Demonstrations

²⁰ For Daniel said:— I was considering the ten horns that were upon the head of the beast. For the ten horns were ten kings who arose at that time until Antiochus. And he said:— A little horn arose from between those ten and three fell before it. For when Antiochus arose in the kingdom, he humbled three kings, and he exalted himself against the saints of the Most High and against Jerusalem. And he defiled the sanctuary. And he caused the sacrifice and the offerings to cease for a week and half a week, namely, for ten and a-half years.

And he brought in fornicators into the house of the Lord, and he caused the observances of the Law to cease. And he slew righteous men and gave them to the birds of heaven and to the beasts of the earth. For in his days was fulfilled the word that David spoke: — O God, the Gentiles have come into your inheritance, and have defiled Your holy temple. They have made Jerusalem desolate. They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of heaven, and the flesh of Your righteous ones to the beasts of the earth.

They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there is none to bury them. For this was accomplished at that time, when the venerable and aged Eleazar was slain, and the sons of the blessed Samuna, seven in number, and when Judas (Maccabeus) and his brethren were struggling on behalf of their people, when they were dwelling in hiding-places. At that time the horn made war with the saints, and their power prevailed. And the wicked Antiochus spoke words against the Most High, and changed the times and the seasons. And he made to cease the covenant of Abraham, and abolished the Sabbath of rest. For he commanded the Jews that they should not circumcise.

Therefore, (the Prophet) said concerning him— He shall think to change the times and the seasons and the laws, and they were given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. Now the time and half a time is the week and a half, which is ten years and a half. Again he said:— The judgment was set and they took away his authority from him, to injure and destroy him until the end of the kingdom. For the judgment came upon Antiochus, a judgment from heaven; and he became sick with a grievous and evil sickness, and on account of the smell of him as he rotted, no man could approach him, for worms were crawling and falling from him and eating his flesh because he oppressed the worm Jacob. And his flesh rotted in his lifetime, because he caused the dead bodies of the sons of Jerusalem to rot and they were not buried.

And he became defiled in his own eyes, because he had defiled the sanctuary of God. And he prayed and was not heard, because he did not hearken to the groanings of the righteous whom he slew. For he wrote a letter and sent it to the Jews and called them “my friends,” but God had not mercy on him, but he died in his torment.