“There lived in [Modin] a priest of the name of Mattathias, who had five sons, and whose complaint it was that he had been born to behold the oppression of his people and the desolation of the holy city, without being able to give them aid. He rent his clothes, and he and his sons put on sackcloth. When the captains of Antiochus came to Modin, and seduced many of the people to apostasy from the law, and endeavoured by promises of all kinds to persuade Mattathias, who was one of the most considerable of the inhabitants, to offer sacrifice and burn incense, he not only openly refused, but when a Jew, at the close of his speech, went up to the altar and sacrificed[sacrificed] to the idol, his zeal for the Lord of Hosts was so kindled, that he ran up to him, slew both him who had offered and the captain of Antiochus, and overturned the altar. This done, he cried aloud through the whole city, ‘Whoso is zealous for the law and will keep the covenant, let him go forth with me!’ This action decided the emancipation of Israel.
“Many followed him into the desert, and a multitude of pious Jews soon collected about him. They traversed the whole country, throwing down the altars of the idols, circumcising the children on whom that rite had not yet been performed, and attacking the ungodly. Mattathias succeeded in maintaining the law against all the power of the heathens. He was already far advanced in age, and having blessed his children, encouraged them to vigorous resistance, reminded them of the deeds of their fathers, and recommended his third son, Judas, for their leader; and the second, the wise Simon, for their counsellor; he died and was buried with his fathers at Modin.
“[Judas], surnamed Maccabeus, or the Hammer, continued the good work which his father had begun. After gaining several glorious victories over the Syrians, he entered in triumph into Jerusalem. And when they saw how the sanctuary was laid desolate, the altar defiled, the posts of the gates burned, the space around grown over with grass and trees, and the cells of the priests fallen to ruin; they rent their clothes and made great lamentations, they strewed ashes upon their heads, fell down on their faces, and blew the trumpet, and cried towards heaven. The priests who were with them purified the temple. The desecrated altar was pulled down and a new one built. The sacred vessels were renewed, a golden lamp-stand, an altar of incense, and a table of shew-bread made. They placed the incense on the altar, lighted the lamps, laid the shew-bread on the table, hung up the curtains, and restored the temple to its former state. On the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, they arose early and offered again according to the law, on the altar of burnt-offering, with song and pipe, harp and cymbal. This was the first offering since the time when the heathen defiled the sanctuary. This [festival] of the new altar was continued for nine days, and there was great joy among the people, that their disgrace was taken away. It was resolved that it should be annually observed, as a remembrance for ever. They then built strong walls and towers around the sanctuary on the hill of Zion. Judas proceeded from victory to victory, till at length he lost his life in an unsuccessful battle, after he had made a league with the Romans. His brother Jonathan followed him, and maintained himself and upheld the law in very difficult circumstances. He was appointed high-priest. The heroic defender of Judea was made prisoner by stratagem and shamefully put to death. He was great in council, still greater in the field, and those who saw him were compelled to confess that Jehovah had raised him up to be the guardian of the people in their time of need. I saw him in my youth at Ptolemais, at the espousals of king [Alexander Balas], of Syria, with the daughter of the king of Egypt. There sat the hero, in a robe of purple, among kings at table, and surpassed them all in royalty of mien.
“Simon, the last of the sons of Mattathias, now took the command of the army. It was he whom his dying father had called the Wise, and commanded his brethren to obey him. For four and twenty years he had served his brethren with counsel, and, though older than Judas and Jonathan, had filled a subordinate station with so much humility, as well to deserve the honour of finally establishing the independence of Israel. He had scarcely erected a monument at Modin, to his father and his valiant brothers, renewed the covenant with the Romans, and sent an embassy to Demetrius in Syria, when the Romans declared Israel free, and Demetrius formally renounced all claims upon them. This happy consummation, by which Israel has been placed securely on an eminence of prosperity unknown before, became [an era to us], and we are now in the thirty-fourth year of freedom. The people dwell in the land, serve no foreign master, possess the temple and the law, and fulfil it gladly. Would that this same period had not also witnessed the erection of the Oneion at Leontopolis!
“I cannot refrain from adding a few events of the latest times. Simon retook Gaza; Jerusalem was purified. He besieged the garrison in the castle, and when they surrendered and retired, he entered with branches of palm and the sound of the harp, singing praises to God for having delivered Israel from tyranny, and commanded that this day should be kept as a perpetual festival. He built walls all around the temple-hill, made the castle still stronger, and took up his own residence there. The people, as an expression of their gratitude, chose him as their prince and high-priest, till God should raise up the true Prophet. While Simon lived, Judah had peace, every man cultivated his own field, the land was productive, and there was fruit in the vine. The elders exercised authority and preserved good order, and the condition of the citizens was greatly improved.
“What shall I say of John Hyrcanus, his son and successor? Thou wilt see him thyself, Helon, in all his majesty; and wert thou, Myron, to see him, thou wouldest never jest again at Israel’s expense. While we were enduring in Egypt the cruelty of the abandoned [Ptolemy Physcon], and the men of science and eminence in the arts were flying from the country, Israel was happy under its wise and heroic prince. If the oppression of the Syrians was felt for a short time, Hyrcanus soon shook off the yoke, and himself conquered the Syrian cities, Madeba, Samega, and others. He next humbled the Samaritans, and removed that offence of every Jew, the temple on mount Garizim. He gave the Idumeans their choice, to expatriate themselves, or to receive circumcision, and thus united the seed of Esau with the posterity of Jacob. He has built the castle of Baris in the holy city. He is distinguished, above all the princes and fathers of Israel, by uniting in himself the threefold office which the Messiah is to bear, king, leader, and high-priest. At this moment he has just annihilated the power of the Samaritans by the conquest of their capital.
“To such a pitch of glory and to such hopes has Jehovah exalted his people; to him be the praise! He setteth us up on high. Since the days of Abraham, no period has occurred, in which Israel was so free and so pure. Great was indeed the splendour of the reign of Solomon; nor can we now boast, that silver and gold are like the stones of the street—but in his days neither sovereign nor people were strict in the observance of the law. Now, what zeal, what earnestness for the law is manifested! Our fathers in those days were little better in this respect than the Hellenists in our own.
“I praise my God that he has permitted me to behold the glory of his people, and to feast my thoughts with the contemplation of it, though I am not permitted to dwell with my brethren in the Land of Promise, under the sceptre of Hyrcanus. How important the present condition of Israel is, may be judged from the long preparations by which it has been brought about, and the difficulties which opposed and retarded it.
Had not the Lord been on our side
May Israel now say,