Heliodorus Comes for the Treasury
1While the holy city lived in perfect peace, and the laws were observed as faithfully as could be, thanks to the piety of the high priest Onias and his hatred of wickedness, 2it came about that the kings themselves honored the place and glorified the temple with the most splendid gifts, 3so much so that Seleucus, the king of Asia, paid out of his own revenues all the expenses required for the sacrificial services. 4But a man from the tribe of Benjamin named Simon, who had been appointed administrator of the temple, quarreled with the high priest over the supervision of the city market. 5Since he could not get the better of Onias, he went to Apollonius son of Tharseas, then commander of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, 6and reported to him that the Jerusalem treasury was crammed with untold riches, so that the sum of the funds could not be counted; that they had nothing to do with the account for the sacrifices; and that they could be brought under the king’s control. 7Apollonius met with the king and told him about the money that had been reported to him. The king picked Heliodorus, his chief minister, and sent him with orders to remove the money in question. 8Heliodorus set off at once, in appearance to inspect the cities of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, but in fact to carry out the king’s design. 9On reaching Jerusalem he was warmly welcomed by the city’s high priest. He told him of the report that had been made, explained why he was there, and asked whether these things were in fact true. 10The high priest pointed out that there were deposits belonging to widows and orphans, 11and some also to Hyrcanus son of Tobias, who was a man of very high position — so badly had the impious Simon misrepresented things — and that in all it came to four hundred talents in silver and two hundred in gold; 12and that it was utterly unthinkable to wrong those who had put their trust in the sanctity of the place and in the majesty and inviolability of a temple honored throughout the whole world. 13But Heliodorus, on the strength of the king’s orders that he carried, insisted that in any case the money must be taken over for the royal treasury. 14He fixed a day and went in to direct the inventory of these funds. The whole city was in no small anguish. 15The priests threw themselves down before the altar in their priestly vestments and called toward heaven upon the one who had made the law about deposits, begging him to keep these funds safe for those who had deposited them. 16To look at the high priest was to be wounded to the heart, for his face and his changed color revealed the anguish of his soul. 17A kind of terror had come over the man, and a shuddering of the body, and these made plain to onlookers the pain that lay in his heart. 18People also came rushing out of their houses in droves to join in a supplication of the whole people, because the place was about to be brought into contempt. 19Women, with sackcloth bound beneath their breasts, filled the streets. Of the young women who were kept secluded, some ran to the gateways and others to the walls, while some leaned out through the windows. 20All of them stretched out their hands toward heaven and made their entreaty. 21It was pitiful to see the whole throng lying prostrate together, and the high priest, in great anguish, waiting for what would happen. 22So they called upon the all-powerful Lord to keep the deposits safe and secure for those who had entrusted them. 23Heliodorus, however, proceeded to carry out what had been decided.
The Rider in Gold and the Two Young Men
24He was already there with his bodyguards at the treasury when the Sovereign of spirits and of every authority made a great manifestation, so that all who had dared to come there with Heliodorus were so dismayed by the power of God that they turned faint and fearful. 25For a horse appeared to them, carrying a fearsome rider and adorned with the most splendid trappings. It charged headlong at Heliodorus and struck at him with its front hooves, and its rider seemed to be clad in armor of gold. 26Two young men also appeared to him, remarkable in strength, surpassingly beautiful, and splendidly dressed. They took their stand on either side of him and flogged him without letup, raining blows on him. 27Suddenly he fell to the ground, engulfed in deep darkness. They snatched him up and put him on a litter, 28and they carried him off — the man who had just entered that treasury with a large train of attendants and his whole guard — now powerless to help himself; and they recognized plainly the sovereign power of God. 29Struck dumb by the divine action, he lay prostrate, bereft of all hope and of any chance of recovery. 30But they blessed the Lord, who had marvelously glorified his own place; and the temple, which a short while before had been full of fear and alarm, overflowed with joy and gladness now that the Lord Almighty had manifested himself. 31Some of Heliodorus’s intimates quickly begged Onias to invoke the Most High and to grant life to the man, who was lying at his very last gasp. 32The high priest, concerned that the king might come to suspect that the Jews had done Heliodorus some mischief, offered a sacrifice for the man’s recovery. 33While the high priest was making the atonement, the same young men appeared again to Heliodorus, dressed in the same clothing. They stood there and said, “Be most grateful to Onias the high priest, for it is on his account that the Lord has granted you your life. 34And you, who have been scourged from heaven, must proclaim to all the majestic might of God.” Having said this, they vanished. 35Heliodorus offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made the most solemn vows to the one who had saved his life; then, having bid Onias a gracious farewell, he marched back with his troops to the king. 36And he testified to everyone about the works of the greatest God that he had beheld with his own eyes. 37When the king asked Heliodorus what kind of man would be fit to send to Jerusalem one more time, he replied, 38“If you have an enemy, or anyone plotting against the government, send him there, and you will get him back flogged, if he comes through alive at all; for truly there is some power of God about the place. 39He whose dwelling is in heaven himself watches over that place and comes to its aid, and he strikes down and destroys those who come to harm it.” 40That, then, is how things went with Heliodorus and the safeguarding of the treasury.
