Author’s preface
19 This scroll is about the stories of Judas the Maccabee and his brothers, the purification of the great temple, and the restoration of the altar.
20
It will tell of the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator,
21
and the appearances from heaven to those who had gloriously performed brave deeds for Judaism. Though they were few in number, they took back the whole country, chased off the barbaric hordes,
22
regained the temple renowned throughout the whole inhabited world, freed the city, and restored the laws that were almost abolished because the Lord with all kindness was merciful to them.
23
Jason of Cyrene recorded all of these things in five scrolls, which we will attempt to condense into one.
24
Jason's scrolls contain an abundance of material and pose serious difficulty for those wanting to plunge into the historical accounts because of the amount of detail.
25
We aimed, therefore, to provide something amusing for those who want to read, to make it easy for those inclined to commit facts to memory, and to offer something useful to all those who happen to pick up the scroll.
26
For those of us who engage in the strenuous task of abbreviation, it isn't easy but involves sweat and loss of sleep,
27
just as it isn't easy to prepare a banquet for the enjoyment of others. Nevertheless, in order to gain the praise of many, we endure the task cheerfully.
28
Leaving the responsibility for accuracy in the details to the original writer, we must follow the guidelines for preparing a summary.
29
Just as the builder of a new house must give thought to the foundation of the whole, so also the one attempting to paint and decorate must investigate what is suitable for its own decoration. This I think also applies to us.
30
The duty of the first author of the history is to occupy the ground, to explore the subject fully, and to inquire closely into the details in particular.
31
The one retelling the shorter version should be allowed to pursue conciseness of expression and to be excused from an exhaustive treatment of the matter.
32
From this point then we will begin the narrative, not adding further to what was already said. After all, it would be absurd to prolong the preface but then cut short the history.