Alcimus (sources)

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Survey of ancient sources on Alcimus.

Ancient Jewish sources

1 Maccabees

1 Macc 7:4-50 -- [4] Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom: [5] And there came to him the wicked and ungodly men of Israel: And Alcimus was at the head of them, who desired to be made high priest. [6] And they accused the people to the king, saying: Judas and his brethren have destroyed all thy friends, and he hath driven us out of our land. [7] Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go, and see all the havock he hath made amongst us, and in the king's lands: and let him punish all his friends and their helpers. [8] Then the king chose Bacchides, one of his friends that ruled beyond the great river in the kingdom, and was faithful to the king: and he sent him, [9] To see the havock that Judas had made: and the wicked Alcimus he made high priest, and commanded him to take revenge upon the children of Israel. [10] And they arose, and came with a great army into the land of Juda: and they sent messengers, and spoke to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully. [11] But they gave no heed to their words: for they saw that they were come with a great army. [12] Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of the scribes to require things that are just: [13] And first the Assideans that were among the children of Israel, and they sought peace of them. [14] For they said: One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come, he will not deceive us. [15] And he spoke to them peaceably: and he swore to them, saying: We will do you no harm nor your friends. [16] And they believed him. And he took threescore of them, and slew them in one day, according to the word that is written: [17] The flesh of thy saints, and the blood of them they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them. [18] Then fear and trembling fell upon all the people: for they said: There is no truth, nor justice among them: for they have broken the covenant, and the oath which they made. [19] And Bacchides removed the camp from Jerusalem, and pitched in Bethzecha: and he sent, and took many of them that were fled away from him, and some of the people he killed, and threw them into a great pit. [20] Then he committed the country to Alcimus, and left with him troops to help him. So Bacchides went away to the king: [21] But Alcimus did what he could to maintain his chief priesthood. [22] And they that disturbed the people resorted to him, and they got the land of Juda into their power, and did much hurt in Israel. [23] And Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus, and they that were with him, did to the children of Israel, much more than the Gentiles. [24] And he went out into all the coasts of Juda round about, and took vengeance upon the men that had revolted, and they ceased to go forth any more into the country. [25] And Alcimus saw that Judas, and they that were with him prevailed: and he knew that he could not stand against them, and he went back to the king, and accused them of many crimes. [26] And the king sent Nicanor one of his principal lords, who was a great enemy to Israel: and he commanded him to destroy the people.

1 Macc 9:1-57 -- [1] In the meantime when Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army were fallen in battle, he sent again Bacchides and Alcimus into Judea; and the right wing of his army with them. [2] And they took the road that leadeth to Galgal, and they camped in Masaloth, which is in Arabella: and they made themselves masters of it, and slew many people. [3] In the first month of the hundred and fifty-second year they brought the army to Jerusalem... [54] Now in the year one hundred and fifty-three, the second month, Alcimus commanded the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary to be thrown down, and the works of the prophets to be destroyed: and he began to be destroyed: and he began to destroy. [55] At that time Alcimus was struck: and his works were hindered, and his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that he could no more speak a word, nor give order concerning his house. [56] And Alcimus died at that time in great torment. [57] And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead: and he returned to the king, and the land was quiet for two years.

2 Maccabees

2 Macc 14 -- [3] Now one Alcimus, who had been chief priest, but had willfully defiled himself in the time of mingling with the heathens, seeing that there was no safety for him, nor access to the altar, [4] Came to king Demetrius in the year one hundred and fifty, presenting unto him a crown of gold, and a palm, and besides these, some boughs which seemed to belong to the temple. And that day indeed he held his peace. [5] But having gotten a convenient time to further his madness, being called to counsel by Demetrius, and asked what the Jews relied upon, and what were their counsels, [6] He answered thereunto: They among the Jews that are called Assideans, of whom Judas Machabeus is captain, nourish wars, and raise seditions, and will not suffer the realm to be in peace. [7] For I also being deprived of my ancestors' glory (I mean of the high priesthood) am now come hither: [8] Principally indeed out of fidelity to the king's interests, but in the next place also to provide for the good of my countrymen: for all our nation suffereth much from the evil proceedings of those men. [9] Wherefore, 0 king, seeing thou know- eat all these things, take care, I beseech thee, both of the country, and of our nation, according to thy humanity which is known to all men, [10] For as long as Judas liveth, it is not possible that the state should be quiet. [11] Now when this man had spoken to this effect, the rest also of the king's friends, who were enemies of Judas, incensed Demetrius against him. [12] And forthwith he sent Nicanor, the commander over the elephants, governor into Judea: [13] Giving him in charge, to take Judas himself: and disperse all them that were with him, and to make Alcimus the high priest of the great temple... [26] But Alcimus seeing the love (Nicaror and Judas Maccabee) had one to another, and the covenants, came to Demetrius, and told him that Nicanor assented to the foreign interest, for that he meant to make Judas, who was a traitor to the kingdom, his successor. [27] Then the king being in a rage and provoked with this man's wicked accusations, wrote to Nicanor, signifying, that he was greatly displeased with the covenant of friendship: and that he commanded him nevertheless to send Machabeus prisoner in all haste to Antioch.

Josephus, Jewish Antiquities

Ant XII, 9-11; XX, 10.