3. Makkabeler 1

¹Filopator ise, kendisi tarafından yönetilen bölgelerin Antiyohus tarafından ele geçirildiğini haber getirenlerden öğrenince, tüm yaya ve atlı kuvvetlerine emir verdi; kız kardeşi Arsinoe'yi de yanına alarak, Antiyohus ve adamlarının ordugah kurmuş olduğu Rafya civarına kadar ilerledi.

²Teodotos adında biri ise, tasarladığı suikast planını gerçekleştirmek amacıyla, daha önce kendi komutasına verilmiş olan Ptolemaios'a ait seçkin askerleri yanına alarak, onu tek başına katletmek ve böylece savaşa son vermek için geceleyin Ptolemaios'un çadırına sızdı.

³Ancak Drimilos'un oğlu diye bilinen, aslen Yahudi olan fakat sonradan törelerini değiştirip atalarının dogmalarına yabancılaşan Dositheos, kralı oradan uzaklaştırdı ve çadıra onun yerine tanınmayan silik birini yatırdı; böylece kral için hazırlanan cezayı bu adam canıyla ödemiş oldu.

⁴Şiddetli bir savaş başladığında ve durum Antiyohus'un lehine daha da güçlenmekteyken, Arsinoe örülü saçlarını çözmüş bir halde, feryat ve gözyaşlarıyla ordunun arasında dolaşarak askerlere kendileri, çocukları ve karıları için cesaretle savaşmaları için yalvardı; zafer kazanırlarsa her birine ikişer mina altın vermeyi vaat etti.

⁵Böylece düşmanlar yakın dövüşte bozguna uğratıldı ve birçoğu da savaş esiri olarak ele geçirildi.

⁶Bu suikast girişimini bastıran kral, çevre kentleri ziyaret ederek halkı yüreklendirmeye karar verdi.

⁷Bunu yapıp pagan tapınak arazilerine bağışlar sunarak, egemenliği altındakilere büyük bir cesaret ve güven verdi.

⁸Yahudiler, kendisini selamlamak, hediyeler sunmak ve meydana gelen olaylardan ötürü tebrik etmek amacıyla ihtiyarlar meclisinden ve yaşlılardan temsilciler gönderdiler; bu durum kralın onları bir an önce ziyaret etme arzusunu daha da artırdı.

⁹Yeruşalim'e varıp en büyük Tanrı'ya kurbanlar sunarak şükranlarını bildirdi, tapınağın gerektirdiği yükümlülükleri yerine getirdi; tapınak alanına girince oranın görkeminden ve güzelliğinden büyülendi.

¹⁰Tapınağın düzenine de hayran kalarak, kutsal konutun içine girmeye karar vermeyi aklına koydu.

¹¹Kendisine bunun uygun olmadığını, halktan hiç kimsenin, hatta kâhinlerin bile içeri girmesine izin verilmediğini, oraya sadece herkesin önderi olan başkâhinin yılda bir kez girebileceğini söylediklerinde, kral hiçbir şekilde söz dinlemek istemedi.

¹²Kendisine yasa okunduğu halde, içeri girmesi gerektiğinde ısrar etmekten vazgeçmeyerek şöyle dedi: "Onlar bu onurdan yoksun bırakılmış olsalar bile, benim girmem engellenmemeli."

¹³Ve sordu: "Başka tapınak arazilerine girdiğimde, orada bulunanlardan hiçbiri beni neden engellemedi?"

¹⁴Biri düşüncesizce, bunun kendisi için kötü bir alamet olarak gösterildiğini söyledi.

¹⁵Kral, "Bu durum her ne sebeple gerçekleşmiş olursa olsun," dedi, "onlar istese de istemese de kesinlikle içeri girmeyecek miyim?"

¹⁶Bunun üzerine kâhinler kutsal giysileriyle yere kapanıp en büyük Tanrı'ya bu baş gösteren zor zamanda yardım etmesi ve bu kötülükle saldıranın öfkesini başka yöne çevirmesi için yalvardılar; feryat ve gözyaşlarıyla tapınağı doldurdular.

¹⁷Kentte kalan halk büyük bir telaşla dışarı fırladı, çünkü ne olduğunu anlayamamışlardı.

¹⁸Odalarında kapalı tutulan bakireler anneleriyle birlikte dışarı fırladılar; başlarına kül ve toprak saçarak sokakları feryat ve hıçkırıklarla doldurdular.

¹⁹Yeni evlenmiş kadınlar gelin odalarını ve kendilerine yaraşan utangaçlığı bir kenara bırakıp kentin sokaklarında düzensizce koşuşmaya başladılar.

²⁰Anneler ve dadılar yeni doğmuş bebeklerini evlerde ya da sokaklarda öylece bırakıp arkalarına bile bakmadan en yüce tapınağa doğru akın ettiler.

