Chapter Nine
The shameful death of Antiochus Epiphanes (2 Macc 9:1-29).
The narrative of this chapter concerning the end of Antiochus Epiphanes differs considerably from the account of the same events in 1 Macc 6:1-16 — not only in the motivation of individual circumstances, but also in certain other details of a historical character whose accuracy cannot be proven.
2 Maccabees 9:1. About that time, Antiochus returned in dishonor from the region of Persia. “From the region of Persia...” — ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Περσίδα τόπων — that is, from places located in Persia. On the king’s campaign into Persia, see 1 Macc 3:31.
2 Maccabees 9:2. For he had entered a city called Persepolis and attempted to rob the temple and seize the city. Consequently, the people rose up in arms, and Antiochus was put to flight by the inhabitants and forced to turn back in disgrace. Persepolis was the principal city of the Persian province, to the north of the Araxes, in a fertile valley — the ancient Parcakarta, that is, the city of the Persians, which under the Sassanids bore the name Istakhar. It was plundered by Alexander but not destroyed, only badly damaged by fire, and — according to Diod. Sic. XIX, 22 — it remained a significant city for another century until it fell into ruins. In this city there may have been the temple of Nanea, the national deity of the Persians, which Antiochus attempted to plunder; though according to 1 Macc 6:1 and App. Syr. ch. LXVI it was the temple of Elymaïs, a temple in one of the cities of Elymaïs. The name Persepolis may have been attached to this city by unreliable popular tradition (see 1 Macc 6:1).
2 Maccabees 9:3. When he was near Ecbatana, he received news of what had happened to Nicanor and Timothy. “Ecbatana...” — Ecbatana, the principal city of Media, is located so far to the north that a return journey from Persepolis or from the Persian provinces to Babylon via Ecbatana is highly improbable. The direct route ran through Susa, whereas Ecbatana lay 40 miles to the north of Susa. To this must be added that, according to Polybius, Antiochus died at Tabae in Paraetacene (see note on 1 Macc 6:16); and that city lay on the main military road from Persepolis to Ecbatana, some 70 miles from Ecbatana and only 30 from Persepolis. Evidently the mention of Ecbatana here is not historically accurate. — “What had happened to Nicanor and Timothy...” — τὰ κατὰ Νικάνορα καὶ τοὺς περὶ Τιμόθεον γεγονότα — more precisely: what had been done to Nicanor and to the forces of Timothy (τοὺς περὶ Τιμόθεον). — On this, see VIII: 23 ff. and 30 ff.
2 Maccabees 9:4–8. Burning with anger, he thought to take out on the Jews the misfortune of those who had put him to flight; so he ordered the charioteer to drive without stopping and to hasten the journey, while the judgment of heaven was already pursuing him. For with great arrogance he had said: I will make Jerusalem a cemetery for Jews when I arrive there. But the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him with an incurable and invisible blow: as soon as he had finished those words, an unbearable pain in the bowels seized him, with severe internal torments — and very justly so, for he had tortured the bowels of many others with many strange torments. Yet he did not cease his arrogance but continued to be filled with pride, breathing fire of rage against the Jews and ordering the journey to be hastened. Then it happened that he fell from the chariot as it rushed along, and by the hard fall he injured all the members of his body. And he who just before in his more-than-human pride had thought to command the waves of the sea and to weigh the heights of mountains on scales was now thrown to the ground and carried on a litter, making God’s evident power plain to all, “To command the waves of the sea... to weigh the heights of mountains on scales...” — these are expressions denoting the boundless almighty power of God (cf. Job XXXIII: 11; Ps 64:7-8: Isa 51:15). The expression of this passage closely echoes Isa 40:12 in particular. — A similar expression appears in v. 10 — “to touch the stars of heaven...” cf. Is. XIV: 13 ff.
2 Maccabees 9:9–10. so that worms swarmed out of the body of the ungodly man in great numbers, and while he was still alive pieces of his flesh fell off from the diseases and suffering; and the stench of his decomposition was unbearable throughout the whole army. And the man who had not long before thought to touch the stars of heaven, no one could carry because of the unbearable stench. The disease of Antiochus described here is not without precedent in history. According to Acts XII: 23, Herod Agrippa I died of a similar disease; according to Josephus, so did Herod the Great (Archaeol. XVII, 5, 6). Herodotus also mentions (IV, 205) an African queen who was devoured alive by worms (ζῶσα εὐλέων ἐξέζεσε). Modern medicine knows such a disease under the name helminthiasis; it is indeed accompanied not only by internal colic (v. 5), but also by external abscesses and wounds caused by worms eating through the intestinal canal (ulcera verminosa), with an unbearable putrid odor.
2 Maccabees 9:11–12. And so, when he was broken down, he began to give up his great arrogance and to come to his senses, since by the punishment of God his sufferings were intensifying from moment to moment. Even he himself could no longer endure his own stench, and spoke thus: it is right to submit to God, and a mortal should not presume in pride to think himself equal to God. “A mortal should not presume in pride to think himself equal to God...” — μὴ θνητὸν ὄντα ἰσόθεα φρονεῖν ὑπερηφάνως ...; Slavonic more precisely: “being mortal, not to think presumptuously things equal to God...” — literally, “not to think things equal to God” (as in vv. 8 and 10).
