Genocide, slander, and neighborly advocates
1 When the godless Philopator learned of this, he became so enraged that not only was he angry at those Jews in Alexandria but he also was very bitterly opposed to those living in the countryside. He gave an order that they should all be gathered together at once into one place and killed by the most brutal means possible.
2
While these plans were being put into action, some people plotted to injure the Jewish nation by circulating a hostile report against them on the pretext that the Jews were hindering others from practicing their own customs.
3
But the Jews were maintaining goodwill and unswerving loyalty toward the royal house.
4
While they worshipped God and conducted their lives according to God's Law, they kept themselves separate in the matter of foods. For this reason they appeared hostile to some people.
5
But they had established a good reputation with everyone through their lifestyle of doing the right thing.
6
Now even though the Jews' good deeds on behalf of the nation were commonly talked about by everyone, those of other races didn't take these into account.
7
Instead, they kept harping on the differences in worship and diet, and claimed that the Jewish people were loyal neither to the king nor to the authorities, but were hostile and strongly opposed to the royal administration. And so they placed significant blame on the Jews.
8
But the Greeks in the city, who hadn't been injured in any way, saw the unexpected turmoil surrounding these people and the purposeless mobs that were forming. Although they didn't have the power to offer assistance, for they lived under tyranny, they tried to encourage the Jews. They were grieved and assumed that these circumstances would change for the better,
9
because so great a community shouldn't be left to its fate in this way, since it had done nothing wrong.
10
Already some neighbors and friends and business associates secretly drew them aside and promised that they would fight by their side and make every effort to assist them.