1
Not long after this, the king sent an old man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers, and not to live according to the laws of God,
2
and to pollute also the temple in Jerusalem and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius, and that in Gerizim, of Jupiter the Defender of Strangers, as they desired who dwelt in the place.
3
The coming in of this evil was sore and grievous to the people.
4
For the temple was filled with riot and reveling by the Gentiles, who dallied with harlots, and had to do with women within the circuit of the holy places and, besides that, brought in things that were not lawful.
5
The altar also was filled with profane things, which the law forbiddeth.
6
Neither was it lawful for a man to keep Sabbath days or ancient feasts, or to profess himself at all to be a Jew.
7
And on the day of the king's birth, every month they were brought under bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices; and when the feast of Bacchus was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus, carrying ivy.
8
Moreover, by the suggestion of Ptolemy, there went out a decree to the neighboring cities of the heathen against the Jews: that they should observe the same customs and be partakers of their sacrifices;
9
and whoso would not conform themselves to the manners of the Gentiles should be put to death. Then might a man have seen the present misery.
10
For there were two women brought who had circumcised their children; and when they had been openly led round about the city with the babes hanging at their breasts, they cast them down headlong from the wall.
11
And others who had run together into caves near by to keep the Sabbath day secretly, being discovered by Philip, were all burned together, because they had a conscience against helping themselves because of the honor of the most sacred day.