Jesus Christ

The Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: establish the cities of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moses, so that he who has killed unintentionally may find refuge there, and so escape the wrath of the next of kin, the avenger of blood. "Cf. Joshua 20:1-9 and Exodus 21:12-13. See Bible excerpts below.

It goes on to say: "And the elders of the city shall not deliver the innocent into the hands of him who seeks to kill him, but shall receive him and allow him to dwell there, and he shall remain there until the judgment and until the death of the high priest then in office; after which he may return to his city and to his house. "Cf. Joshua 20:1-9 and Num 35:25-28. See below.

In this law, merciful love for one's neighbor is observed and organized. This is the law of the cities of refuge, as well as the law of the Levitical cities.

Cities of refuge: This law, to which the preceding quotation refers (Joshua 20:1-6), concerns the cities of refuge, which served as asylums for manslaughterers. They were thus exempt from the law of vengeance (which Jude will mention in the last lines in EMV 566.8, perhaps referring to Genesis 9:6 and certain passages we recall below). These cities of refuge were six in number, including Hebron (as here) and Kedesh (as in EMV 342.1.2.7.9).

Levitical cities: These were among the 48 Levitical cities, where the Levites lived. See the biblical excerpt below, in the Book of Joshua, chapter 21.

Prescriptions relating to both can be found in Exodus 21:12-13 | Numbers 35 | Deuteronomy 4:41-43 | Deuteronomy 19:1-13 | Joshua 20-21. See Bible excerpts below.

In Jeremiah's letter to the exiles, we read, among other things, the following. Letter from Jeremiah 1:1-72 (sometimes inserted in Baruch 6). The biblical excerpt has been provided below.

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Book of Joshua 20, 1-9 (cities of refuge)

Joshua 20, 1-9: Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: 'As I commanded you through Moses, appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, where the murderer who has killed someone by mistake, without knowing it, may flee, and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. The murderer will flee to one of these cities; he will stop at the entrance of the city gate, and expose his case to the elders of that city; they will take him in with them in the city, and give him a home to live with them. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they will not deliver the murderer into his hands, for he has unknowingly killed his neighbor, whom he did not hate before. The murderer will remain in this city until he appears before the assembly to be judged, until the death of the high priest who will be in office in those days. Then the murderer will turn and return to his city and his house, to the city from which he fled."

They consecrated Cedes in Gallilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Cariath-arbe, which is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah. On the other side of Jordan, opposite Jericho to the east, they designated Bosor, in the desert, in the plain, a city of the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead, of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in Bashan, of the tribe of Manasseh. These were the cities assigned to all the children of Israel and to the stranger who sojourned among them, so that whoever had killed anyone by mistake might take refuge there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, before appearing before the assembly.

Book of Numbers 35, 25-28

Num 35:25-28 : And the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the avenger of blood, and cause him to return to the city of refuge where he fled; and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. If the murderer leaves before that time the territory of the city of refuge where he fled, and the avenger of blood meets him outside the territory of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the murderer, he will not be guilty of murder; for the murderer must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; and, after the death of the high priest, the murderer may return to the land where his possession is.

Book of Exodus 21, 12-13

Ex 21, 12-13 : Whoever strikes a man dead must be put to death. But if he has not laid a snare for him, and God has presented him to his hand, I will appoint a place for him to take refuge in.

Deuteronomy 4, 41-43

Dt 4, 41-43 : Then Moses set apart three cities on the other side of the Jordan, to the east, so that they might serve as a refuge for a murderer who had inadvertently killed his neighbor, without having previously been his enemy, and that by taking refuge in one of these cities he might save his life. These were: Bosor, in the desert, in the plain, for the Reubenites; Ramoth, in Gilead, for the Gadites, and Golan, in Bashan for the Manassites.

Deuteronomy 19, 1-13

Deut 19, 1-13: When Yahweh your God has cut off the nations whose land Yahweh your God is giving you, and you have driven them out and are living in their towns and houses, then you shall separate three towns in the middle of the land Yahweh your God is giving you to possess. You shall repair the roads leading to them, and divide the territory of the land that Yahweh, your God, is giving you as an inheritance into three parts, so that every murderer may flee to these cities. This is the case in which the murderer who takes refuge there will have his life saved: if he has inadvertently killed his neighbor, without having previously been his enemy. For example, a man goes to cut wood in the forest with another man; his hand raises the axe to fell a tree; the iron escapes from the handle, hits his companion and kills him: this man will flee to one of these cities and his life will be saved. Otherwise, the avenger of blood, pursuing the murderer in the ardor of his anger, would reach him, if the path were too long, and deal him a mortal blow; and yet this man would not have deserved death, since he had no previous hatred against the victim. Therefore I command you: Set apart three cities. And if Yahweh, your God, enlarges your borders, as he swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land he promised your fathers to give you, - provided you observe and do all these commandments I command you today, loving Yahweh, your God, and always walking in His ways, - you shall add three more cities to these three, so that innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of the land Yahweh, your God, is giving you for an inheritance, and that there will be no blood on you. But if a man hates his neighbor, and ambushes him and strikes him dead, and then flees to one of these cities, the elders of his city shall send and seize him, and deliver him into the hands of the avenger of blood, that he may die. Thine eye shall have no pity on him, and thou shalt take away innocent blood from Israel, and thou shalt prosper.