2 Maccabees 9:13–15. The ungodly man prayed to the Lord who would no longer have mercy on him, and said: “The holy city, which I was hurrying to level to the ground and make into a cemetery, I now declare free; the Jews, whom I had decided not to bury but to throw out together with their children for the birds and beasts of prey, I will make all equal to the Athenians; “I will make all equal to the Athenians...” — that is, I will give them the right of free popular self-government.
2 Maccabees 9:16–23. the holy temple, which I once pillaged, I will adorn with the finest gifts, and I will return all the sacred vessels, and more than before, and the necessary expenses for the sacrifices I will provide from my own revenues; moreover, I myself will become a Jew, and will go through every inhabited place proclaiming the power of God.” But when the pain did not abate at all — for the just judgment of God had already come upon him — he despaired of himself and wrote a letter to the Jews in the form of a petition, as follows: “The king and commander Antiochus to the good citizens who are Jews — many greetings, good health, and prosperity. If you are well with your children and your affairs are going as you wish, I give the greatest thanks to God, placing my hope in heaven. As for me, I am lying sick and affectionately remember your respect and goodwill toward me. On returning from the region of Persia and suffering a severe illness, I have thought it necessary to care for the common safety of all. Though I do not despair of myself and have full hope of recovering from my illness, yet knowing that even my father, when he was making war in the upper regions, appointed a successor, “My father, when he was making war in the upper regions...” — here the reference is to Antiochus the Great’s attempt to plunder the temple of Elymaïs, which cost him his life. That Antiochus the Great appointed a successor to himself when setting out to war in the upper regions is not mentioned anywhere in history; perhaps it was also unnecessary, given that the succession (Seleucus Philopator) could not have given rise to any doubt.
2 Maccabees 9:24. so that, if something unexpected should occur or any adverse news should be reported, the people of the region would know to whom the government had been entrusted and would not be troubled; “If something unexpected should occur...” — beyond the death of the king, other eventualities are meant here as well, such as capture, and so forth.
2 Maccabees 9:25. moreover, observing that the neighboring rulers and those bordering our kingdom are watching the time and waiting to see what will happen, I have appointed as king my son Antiochus, whom I have already often commended and presented to many of you during my campaigns into the upper satrapies; and to him I have written separately. The appointment of a lawful and definite successor was prompted for Antiochus also by the fact that, while waiting for a favorable moment, neighboring rulers were already preparing to profit from Antiochus’s territories. Such a favorable moment could be not only the king’s death, but also his first setback. Antiochus’s neighbors could count on one or the other of these outcomes in any case.
2 Maccabees 9:26–28. So I urge and appeal to you that, remembering the benefits done to you both in general and in particular, you will maintain your present goodwill toward me and toward my son. For I am confident that he, following my wishes, will deal with you with gentleness and kindness.” Thus this murderer and blasphemer, having suffered the same severe torments he had inflicted on others, ended his life in a foreign land in the mountains in the most pitiable way. “In the mountains...” — specifically at Tabae, in the province of Paraetacene, which — according to Strabo XVI, 12 — is very mountainous and infested with wild brigand bands.
2 Maccabees 9:29. Philip, his foster-brother, brought back his body; but fearing the son of Antiochus, he withdrew to Ptolemy Philopator in Egypt. On Philip, to whom Antiochus, while on his deathbed, had entrusted the administration of the kingdom’s affairs and the upbringing of his son for the kingship — see note on 1 Macc 6:14. — “To Ptolemy Philopator...” The Greek and Slavonic texts have here not Philopator but Philometor. According to 1 Macc 6:55, Philip first returned home with Antiochus’s forces, hoping to seize power for himself, and had already captured Antioch when Lysias, who had recognized Antiochus’s son as king (v. 17), also arrived at the capital. Here a battle between the rivals took place, in which Lysias gained the upper hand (v. 63) and “took the city by force.” Where Philip went is mentioned not at all. Only Josephus (Archaeol. XII, 9, 7) adds that Philip was taken prisoner and put to death by Lysias. Where Josephus obtained this detail, we do not know. He appears to report it by simple conjecture — on the basis that Philip is not mentioned afterwards. If so, it is entirely plausible to allow that Philip escaped from Lysias and — in accordance with 2 Macc 9:29 — “withdrew to Ptolemy Philometor in Egypt.” This account creates no contradiction or difficulty with 2 Macc 9:29, since there is no indication there that Philip withdrew to Egypt immediately after Antiochus’s burial. He could therefore have done so after returning home, having failed in his contest with Lysias. Less probable is the alternative supposition that Philip, leaving the eastern army in place, went straight to Egypt to obtain Ptolemy Philometor’s assistance against Lysias and then returned to Persia, from where — at the head of combined forces — he advanced on Antioch, captured it, but was defeated by Lysias, taken prisoner, and executed. Our Telegram channel