| 1 Ὁ δὲ Φιλοπάτωρ παρὰ τῶν ἀνακομισθέντων μαθὼν τὴν γενομένην τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κρατουμένων τόπων ἀφαίρεσιν ὑπὸ Ἀντιόχου παραγγείλας ταῖς πάσαις δυνάμεσιν πεζικαῖς τε καὶ ἱππικαῖς καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν Ἀρσινόην συμπαραλαβὼν ἐξώρμησεν μέχρι τῶν κατὰ Ῥαφίαν τόπων, ὅπου παρεμβεβλήκεισαν οἱ περὶ Ἀντίοχον. 2 Θεόδοτος δέ τις ἐκπληρῶσαι τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διανοηθεὶς 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. 3 τοῦτον δὲ διαγαγὼν Δοσίθεος ὁ Δριμύλου λεγόμενος, τὸ γένος Ἰουδαῖος, ὕστερον δὲ μεταβαλὼν τὰ νόμιμα καὶ τῶν πατρίων δογμάτων ἀπηλλοτριωμένος, ἄσημόν τινα κατέκλινεν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ, ὃν συνέβη κομίσασθαι τὴν ἐκείνου κόλασιν. | 1 Now when Philopator learned from those who had returned that the regions under his control had been seized by Antiochus, he issued orders to all his forces, both infantry and cavalry. Taking his sister Arsinoe with him, he set out as far as the region of Raphia, where Antiochus and his army had encamped. 2 But a certain Theodotus, intending to carry out his assassination plot, took the finest of the Ptolemaic weapons previously entrusted to him and stole by night into the tent of Ptolemy, meaning to kill him single-handedly and thereby end the war. 3 But Dositheus, called the son of Drimylus—a Jew by birth who later altered his customs and alienated himself from his ancestral doctrines—led the king away and placed an insignificant man to sleep in the tent; and it happened that this man received the assassin's punishment instead. |
| 4 γενομένης δὲ καρτερᾶς μάχης καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων μᾶλλον ἐρρωμένων τῷ Ἀντιόχῳ ἱκανῶς ἡ Ἀρσινόη ἐπιπορευσαμένη τὰς δυνάμεις παρεκάλει μετὰ οἴκτου καὶ δακρύων τοὺς πλοκάμους λελυμένη βοηθεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις καὶ γυναιξὶν θαρραλέως ἐπαγγελλομένη δώσειν νικήσασιν ἑκάστῳ δύο μνᾶς χρυσίου. 5 καὶ οὕτως συνέβη τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἐν χειρονομίαις διαφθαρῆναι, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ δοριαλώτους συλλημφθῆναι. 6 κατακρατήσας δὲ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἔκρινεν τὰς πλησίον πόλεις ἐπελθὼν παρακαλέσαι. 7 ποιήσας δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς τεμένεσι δωρεὰς ἀπονείμας εὐθαρσεῖς τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους κατέστησεν. | 4 When a fierce battle ensued and the fortunes of war seemed rather to favor Antiochus, Arsinoe went frequently along the ranks of the forces. With lamentations and tears, and her hair disheveled, she exhorted them to fight bravely for themselves, their wives, and their children, promising to give each man two minas of gold if they were victorious.5 And so it happened that the adversaries were destroyed in hand-to-hand combat, and many were captured alive. 6 Having frustrated the plot, the king resolved to visit the neighboring cities to encourage them. 7 By doing this and distributing gifts to their sacred precincts, he instilled confidence in his subjects. |
| 8 τῶν δὲ Ἰουδαίων διαπεμψαμένων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γερουσίας καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοὺς ἀσπασομένους αὐτὸν καὶ ξένια κομιοῦντας καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν χαρισομένους συνέβη μᾶλλον αὐτὸν προθυμηθῆναι ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς αὐτοὺς παραγενέσθαι. 9 διακομισθεὶς δὲ εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα καὶ θύσας τῷ μεγίστῳ θεῷ καὶ χάριτας ἀποδοὺς καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς τι τῷ τόπῳ ποιήσας καὶ δὴ παραγενόμενος εἰς τὸν τόπον καὶ τῇ σπουδαιότητι καὶ εὐπρεπείᾳ καταπλαγείς. 10 θαυμάσας δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἱεροῦ εὐταξίαν ἐνεθυμήθη βουλεύσασθαι εἰς τὸν ναὸν εἰσελθεῖν. | 8 When the Jews sent envoys to him from their senate (the gerousia) and elders to greet him, bring him gifts, and congratulate him on what had occurred, it happened that he became all the more eager to visit them as quickly as possible. 9 So he traveled to Jerusalem, sacrificed to the Most High God, offered thank offerings, and did something honorable for the holy site. But when he arrived at the location and was struck by its sophistication and beauty, 10 and marveling also at the orderly arrangement of the temple, he took it into his mind to deliberate entering the sanctuary itself. |
