Mattathias and His Sons Begin the Revolt

Mattathias was a priest from Jerusalem who lived at Modin, and he had five sons. When he saw the desecration and suffering in Judah and Jerusalem, he cried out in grief. Mattathias and his sons tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned deeply for their people and the holy place.

The king’s officers came to Modin to make the people offer sacrifice. They called on Mattathias to go first and promised him honour, silver, gold, and gifts. But Mattathias answered that even if other nations obeyed the king, he, his sons, and his kindred would keep the covenant of their ancestors and would not turn aside from their worship.

Then a Jew came forward in public to sacrifice on the altar at Modin in obedience to the king’s command. Mattathias, burning with zeal for the law, ran and killed the man on the altar. He also killed the king’s officer who was forcing people to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. Then he called for all who were zealous for the law and faithful to the covenant to follow him, and he and his sons fled into the mountains, leaving behind what they had in the city.

Many others went into the wilderness with their wives, children, and livestock because trouble had grown so great. Some were found there and attacked on the Sabbath. They refused to come out, would not obey the king’s word, and did not fight back or block up their hiding places. About a thousand people died, along with their families and livestock. When Mattathias and his friends heard it, they mourned deeply.

After that, Mattathias and his friends decided that if anyone attacked them on the Sabbath, they would fight to defend their lives and their law. More people joined them, including a group devoted to the law. They gathered strength, struck against lawless people, pulled down altars, and, as this account reports, forcibly circumcised uncircumcised boys they found in the regions of Israel. Mattathias blessed his sons before he died, and they buried him at Modin while all Israel mourned for him.