Book of Joshua 21, 1-43 (Levitical cities)

Joshua 21:1-43: The heads of the families of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes of the children of Israel, and spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Chanaan, saying, "Yahweh has commanded by Moses that cities be given to us for our habitation, and their suburbs for our livestock." The children of Israel gave the Levites, out of their inheritance, according to Yahweh's command, the following cities and their suburbs.

The lot was cast first for the families of the Caathites; and the sons of Aaron the priest, from among the Levites, obtained by lot thirteen cities from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Simeon and the tribe of Benjamin; the other sons of Caath obtained by lot ten cities from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The sons of Gerson obtained by lot thirteen cities from the families of the tribe of Issachar, the tribe of Asher, the tribe of Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. The sons of Merari, according to their families, obtained twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Zebulun. The children of Israel gave these cities and their suburbs to the Levites by lot, as Yahweh had commanded by Moses.

From the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon, they gave the following cities by name; these were for the sons of Aaron, from among the families of the Caathites, from among the sons of Levi, for the lot was cast for them first. They gave them, in the hill country of Judah, the city of Arbé, father of Enac, which is Hebron, and its suburbs all around. But the countryside around this city and its villages they gave for possession to Caleb son of Jephone. To the sons of Aaron the priest they gave the city of refuge for the murderer, Hebron with its suburbs, and Lebna with its suburbs, Jether with its suburbs, Estemo with its suburbs, Holon with its suburbs, Dabir with its suburbs, Ain with its suburbs, Jeta with its suburbs, Bethsames with its suburbs: nine cities of these two tribes. From the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon with its suburbs, Gibeba with its suburbs, Anathoth with its suburbs, Almon with its suburbs: four towns. Total cities of the priests, sons of Aaron: thirteen cities and their suburbs.

As for the families of the sons of Caath, Levites, and the other sons of Caath, the cities that fell to them by lot were from the tribe of Ephraim. The children of Israel gave them the city of refuge for the murderer, Shechem and its suburbs, in the hill country of Ephraim, as well as Gazer and its suburbs, Cibsaim and its suburbs, Beth-Horon and its suburbs: four cities. From the tribe of Dan: Eltheco with its suburbs, Gabathon with its suburbs, Aijalon with its suburbs, Geth-Remmon with its suburbs: four towns. Of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Thanah with its suburbs, and Geth-Remmon with its suburbs: two towns. Total: ten towns with their suburbs, for the families of the other sons of Caath.

To the sons of Gerson, from among the families of the Levites, they gave, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, the city of refuge for the murderer, Gaulon in Bashan and its suburbs, and Bosra and its suburbs: two cities. From the tribe of Issachar: Cohesion and its suburbs, Dabereth and its suburbs, Jaramoth and its suburbs, En-Gannim and its suburbs: four towns. From the tribe of Asher: Masal with its suburbs, Abdon with its suburbs, Helcath with its suburbs, Rohob with its suburbs: four towns. From the tribe of Naphtali: the city of refuge for the murderer, Cedes in Galilee and its suburbs, as well as Hamoth-Dor and its suburbs, Carthan and its suburbs: three cities. Total cities of the Gersonites, according to their families: thirteen cities and their suburbs. To the families of the sons of Merari, to the rest of the Levites, they gave, of the tribe of Zebulun: Jecnam and its suburbs, Cartha and its suburbs, Damna and its suburbs, Naalol and its suburbs: four cities And of the tribe of Reuben, Bosor and its suburbs, Jassa and its suburbs, Cedemoth and its suburbs, Mephaath and its suburbs: four cities. And from the tribe of Gad: the city of refuge for the murderer, Ramoth in Gilead and its suburbs, as well as Manaim and its suburbs, Heshbon and its suburbs, Jaser and its suburbs: in all four cities. Total of the cities assigned by lot to the sons of Merari, according to their families, forming the rest of the families of the Levites: twelve cities.

Total cities of the Levites in the midst of the possessions of the children of Israel: forty-eight cities and their suburbs. Each of these cities had its suburbs all around; so it was with all these cities. So Yahweh gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their fathers; they took possession of it and settled there. Yahweh gave them rest all around them, as he had sworn to their fathers; none of their enemies could resist them, and Yahweh delivered them all into their hands. Of all the good words that Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel, not one remained without effect; all were fulfilled.