²¹Kralın bu kutsallığa saygısız girişimi karşısında, orada toplananların yakarışları çeşit çeşitti.

²²Bunların yanı sıra, cesaret bulan bazı yurttaşlar, kralın bu baskısına ve niyetini gerçekleştirmekteki kararlılığına boyun eğmek istemediler.

²³Silaha sarılmaya ve atalarının yasası uğruna cesaretle ölmeye çağırarak tapınakta büyük bir kargaşa yarattılar; ancak yaşlılar ve ihtiyarlar tarafından güçlükle yatıştırılarak yeniden dua ettikleri konuma döndüler.

²⁴Halk ise daha önce olduğu gibi yakarmaya devam ediyordu.

²⁵Kralın yanındaki danışmanlar, onun bu dikbaşlı zihnini tasarladığı plandan vazgeçirmek için her yolu denediler.

²⁶Ancak o, küstahlaşarak ve tüm uyarılara kulak tıkayarak, amacına ulaşmak niyetiyle tapınağa doğru ilerlemeye başladı.

²⁷Bunu gören kendi adamları bile, bu yasa tanımaz ve kibirli eyleme göz yumulmaması ve bu zor anda yardım etmesi için her şeye gücü yeten Tanrı'ya bizimkilerle birlikte yakarmaya başladılar.

²⁸Kalabalığın hep bir ağızdan yükselen feryatları öylesine yoğun ve acı doluydu ki, tarif edilemez bir gürültü koptu.

²⁹Sadece insanlar değil, duvarlar ve tüm zemin bile yankılanıyor gibiydi; çünkü herkes o sırada tapınağın kirletilmesindense ölmeyi göze alıyordu.

¹Ο δὲ Φιλοπάτωρ μαθὼν παρὰ τῶν ἀνακομισθέντων τὴν γενομένην τῶν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ κρατουμένων τόπων ἀφαίρεσιν ὑπὸ ᾿Αντιόχου παραγγείλας ταῖς πάσαις δυνάμεσι πεζικαῖς τε καὶ ἱππικαῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν ᾿Αρσινόην συμπαραλαβών, ἐξώρμησε μέχρι τῶν κατὰ Ῥαφίαν τόπων, ὅπου παρεμβεβλήκεισαν οἱ περὶ ᾿Αντίοχον.

²Θεόδοτος δέ τις ἐκπληρῶσαι τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διανοηθείς, παραλαβὼν τῶν προϋποτεταγμένων αὐτῷ ὅπλων Πτολεμαϊκῶν τὰ κράτιστα, διεκομίσθη νύκτωρ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Πτολεμαίου σκηνὴν ὡς μόνος κτεῖναι αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ διαλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον.

³τοῦτον δὲ διαγαγὼν Δοσίθεος ὁ Δριμύλου λεγόμενος, τὸ γένος ᾿Ιουδαῖος, ὕστερον δὲ μεταβαλὼν τὰ νόμιμα καὶ τῶν πατρίων δογμάτων ἀπηλλοτριωμένος, ἄσημόν τινα κατέκλινεν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ, ὃν συνέβη κομίσασθαι τὴν ἐκείνου κόλασιν.

⁴γενομένης δὲ καρτερᾶς μάχης καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων μᾶλλον ἐρρωμένων τῷ ᾿Αντιόχῳ, ἱκανῶς ἡ ᾿Αρσινόη ἐπιπορευσαμένη τὰς δυνάμεις παρεκάλει, μετὰ οἴκτου καὶ δακρύων τοὺς πλοκάμους λελυμένη, βοηθεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις καὶ γυναιξὶ θαρραλέως, ἐπαγγελλομένη δώσειν νικήσασιν ἑκάστῳ δύο μνᾶς χρυσίου.

⁵καὶ οὕτω συνέβη τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἐν χειρονομίαις διαφθαρῆναι, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ δορυαλώτους συλληφθῆναι.

⁶κατακρατήσας δὲ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἔκρινε τὰς πλησίον πόλεις ἐπελθὼν παρακαλέσαι.

⁷ποιήσας δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς τεμένεσι δωρεὰς ἀπονείμας, εὐθαρσεῖς τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους κατέστησε.

⁸Τῶν δὲ ᾿Ιουδαίων διαπεμψαμένων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γερουσίας καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοὺς ἀσπασομένους αὐτὸν καὶ ξένια κομιοῦντας καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι συγχαρησομένους, συνέβη μᾶλλον αὐτὸν προθυμηθῆναι ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς αὐτοὺς παραγενέσθαι.

⁹διακομισθεὶς δὲ εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα καὶ θύσας τῷ μεγίστῳ Θεῷ καὶ χάριτας ἀποδιδοὺς καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς τι τῷ τόπῳ ποιήσας καὶ δὴ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν τόπον καὶ τῇ σπουδαιότητι καὶ εὐπρεπείᾳ καταπλαγείς,

¹⁰θαυμάσας δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ εὐταξίαν, ἐνεθυμήθη βουλεύσασθαι εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν ναόν.

