Chapter One

Philopator’s clash with Antiochus III at Raphia. His return through the neighboring cities (3 Macc 1:1-8). His attempt to enter the sanctuary (3 Macc 1:9-13). The protest of the whole people (3 Macc 1:14-25).

3 Maccabees 1:1. Philopator, having learned from those who came to him that the territories in his domain had been seized by Antiochus, gave orders to all his forces, both infantry and cavalry, and, taking with him his sister Arsinoe, set out for the region of Raphia, where the armies of Antiochus were encamped. “But Philopator...” The particle δέ at the very beginning of the narrative (δέ μεταβατικόν) indicates either that this narrative follows on from some other well-known text (as in the autobiography of Josephus), or suggests the loss of several verses, or perhaps even whole chapters, at the beginning of the book. Philopator — the epithet of Ptolemy IV, ordinarily applied to him in an ironic sense, for the murder of his parents (Justin XXIX, 1, 5: “Aegyptum patre ac matre interfectis occupaverat Ptolemaeus, cui ex facinoris crimine cognomen Philopator fuit...” [Egypt had been seized by Ptolemy, who, on account of his crime of killing his father and mother, received the surname Philopator]). The use of this epithet on coins and other monuments from the king’s time indicates, however, that the epithet also had an honorific sense. The dates of his reign are given variously as 222–202 B.C. and, by some, as 221–203 B.C. In 221 B.C. Antiochus III the Great began his Coele-Syrian war and his successes alarmed Ptolemy around 217 B.C. It is from this point that the book’s narrative begins. Ptolemy’s army consisted of 70,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 73 elephants; while Antiochus’s army had 62,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 102 elephants (Polybius V, 79). — Arsinoe — Ptolemy’s sister — was also his wife (Polybius V, 83, 3; XV, 25, 2; 33, 11); Livy calls her Cleopatra (37, 4); Justin calls her Eurydice (XXX, 1, 7; 2, 6). — Raphia — the first Coele-Syrian city after Egypt, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, on the road from Gaza to Rhinocolura, is mentioned in the Bible only here.

3 Maccabees 1:2. Then a certain Theodotus resolved to carry out his plan, took with him the best of the armed men entrusted to him by Ptolemy, and made his way by night into Ptolemy’s tent in order to kill him alone and thus prevent the war. “A certain Theodotus...” — an Aetolian by birth, he had been an Egyptian commander of Coele-Syria, but subsequently went over to the side of Antiochus. According to Polybius, Theodotus had only two companions.

3 Maccabees 1:3. But he was thwarted by Dositheus, son of Drimylus, a Jew by birth who had later apostatized from the law and abandoned his ancestral faith: he had placed in the tent an insignificant man, who received the death intended for Ptolemy. “He was thwarted...” Τούτον δε διαγαγών... It would seem more accurate to translate here: “but leading him (i.e., Ptolemy) away, conducting him out of the tent to another place, Dositheus...” etc. — Dositheus, son of Drimylus, was evidently one of the king’s bodyguards, who could easily have persuaded the king not to sleep in the same place out of fear of secret assassins.

3 Maccabees 1:4. When a fierce battle broke out and the cause of Antiochus was gaining the upper hand, Arsinoe, with her hair disheveled, went through the ranks weeping and with tears, urgently urging them to fight more bravely for themselves, for their children and wives, and promising, if they were victorious, to give each of them two minas of gold. Details of the battle at Raphia are in Polybius V, 83–86. — “With her hair disheveled” — as a sign of deep grief (cf. Polybius V, 83, 3). — The mina was 1/60 of a talent; the talent itself varied in value from place to place; the most widely used Attic talent was worth 2,210 rubles, so a mina was about 37 rubles. Two minas of gold equaled 20 minas of silver — about 75 rubles.

3 Maccabees 1:5. And so it happened that the enemy were struck down in hand-to-hand combat, and many were taken prisoner. According to Polybius V, 86, 5 — Antiochus’s army lost up to 10,000 infantry and more than 300 cavalry killed in this battle, more than 4,000 were taken prisoner, and 5 elephants were lost.

3 Maccabees 1:6. Having achieved his goal, Philopator decided to pass through the neighboring cities to encourage them. “To encourage them...” — that is, to consolidate his hold over them, to strengthen his influence among them, in opposition to Syrian influence.