| 11 τῶν δὲ εἰπόντων μὴ καθήκειν γίνεσθαι τοῦτο διὰ τὸ μηδὲ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐξεῖναι εἰσιέναι μηδὲ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνῳ τῷ προηγουμένῳ πάντων ἀρχιερεῖ, καὶ τούτῳ κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν ἅπαξ ὁ δὲ οὐδαμῶς ἐπείθετο. 12 τοῦ τε νόμου παραναγνωσθέντος οὐδ' ὧς ἀπέλιπεν προφερόμενος ἑαυτὸν δεῖν εἰσελθεῖν λέγων καὶ εἰ ἐκεῖνοι ἐστέρηνται ταύτης τῆς τιμῆς, ἐμὲ δὲ οὐ δεῖ. 13 καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο διὰ τίνα αἰτίαν εἰσερχόμενον αὐτὸν εἰς πᾶν τέμενος οὐθεὶς ἐκώλυσεν τῶν παρόντων. 14 καί τις ἀπρονοήτως ἔφη κακῶς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τερατεύεσθαι. 15 γενομένου δέ φησιν, τούτου διά τινα αἰτίαν, οὐχὶ πάντως εἰσελεύσεσθαι καὶ θελόντων αὐτῶν καὶ μή; | 11 When they told him that this was not proper, because it was forbidden even for members of their own nation to enter, and not even all the priests, but only the leading high priest of all—and he only once a year—he absolutely refused to be persuaded. 12 Even when the Law was read aloud to him, he by no means desisted from asserting himself, saying that he must enter: "Even if they have been deprived of this honor, I must not be." 13 And he demanded to know for what reason no one present had prevented him from entering any other sacred precinct he had visited. 14 Someone thoughtlessly replied that it was wrong of him to view this as a portent. 15 "But since this has happened for whatever reason," the king said, "shall I not enter in any case, whether they wish it or not?" |
| 16 τῶν δὲ ἱερέων ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐσθήσεσιν προσπεσόντων καὶ δεομένων τοῦ μεγίστου θεοῦ βοηθεῖν τοῖς ἐνεστῶσιν καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ κακῶς ἐπιβαλλομένου μεταθεῖναι κραυγῆς τε μετὰ δακρύων τὸ ἱερὸν ἐμπλησάντων 17 οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἀπολειπόμενοι ταραχθέντες ἐξεπήδησαν ἄδηλον τιθέμενοι τὸ γινόμενον. 18 αἵ τε κατάκλειστοι παρθένοι ἐν θαλάμοις σὺν ταῖς τεκούσαις ἐξώρμησαν καὶ ἀπέδωκαν κόνει τὰς κόμας πασάμεναι γόου τε καὶ στεναγμῶν τὰς πλατείας. 19 αἱ δὲ καὶ προσαρτίως ἐσταλμέναι τοὺς πρὸς ἀπάντησιν διατεταγμένους παστοὺς καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν αἰδὼ παραλείπουσαι δρόμον ἄτακτον ἐν τῇ πόλει συνίσταντο. 20 τὰ δὲ νεογνὰ τῶν τέκνων αἱ πρὸς τούτοις μητέρες καὶ τιθηνοὶ παραλείπουσαι ἄλλως, καὶ ἄλλως αἱ μὲν κατ' οἴκους, αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἀγυιάς, ἀνεπιστρέπτως εἰς τὸ πανυπέρτατον ἱερὸν ἠθροίζοντο. | 16 Then the priests, falling down in their holy vestments, implored the Most High God to help in the present crisis and to turn aside the rush of the one wickedly forcing his way, filling the temple with cries accompanied by tears. 17 Those who had remained in the city, thrown into confusion, rushed out, terrified of what was unfolding. 18 Virgins who had been secluded in their chambers rushed out with their mothers, and scattering dust and ashes upon their heads, filled the streets with wailing and groans. 19 Others who had been newly betrothed abandoned the bridal couches prepared for their weddings and their fitting modesty, running wildly through the city. 20 Mothers and nurses abandoned newborn infants, leaving them here and there—some in houses, some in the streets—and without looking back, gathered at the supreme temple. |
| 21 ποικίλη δὲ ἦν τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συλλεγέντων ἡ δέησις ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνοσίως ὑπ' ἐκείνου κατεγχειρουμένοις. 22 σύν τε τούτοις οἱ περὶ τῶν πολιτῶν θρασυνθέντες οὐκ ἠνείχοντο τέλεον αὐτοῦ ἐπικειμένου καὶ τὸ τῆς προθέσεως ἐκπληροῦν διανοουμένου, 23 φωνήσαντες 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 παρῆσαν στάσιν. 24 καὶ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος ὡς ἔμπροσθεν ἐν τούτοις ἀνεστρέφετο δεόμενον. | 21 Diverse was the prayer of those gathered for this purpose because of the unholy thing he was attempting. 22 Along with these, the bolder citizens refused to tolerate his absolute persistence and his determination to fulfill his purpose. 23 Calling out to make a rush for weapons and to die bravely for their ancestral law, they created a massive disturbance in the place; but being barely turned back by the older men and the elders, they took up the same posture of prayer as the rest. 24 The multitude, as before, persisted in these supplications. |
