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Judas also collected the books that had been scattered because of the war, and we still have them.
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If you ever need any of these books, let us know, and we will send them.
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"Since we are about to celebrate the Festival of Rededication, we are writing to you, advising you to celebrate it as well.
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God has saved all his people and has restored to all of us our holy land, the kingship, the priesthood, and the Temple services,
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just as he promised in his Law. He has rescued us from terrible evils and has purified the Temple, and we are confident that in his mercy he will soon gather us to his holy Temple from every nation under the sun."
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Jason of Cyrene has recorded in five volumes the story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, the purification of the great Temple, and the dedication of its altar.
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He has described the battles with Antiochus Epiphanes and with his son Eupator,
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and he has told of the heavenly visions that appeared to those who fought bravely and enthusiastically to defend Judaism. Our forces were few in number, but they plundered the entire country and routed the heathen forces.
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They recaptured the Temple famous throughout the world, liberated Jerusalem, and restored the laws that were in danger of being abolished. They were able to do all these things because the Lord was merciful and kind to them.
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I will now try to summarize in a single book the five volumes written by Jason.
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The number of details and the bulk of material can be overwhelming for anyone who wants to read an account of the events.