19
The story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar,
20
and further the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator,
21
and the appearances that came from heaven to those who fought bravely for Judaism, so that though few in number they seized the whole land and pursued the barbarian hordes,
22
and regained possession of the temple famous throughout the world, and liberated the city, and re-established the laws that were about to be abolished, while the Lord with great kindness became gracious to them—
23
all this, which has been set forth by Jason of Cyrene in five volumes, we shall attempt to condense into a single book.
24
For considering the flood of statistics involved and the difficulty there is for those who wish to enter upon the narratives of history because of the mass of material,
25
we have aimed to please those who wish to read, to make it easy for those who are inclined to memorize, and to profit all readers.
26
For us who have undertaken the toil of abbreviating, it is no light matter but calls for sweat and loss of sleep,
27
just as it is not easy for one who prepares a banquet and seeks the benefit of others. Nevertheless, to secure the gratitude of many we will gladly endure the uncomfortable toil,
28
leaving the responsibility for exact details to the compiler, while devoting our effort to arriving at the outlines of the condensation.
29
For as the master builder of a new house must be concerned with the whole construction, while the one who undertakes its painting and decoration has to consider only what is suitable for its adornment, such in my judgment is the case with us.