¹¹τῶν δὲ εἰπόντων μὴ καθήκειν γίνεσθαι τοῦτο, διὰ τὸ μηδὲ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐξεῖναι εἰσιέναι, μηδὲ πᾶσι τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ἀλλ’ ἢ μόνῳ τῷ προηγουμένῳ πάντων ἀρχιερεῖ, καὶ τούτῳ ἅπαξ κατ’ ἐνιαυτόν, οὐδαμῶς ἠβούλετο πείθεσθαι.

¹²τοῦ τε νόμου παραναγνωσθέντος, οὐδαμῶς ἀπέλιπε προφερόμενος ἑαυτὸν δεῖν εἰσελθεῖν λέγων· καὶ εἰ ἐκεῖνοι ἐστέρηνται ταύτης τῆς τιμῆς, ἐμὲ οὐ δεῖ.

¹³καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο διὰ τίνα αἰτίαν εἰσερχόμενον αὐτὸν εἰς πᾶν τέμενος οὐθεὶς ἐκώλυσε τῶν παρόντων.

¹⁴καί τις ἀπρονοήτως ἔφη κακῶς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τερατεύεσθαι.

¹⁵γενομένου δέ, φησι, τούτου διά τινα αἰτίαν, οὐχὶ πάντως εἰσελεύσεσθαι καὶ θελόντων αὐτῶν καὶ μή;

¹⁶τῶν δὲ ἱερέων ἐν ταῖς ἁγίαις ἐσθήσεσι προπεσόντων καὶ δεομένων τοῦ μεγίστου Θεοῦ βοηθεῖν τῇ ἐνεστώσῃ ἀνάγκῃ καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ κακῶς ἐπιβαλλομένου μεταθεῖναι κραυγῆς τε μετὰ δακρύων τὸ ἱερὸν ἐμπλησάντων,

¹⁷οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἀπολιπόμενοι ταραχθέντες ἐξεπήδησαν, ἄδηλον τιθέμενοι τὸ γινόμενον.

¹⁸αἵ τε κατάκλειστοι παρθένοι ἐν θαλάμοις σὺν ταῖς τεκούσαις ἐξώρμησαν καὶ σποδῷ καὶ κόνει τὰς κεφαλὰς πασάμεναι, γόων τε καὶ στεναγμῶν τὰς πλατείας ἐνεπίμπλων.

¹⁹αἱ δὲ καὶ προσαρτίως ἐσταλμέναι τοὺς πρὸς ἀπάντησιν διατεταγμένους παστοὺς καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν αἰδὼ παραλείπουσαι, δρόμον ἄτακτον ἐν τῇ πόλει συνίσταντο.

²⁰τὰ δὲ νεογνὰ τῶν τέκνων, αἵ τε πρὸς τούτοις μητέρες καὶ τιθηνοὶ παραλιποῦσαι ἄλλως καὶ ἄλλως, αἱ μὲν κατ’ οἴκους, αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἀγυιάς, ἀνεπιστρέπτως εἰς τὸ πανυπέρτατον ἱερὸν ἠθροίζοντο.

²¹ποικίλη δὲ ἦν τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συλλεγομένων ἡ δέησις ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνοσίως ὑπ’ ἐκείνου κατεγχειρουμένοις.

²²σύν τε τούτοις οἱ τῶν πολιτῶν θρασυνθέντες οὐκ ἠνείχοντο τέλεον αὐτοῦ ἐπικειμένου καὶ τὸ τῆς προθέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐκπληροῦν διανοουμένου.

²³φωνήσαντες δὲ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ὅπλα ποιήσασθαι καὶ θαρραλέως ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρῴου νόμου τελευτᾶν, ἱκανὴν ἐποίησαν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τραχύτητα, μόλις δὲ ὑπό τε τῶν γεραιῶν καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀποτραπέντες ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν τῆς δεήσεως ἔστησαν στάσιν.

²⁴καὶ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος ὡς ἔμπροσθεν ἐν τούτοις ἀνεστρέφετο δεόμενον.

²⁵οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα πρεσβύτεροι πολλαχῶς ἐπειρῶντο τὸν ἀγέρωχον αὐτοῦ νοῦν ἐξιστάνειν τῆς ἐντεθυμημένης βουλῆς.

²⁶θρασυνθεὶς δὲ καὶ πάντα παραπέμψας ἤδη καὶ πρόσβασιν ἐποιεῖτο, τέλος ἐπιθήσειν δοκῶν τῷ προειρημένῳ.

