42 Moreover that he mould be their
captain, and should take charge os the
sanctuary, to set them over their works,
and over the country, and over the armour, and over the fortresses, that, /say,
he should fake charge of the sanctuary ;
43 Beside this, that he should be obeyed of every man, and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name, rch.jo.to, and that 8 he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold :
44 Also that it should be lawful for none of the people or priests to break any of these things, or to gainsay his words, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold :
45 And whosoever should do otherwise, or break any of these things, he should be punished.
46 Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as hath been said.
47 Then Simon accepted hereof, and was well pleased to be high priest, and captain and governor of the Jews and priests, and to defend them all.
48 So they commanded that this writing should be put in tables of brass, and that they should be set up within the compass of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place ;
49 Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the treasury, to the end that Si mon and his fons might have them.
CHAP. XV.
MOreover Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent letters from the istes of" the sea unto Simon the priest and prince of the Jews, and to all the people ;
2 The contents whereof were these : King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and prince of his nation, and to the people of the Jews, greeting :
3 Forasmuch as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, and my purpose is to challenge it again, that I may restore it to the old estate, and to that end have gathered a multitude of foreign soldiers together, and prepared ships of war ;
4 My meaning also being to go through the country, that I may be avenged of them that have destroyed it, and made many cities in the kingdom desolate :
5 Now therefore I confirm unto thee all Before the oblations which the kings before me granted thee, and whatsoever gifts besides they granted.
6 I give thee leave also to coin monqy for thy country with thine own stamp.
7 And as concerning Jerusalem and the sanctuary, let them be free j and all the armour that thou hast made, and fortresses that thou hast built, and keepest in thine hands, let them remain unto thee.
8 And if any thing be, or shall be, owing to the king, let it be forgiven thee from this-time forth for evermore.
9 Furthermore, when we have obtained our kingdom, we will honour thee, and thy nation, and thy temple, with great honour, so that your honourfhall be known throughout the world.
10 In the hundred threescore and four- dr- '39' teenth year went Antiochus into the land of his fathers: at which time all the forces came together unto him, so that few were left withTryphon.
11 Wherefore being pursued bykingAn- tiochus, he fled unto Dora, which lieth by the sea side :
12 For he saw that troubles came upon him all at once, and that his forces had forsaken him.
13 Then camped Antiochus against Dora, having with him an hundred and twenty thousand men of war, and eight thousand horsemen.
14 And when he had compassed the city round about, and joined ships close to the town on the sea side, he vexed the city by land and by sea, neither suffered he any to go out or in.
15 In the mean season came Numenius and his company from Rome, having let ters to the kings and countries ; wherein were written these things :
16 Lucius, consul of the Romans unto king Ptolemee, greeting :
17 The Jews' ambassadors, our friends and confederates, came unto us to renew the old friendship and league, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews :
18 a And they brought a shield of golchof *l» «4 **- a thousand pound.
19 We thought it good therefore to write unto the kings and countries, that they should do them no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries, nor yet aid their7 enemies against them.
20 It seemed also good to us to receive the shield of them.
21 If therefore there be any pestilent fel-
