
Not long after this the king sent an old man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws
of their fathers, and not to live after the laws of God:
2
And to pollute also the temple in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius; and
that in Garizim, of Jupiter the Defender of strangers, as they did desire that dwelt in the place.
3
The coming in of this mischief was sore and grievous to the people:
4
For the temple was filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots, and
had to do with women within the circuit of the holy places, and besides that brought in things that
were not lawful.
5
The altar also was filled with profane things, which the law forbiddeth.
6
Neither was it lawful for a man to keep sabbath days or ancient fasts, or to profess himself at
all to be a Jew.
7
And in the day of the king's birth every month they were brought by bitter constraint to eat of
the sacrifices; and when the fast of Bacchus was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in procession
to Bacchus, carrying ivy.
8
Moreover there went out a decree to the neighbour cities of the heathen, by the suggestion of
Ptolemee, against the Jews, that they should observe the same fashions, and be partakers of their
sacrifices:
9
And whoso would not conform themselves to the manners of the Gentiles should be put to
death. Then might a man have seen the present misery.
10
For there were two women brought, who had circumcised their children; whom when they
had openly led round about the city, the babes handing at their breasts, they cast them down headlong
from the wall.
11
And others, that had run together into caves near by, to keep the sabbath day secretly, being
discovered by Philip, were all burnt together, because they made a conscience to help themselves
for the honour of the most sacred day.
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