²⁷ταῦτα οὖν καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντες θεωροῦντες ἐτράπησαν εἰς τὸ σὺν τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸν πᾶν κράτος ἔχοντα τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐπαμῦναι, μὴ παριδόντα τὴν ἄνομον καὶ ὑπερήφανον πρᾶξιν.

²⁸ἐκ δὲ τῆς πυκνοτάτης τε καὶ ἐμπόνου τῶν ὄχλων συναγομένης κραυγῆς ἀνείκαστός τις ἦν βοή·

²⁹δοκεῖν γὰρ ἦν μὴ μόνον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τείχη καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἔδαφος ἠχεῖν, ἅτε δὴ τῶν πάντων τότε θάνατον ἀλλασσομένων ἀντὶ τῆς τοῦ τόπου βεβηλώσεως.

¹Now Philopater, on learning from those who came back that Antiochus had made himself master of the places which belonged to himself, sent orders to all his footmen and horsemen, took with him his sister Arsinoe, and marched out as far as the parts of Raphia, where Antiochus and his forces encamped.

²And one Theodotus, intending to carry out his design, took with him the bravest of the armed men who had been before committed to his trust by Ptolemy, and got through at night to the tent of Ptolemy, to kill him on his own responsibility, and so to end the war.

³But Dositheus, called the son of Drimulus, by birth a Jew, afterward a renegade from the laws and observances of his country, conveyed Ptolemy away, and made an obscure person lie down in his stead in the tent. It befell this man to receive the fate which was meant for the other.

⁴A fierce battle then took place; and the men of Antiochus prevailing, Arsinoe continually went up and down the ranks, and with dishevelled hair, with tears and entreaties, begged the soldiers to fight manfully for themselves, their children, and wives; and promised that if they proved conquerors, she would give them two minae of gold apiece.

⁵It thus fell out that their enemies were defeated in hand-to-hand encounter, and that many of them were taken prisoners.

⁶Having vanquished this attempt, the king then decided to proceed to the neighbouring cities, and encourage them.

⁷By doing this, and by making donations to their temples, he inspired his subjects with confidence.

⁸The Jews sent some of their council and of their elders to him. The greetings, guest- gifts, and congratulations of the past, bestowed by them, filled him with the greater eagerness to visit their city.

⁹Having arrived at Jerusalem, sacrificed, and offered thank-offerings to the Greatest God, and done whatever else was suitable to the sanctity of the place, and entered the inner court,

¹⁰he was so struck with the magnificence of the place, and so wondered at the orderly arrangements of the temple, that he considered entering the sanctuary itself.

¹¹And when they told him that this was not permissible, none of the nation, no, nor even the priests in general, but only the supreme high priest of all, and he only once in a year, being allowed to go in, he would by no means give way.

¹²Then they read the law to him; but he persisted in obtruding himself, exclaiming, that he ought to be allowed: and saying Be it that they were deprived of this honour, I ought not to be.

¹³And he put the question, Why, when he entered all the temples, none of the priests who were present forbad him?

¹⁴He was thoroughly answered by some one, That he did wrong to boast of this.

¹⁵Well; since I have done this, said he, be the cause what it may, shall I not enter with or without your consent?

¹⁶And when the priests fell down in their sacred vestments imploring the Greatest God to come and help in time of need, and to avert the violence of the fierce aggressor, and when they filled the temple with lamentations and tears,

¹⁷then those who had been left behind in the city were scared, and rushed forth, uncertain of the event.

¹⁸Virgins, who had been shut up within their chambers, came out with their mothers, scattering dust and ashes on their heads, and filling the streets with outcries.

¹⁹Women, but recently separated off, left their bridal chambers, left the reserve that befitted them, and ran about the city in a disorderly manner.

²⁰New-born babes were deserted by the mothers or nurses who waited upon them; some here, some there, in houses, or in fields; these now, with an ardour which could not be checked, swarmed into the Most High temple.

²¹Various were the prayers offered up by those who assembled in this place, on account of the unholy attempt of the king.

²²Along with these there were some of the citizens who took courage, and would not submit to his obstinacy, and his intention of carrying out his purpose.

²³Calling out to arms, and to die bravely in defence of the law of their fathers, they created a great uproar in the place, and were with difficulty brought back by the aged and the elders to the station of prayer which they had occupied before.

²⁴During this time the multitude kept on praying.

²⁵The elders who surrounded the king strove in many ways to divert his haughty mind from the design which he had formed.

²⁶He, in his hardened mood, insensible to all persuasion, was going onwards with the view of carrying out this design.

²⁷Yet even his own officers, when they saw this, joined the Jews in an appeal to Him who has all power, to aid in the present crisis, and not wink at such overweening lawlessness.

²⁸Such was the frequency and the vehemence of the cry of the assembled crowd, that an indescribable noise ensued.

²⁹Not the men only, but the very walls and floor seemed to sound forth; all things preferring dissolution rather than to see the place defiled.