3 Maccabees 1:7–9. Having done this and furnished the temples with gifts, he inspired courage in his subjects. When the Jews then sent to him ambassadors from the council and the elders to congratulate him, to present gifts, and to express joy over what had happened, he wished to come to them as quickly as possible. Arriving in Jerusalem, he offered sacrifice to the great God, gave thanks, and performed all the other things appropriate to the sacred place; “He offered sacrifice to the great God...” Philopator’s father, Ptolemy Euergetes, had done the same earlier, upon returning from his victorious campaign into the Medo-Persian regions. The designation of Jehovah as “the great God” (μέγιστος Θεός) is very frequent in our book.

3 Maccabees 1:10–11. and when he entered it, he was amazed by the magnificence and beauty, and, marveling at the orderliness of the temple, he desired to enter the sanctuary. He was told that this was not permitted, for not even anyone from their own people was allowed to enter there, not even priests, but only the one high priest who presided over all, and that only once a year; yet he was utterly unwilling to listen. “Once a year...” — on the great Day of Atonement, on the 10th day of the 7th month. On that day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies at least twice; therefore the expression “once a year” has the sense: on one day only in the year (Lev 16:12-16).

3 Maccabees 1:12. The law was read to him, but even then he did not abandon his intention, saying that he must enter: let them be deprived of this honor, but not he. And he asked why, when he had entered the temple, none of those present had forbidden him. “The law was read to him” — clearly meaning the above-mentioned passage of Lev 16 ch., with the prohibitions that had the force of law. — “Why, when he entered the temple, none of those present had forbidden him?” Greek: δια τίνα αιτίαν εισερχόμενον αυτόν εις παν τέμενος ούδεις εκώλυσε τών παρόντων ...; the Slavonic more precisely: “for what reason, as he went into every shrine, did none of those present forbid him...” Thus, Ptolemy here appeals to his unhindered visits to all pagan shrines, and expresses bewilderment at such an unexpected obstacle to entering the Jewish sanctuary. Others give a different interpretation of this passage, translating εἰς παν τέμενος not as “into every shrine” but as “into the whole temple.” On this reading, Ptolemy wishes to expose the Jews’ inconsistency, wondering why they admitted him into the temple generally, into the whole temple, without objection, yet now they obstruct inspection of individual parts.

3 Maccabees 1:13–15. And when someone thoughtlessly said that this had been done amiss, he replied: but since it has already been done, for whatever reason, should he not in any case enter, whether they wish it or not? Then the priests in their sacred vestments prostrated themselves and prayed to the great God that He would help them in their present extremity and restrain the rush of one who was violently forcing his way in; the temple was filled with lamentation and weeping, while those remaining in the city ran together in dismay, thinking that something extraordinary had occurred. Even the young women who were confined to their chambers rushed out with their mothers, sprinkled ashes and dust on their heads, and filled the streets with wailing and moaning. 3 Maccabees 1:16–18. Others, in full bridal attire, left the bridal chamber prepared for their reception and the modesty befitting them, and ran distractedly through the city. Mothers and nurses, abandoning newborn children here and there — some in the houses, others in the streets — rushed unrestrained to the all-holy temple. So varied was the prayer of those assembled on account of the sacrilegious attempt. “So varied was the prayer of those assembled...” — that is, varied by the kind, age, condition, and station of those assembled: some in one way, others in another, though the object of the prayer was the same for all — the removal of the sacrilegious attempt.

3 Maccabees 1:19–21. At the same time some of the citizens took courage not to allow him to succeed in forcing his way in and carrying out his intention. They cried out that they must take up arms and die bravely for the law of their fathers, and they created a great commotion in the temple; being restrained with difficulty by the elders and the priests, they remained in the same posture of prayer. The people, as before, continued to pray. Even the elders who were with the king made repeated attempts to draw his arrogant mind away from the intention he had formed. “The elders who were with the king...” — that is, his retinue.

3 Maccabees 1:22–23. But filled with boldness and contemptuous of everything, he was already taking a step forward to accomplish fully what he had previously declared. When those who were with him also saw this, they began to call together with our people upon the Almighty to help in the present need and not to allow such a lawless and arrogant act. “That He would help in the present need...” τοις παρούσιν έπαμύναι ..., Slavonic: “that He would help those present...” Since in classical authors τά παρόντα is usually understood with implied τά πράγματα, the Russian translation is more appropriate here; for greater accuracy it would be even better to say: “that He would help in the present circumstances...”

3 Maccabees 1:24–25. From the combined, strained, and heavy outcry of the people there arose an indescribable clamor. It seemed that not only the people, but even the very walls and all the foundations were crying out, as if already dying at the desecration of the holy place. Our Telegram channel