| 25 οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα πρεσβύτεροι πολλαχῶς ἐπειρῶντο τὸν ἀγέρωχον αὐτοῦ νοῦν ἐξιστάνειν τῆς ἐντεθυμημένης ἐπιβουλῆς. 26 θρασυνθεὶς δὲ καὶ πάντα παραπέμψας ἤδη καὶ πρόσβασιν ἐποιεῖτο τέλος ἐπιθήσειν δοκῶν τῷ προειρημένῳ. 27 ταῦτα 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. 28 ἐκ δὲ τῆς πυκνοτάτης τε καὶ ἐμπόνου τῶν ὄχλων συναγομένης κραυγῆς ἀνείκαστός τις ἦν βοή· 29 δοκεῖν 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. | 25 The elders around the king tried in many ways to divert his arrogant mind from his intended purpose. 26 But growing bolder and disregarding everything completely, he was already making his approach, intending to bring the aforementioned plan to completion. 27 Seeing this, even his own attendants turned to invoke the One who holds all power along with our people, to defend them in the present emergency and not overlook this lawless and proud act. 28 From the dense and intense cry of the gathered crowds, an unimaginable shout arose; 29 for it seemed that not only the people, but even the walls and the entire ground echoed, since everyone at that moment preferred to exchange life for death rather than see the place defiled. |
1. The Setting: The Battle of Raphia (217 BCE)
Despite being titled Third Maccabees, this book has nothing to do with the Maccabean family or the Seleucid persecution of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Instead, it is set roughly half a century earlier during the Fourth Syrian War, focusing on the Ptolemaic ruler Ptolemy IV Philopator (v. 1).
Historical Accuracy and Dramatic License: The opening verses accurately track the historical reality of the Battle of Raphia, where Ptolemy IV defeated Antiochus III ("The Great"). Polybius's Histories corroborates the details regarding the assassination attempt by Theodotus (v. 2) and the battlefield intervention of Ptolemy’s sister-wife, Arsinoe (v. 4).
The Historiographical Mix: The author uses these authentic geopolitical events as a backdrop to introduce a purely Jewish theological narrative, establishing why a once-benevolent Ptolemaic dynasty turned brutally hostile against the Jewish population of Alexandria.
2. Dositheus: The Anatomy of Apostasy (v. 3)
Verse 3 introduces a brief but highly telling character study in Dositheus, son of Drimylus. Dositheus is a historically verified figure known from Ptolemaic papyri, where he is attested as a high-ranking royal official.
The text explicitly calls him a Jew who "altered his customs and alienated himself from his ancestral doctrines" (metabalōn ta nomima).
Ironically, it is an apostate Jew who saves the pagan king's life by substituting an innocent man in the royal bed, allowing the narrative's primary antagonist to survive and eventually threaten Jerusalem. This demonstrates the author's disdain for Jews who compromised their faith for political advancement in the Hellenistic court.
3. The Imperial Ego vs. Divine Law (v. 8–15)
The central conflict of the chapter mirrors a common motif in Hellenistic Jewish literature: the pagan monarch who mistakes his global hegemony for absolute metaphysical authority.
The Boundary of Holy Space: Ptolemy behaves like a typical Hellenistic tourist-patron; having won a major war, he visits local temples, offers sacrifices, and leaves donations (v. 9). However, his curiosity morphs into a dangerous obsession when he demands to enter the Holy of Holies.
Universal Access vs. Sacred Segregation: Ptolemy’s argument in verse 13 reflects the frustration of an absolute ruler used to open access at pagan shrines: "For what reason did no one present prevent me from entering any other sacred precinct?" His inability to conceptualize a space off-limits to an absolute emperor highlights the fundamental incompatibility between Jewish monotheistic sanctity and Hellenistic divine kingship.
4. Hellenistic Literary Patterns of Urban Crisis (v. 16–29)
The description of the public panic in Jerusalem uses the theatrical, emotive conventions of Hellenistic pathetic historiography.
The Social Inversion: The text emphasizes the disruption of normal domestic life to show the gravity of the spiritual threat. Secluded virgins (parthenoi) run into the streets, newly betrothed women flee their bridal chambers (pastous), and mothers abandon their unweaned infants (v. 18–20).
The Threat of Insurrection: Verses 22–23 present a volatile internal tension: the young, hot-headed citizens want to launch an immediate, armed insurrection against the king's guard. They are restrained by the conservative gerousia (elders) who redirect their militant energy into an intense, collective corporate prayer. This collective cry is described with cosmic resonance—even the physical walls and the ground seem to scream (v. 29), setting up the structural necessity for a miracle.