1 Maccabees 8

What Judas Heard of the Romans

1Judas heard of the reputation of the Romans: that they were mighty in strength, that they looked with favor on all who allied themselves with them and offered friendship to any who came to them; in short, that they were mighty in strength. 2He was told of their wars and of the brave deeds they were doing among the Galatians, how they had subdued them and brought them under tribute, 3and of all they had done in the region of Spain to get the silver and gold mines there into their power; 4how by their planning and their patience they had gained control of the whole region, though it lay very far from them; and how they had subdued the kings who came against them from the end of the earth, until they crushed them and struck them a great blow, and the rest pay them tribute year after year. 5Philip, and Perseus king of the Kittim, and those who rose up against them, they had crushed in battle and subdued. 6Antiochus, the great king of Asia, had marched to war against them with a hundred and twenty elephants, with cavalry and chariots and a very large army, and he had been crushed by them. 7They took him alive, and they bound him and those who would reign after him to pay a heavy tribute, to give hostages, and to hand over territory: 8the Indian country, Media, and Lydia, some of their finest lands. These they took from him and gave to King Eumenes. 9And how those of Greece had resolved to come and wipe them out; 10but the plan became known to them, and they sent a single commander against them. They made war on them, and many of them fell dead. They carried off their wives and their children as captives, plundered them, took possession of the land, pulled down their strongholds, and made slaves of them, as they are to this day. 11The remaining kingdoms and the islands, all who ever stood against them, they ruined and enslaved; but with their friends and with those who relied on them they kept up friendship. 12They had subdued kings near and far, and all who heard their name were afraid of them. 13Whomever they wish to help to a throne reigns, and whomever they wish they remove; and they have risen very high. 14Yet for all this, not one of them put on a diadem or wrapped himself in purple to make himself great by it. 15They had built themselves a senate house, and every day three hundred and twenty councilors took counsel there, deliberating without pause about the people, to keep them well ordered. 16Each year they entrust to one man the rule over them and the command of all their land. All of them obey that one man, and there is no envy or jealousy among them.

The Treaty with Rome

17So Judas picked Eupolemus son of John son of Hakkoz, and Jason son of Eleazar, and dispatched them to Rome to set up friendship and alliance, 18and to lift the yoke from them, since they could see the kingdom of the Greeks reducing Israel to utter servitude. 19They went to Rome, and the journey was very long. They entered the senate house and spoke up: 20“Judas, also called Maccabeus, and his brothers and the whole body of the Jews have sent us to you so that we may establish alliance and peace with you, and to have ourselves enrolled as your allies and friends.” 21The proposal pleased them. 22And this is the copy of the letter that they wrote in reply on tablets of bronze and sent to Jerusalem, to be kept there among them as a record of peace and alliance: 23“May it go well for the Romans and for the nation of the Jews, at sea and on land, forever, and may sword and enemy be far from them. 24But if war should befall Rome first, or any of their allies anywhere in their dominion, 25the nation of the Jews shall fight as an ally with a full heart, as the occasion prescribes to them. 26To those who make war they shall neither give nor supply grain, weapons, money, or ships, as Rome has decided; and they shall keep their obligations, taking nothing in return. 27In the same way, if war should befall the nation of the Jews first, the Romans shall fight at their side with all their soul, as the occasion prescribes to them. 28And to those who join in the fighting no grain, weapons, money, or ships shall be given, as Rome has decided; and they shall keep these obligations, and without deceit. 29On these terms the Romans have made this compact with the people of the Jews. 30If after these terms the one party and the other resolve to add or remove anything, they shall do it by their own choice, and whatever they add or remove shall be binding. 31As for the wrongs King Demetrius is inflicting on them, we have written to him thus: ‘Why have you made your yoke weigh so heavily on the Jews, our friends and allies? 32If they appeal against you again, we will do them justice and make war on you by sea and by land.’”