After three years Judah and his company heard that Demetrius the son of Seleucus had sailed from the port of Tripoli with a mighty army and fleet.

And he seized the land after Antiochus and Lysias his guardian were slain. And Judah set armed men ready in the suitable places for fear that the enemy should come upon them suddenly with evil. Then they conversed and made a solemn covenant. And Nicanor dwelt in Jerusalem, doing no evil. And he released the legions which had gathered about him. And when Alcimus saw the accord and covenant, he went again to Demetrius and said that Nicanor viewed matters with corrupt judgment, and that he had appointed Judah, who was hidden for the kingdom, as high priest.

But Alcimus, who had been invested with the high priesthood, then surrendered himself to defilement in the days of confusion, realized that there was no salvation for him at all, nor any way to ascend to the holy altar.

So he came to King Demetrius in the one hundred and fifty-first year, and presented him with a crown of gold, and a palm branch, and branches of olive, which pertained to the temple, and remained silent on that day.

Then he found an opportunity that suited the recklessness of his intentions, for Demetrius summoned him to his court and asked him about the condition of the Jews and their intentions.

He said, “The Hasideans among the Jews, led by Judah Maccabeus, are still engaged in wars and seditions, and do not allow the kingdom rest.”

“And behold, I have been stripped of the honor of my fathers, that is, the high priesthood, so I have come here.”

“First, to fulfill my service in what redounds to the king’s interest, and secondly, to strive for the welfare of my people, for the folly of those men has brought great calamity upon our nation.”

“Since you, O king, have been informed of these particulars, turn your attention to our country and our nation, which is greatly wronged, with the mercy and kindness that lies within you towards all.”

“For as long as Judah remains, it is impossible for affairs to be peaceful.”

When he had finished his speech, the rest of Demetrius’s friends, who were enemies of Judah, inflamed him against him.

So he immediately summoned Nicanor, the manager of the elephants, and appointed him commander over Judea, and sent him forth.

And he commanded him to slay Judah, scatter his companions, and appoint Alcimus as high priest of the renowned temple. So the nations in Judea began to abandon Judah and join Nicanor, considering the calamities and misfortunes of the Jews as their lot.

When the Jews heard of Nicanor’s arrival and the nations joining him, they cast dust on their heads and implored Him who had established His people to remain forever defending His inheritance with clear signs.

Then their commander ordered them, and they hastened to depart from thence, and met them near the village of Dessau.

And Simon, Judah’s brother, had engaged Nicanor, when unexpected reinforcements arrived, and he suffered some defeat.

But when Nicanor heard of the courage and bravery shown by Judah’s men in defending their homeland, he feared to decide the matter by arms.

So he sent Posidonius, Theodotus, and Mattathias to offer and ratify a treaty. And they accepted and agreed, and the assembly decided on this commander, and discussed the matter and the covenant at length.

And they appointed a day to meet them secretly. So Nicanor came, and chairs were brought from both sides.

And he frequently visited Judah, and his heart was drawn to him.

And he urged him to marry and have offspring, so he married and remained in peace and comfort.

So the king was greatly enraged, and his heart was incited by the slander of that impious man. And he wrote to Nicanor, saying that he was displeased with that covenant, and commanded him to hasten to send Maccabeus bound to Antioch.

When Nicanor became aware of this, he was perplexed, and it was difficult for him to break his covenant, for he saw no injustice in the man.

But since he found no way to resist the king, he waited for an opportunity to carry out the order by stratagem.

And Maccabeus perceived that Nicanor had changed towards him and no longer greeted him with his accustomed cheerfulness. He understood that this change was not for good, so he gathered a number of his companions and hid from Nicanor.

When Nicanor saw that the man had outwitted him with his prudence and cunning, he went to the great and holy temple, where the priests were offering sacrifices according to their custom, and ordered them to deliver the man to him.

But they swore and said that they did not know where the one he sought was, so he stretched out his hand towards the temple.

And he swore, saying, “Unless you deliver Judah to me bound, I will raze this house of God to the ground, and I will pull down the altar and erect here a famous temple to Dionysius.”

He said this and departed. Then the priests raised their hands to heaven and called upon Him who is always the helper of our nation, saying,

“O Lord of all, who are rich in all things, it has pleased You that the temple of Your dwelling should be among us.”

“Therefore now, O Lord, holy, Most Holy, preserve this house which has been purified recently, and keep it pure forever.”

Now there was in Jerusalem an elder named Razis, a man who loved his country and was of good repute, called the father of the Jews because of his zeal for them; and he was accused to Nicanor.

And in former days of turmoil, he had been most diligent in adhering to the Jewish religion, and ceased not to expose his body and soul for the sake of the religion.

And Nicanor, desiring to show his anger towards the Jews, sent more than five hundred soldiers to apprehend him.

For he believed that if he seized him, he would inflict a great calamity upon them.

When he saw the soldiers about to take the tower and open the door of the house, and they had set fire to burn the doors, and he was surrounded on every side, he fell upon his own sword.

Choosing to die with dignity rather than fall into the hands of criminals and suffer indignities unworthy of his noble origin.

But in his haste, he missed the vital spot. And when the soldiers rushed to the doors, he entered the battlements of the wall with a firm heart and cast himself down upon the soldiers.

So they parted instantly, and he fell into the midst of the opening.

And as he still had breath, and fury burned within him, he rose up, and his blood gushed forth like a spring, and his wounds were severe, and he ran through the soldiers.

And he stood upon a high rock, having bled profusely, then he tore out his entrails and took them in his hands, and cast them upon the soldiers, and called upon the Lord of life and spirit to restore them to him; then he gave up his spirit.