Книга Даниила : подложное собрание маккавейских лжепророчеств

King Antiochus besieged Jerusalem, But the Jews stood it out for some time: but when all their provision was spent, they were forced to send ambassadors to him, to treat upon terms. Many of his friends persuaded him to storm the city, and to root out the whole nation of the Jews; For that they only of all people, hated to converse with any of other nations, and treated them all as enemies: and they suggested to him that their ancestors were driven out of Egypt, as impious and hateful to the gods: for their bodies being overspread, and infected with the itch and leprosy, (by way of expiation) they got them together, and as profane and wicked wretches, expelled them out of their coasts: and that those who were thus expelled, seated themselves about Jerusalem, and being after embodied into one nation (called the nation of the Jews) their hatred of other men descended with their blood to posterity. And therefore they made strange laws, and quite different from other people: never will eat nor drink with any of other nations, or wish them any prosperity. For said they, Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes having subdued the Jews, entered into the temple of God, into which none was to enter by their law but the priest; in which he found the image of a man with a long beard, carved in stone sitting upon an ass, he took it to be Moses who built Jerusalem, and settled the nation, and established by law all their wicked customs and practices, abounding in hatred and enmity to all other men. Antiochus therefore abhorring this their contrariety to all other people, used his utmost endeavour to abrogate their laws. To that end he sacrificed a great swine at the image of Moses, and at the altar of God that stood in the outward court, and sprinkled them with the blood of the sacrifice. He commanded likewise that the sacred books, whereby they were taught to hate all other nations, should be besprinkled with the broth made of the swine’s flesh: And he put out the lamp (called by them immortal) which was ever burning in the temple. Lastly he forced the high priest and the other Jews to eat swine’s flesh. When Antiochus’s friends had debated and considered of these things, they were very earnest with him to root out the whole nation, or at least that he would abrogate their laws, and compel them to change their former manner of living and conversation. But the king being of a generous spirit, and mild disposition received hostages and pardoned the Jews: but demolished the walls of Jerusalem, and took the tribute that was due.