Jeremiah 1:1-72 (sometimes transposed in Baruch 6:1-72) - On idols

Jer 1, 1-72 | Ba 6, 1-72 : Copy of the letter Jeremiah sent to those who were about to be taken captive to Babylon by the king of the Babylonians, to tell them what God had commanded them to say. Because of the sins you have committed before God, you are to be taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians. So when you get to Babylon, you will stay there for many years and a long time, up to seven generations; and after that I will bring you out in peace. Now you will see in Babylon gods of silver, gold and wood, which are carried on the shoulders and inspire fear in the nations. Take heed, then, that you too do not imitate these foreigners and allow yourselves to be seized by the fear of these gods. When you see crowds of people thronging before and behind them, and paying them homage, say in your heart, "It is you, Master, who must be worshipped." For my angel is with you, and cares for your life.

For the tongue of these gods has been polished by a workman; it is overlaid with gold and silver, but they are only lies, and cannot speak. As for a girl who loves finery, gold has been taken, and crowns have been prepared to place on the heads of these gods. The priests go so far as to steal gold and silver from their gods, and use it for their own purposes; they even give it to the prostitutes in their houses. They adorn them with rich garments, like men, these gods of silver, gold and wood; but these can defend themselves neither from rust nor from worms. When they have been clothed in purple garments, they still have to wipe their faces, because the dust of the house covers them with a thick layer. Here's one holding a scepter, like a provincial governor: he won't kill anyone who offends him. This other carries a sword or an axe in his hand, but he cannot defend himself against the enemy or thieves. It is clear that these are not gods, so do not fear them.

As a man's vessel, when broken, becomes useless: so are their gods. If you place them in a house, their eyes fill with the dust of the feet of those who enter. Just as prison doors are carefully closed on a man who has offended the king, or on a man about to be led to his death, so the priests defend the dwelling of their gods with strong doors, with locks and bolts, lest they be robbed by thieves. They light lamps, and even more of them than for themselves, and these gods can see none. They are like one of the beams of the house, and it is said that their hearts are eaten away by the vermin that comes out of the ground, and devours them and their clothes, without their feeling it. Their faces turn black with the smoke that rises from the house. On their bodies and heads flutter the owls, swallows and other birds; and similarly frolic the cats themselves. By this you will know that they are not gods, so do not fear them.

The gold with which they are covered to embellish them, if someone does not remove the rust, they will not make it shine; for they did not even feel anything when they were melted down. These idols were bought at the highest price, and there is no breath of life in them. Having no feet, they are carried on shoulders, showing men their shameful impotence. May those who serve them be confused with them! If they fall to the ground, they won't get up of their own accord; and if someone puts them upright, they won't set themselves in motion; and if they lean, they won't straighten. It is as if offerings were placed before the dead. The priests sell the victims offered to them and make a profit from them; their wives salt them and give nothing to the poor or infirm. Women in childbirth or in an impure state touch their sacrifices. Knowing therefore from these things that they are not gods, do not fear them.

And why call them gods? For it is women who come to bring their offerings to these gods of silver, gold and wood. And in their temples the priests sit, their tunics torn, their heads and faces shaven, and their heads uncovered. They roar and shout before their gods, as if at a funeral feast. Their priests strip them of their garments, and they clothe their wives and children in them. Whether harm or good is done to them, they can give neither back; they are unable to establish a king or overthrow him. Nor can they give wealth, or even a coin. If someone, having made a vow to them, does not fulfill it, they do not claim. They will not save a man from death, nor snatch the weak from the hand of the powerful. They will not restore sight to the blind, nor deliver the distressed. They will not have pity on the widow, nor do good to the orphan. These idols of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, are like rocks cut out of the mountain, and those who serve them will be put to shame. How can we believe or say that they are gods?

The Chaldeans themselves dishonor them, when, seeing a man who cannot speak, they present him to Bel asking that the mute speak, as if the god could hear anything. And though they realize it, they cannot abandon these idols; for they have no feeling. The women, surrounded by a rope, go and sit on the paths, burning coarse flour; and, when one of them, drawn by some passer-by, has slept with him, she reproaches her neighbor for not having been deemed worthy of the same honor, and for not having seen her rush braid broken. Everything that is said about idols is a lie. How then can we believe or say that they are gods?

They have been fashioned by craftsmen and goldsmiths; they cannot be otherwise than the workers want them to be. And the workers who fashioned them don't have long to live: how then could their works be of long duration? They have left nothing but lies and disgrace to posterity. Whether war comes, or some other calamity, the priests deliberate among themselves as to where they will hide with their gods: how then is it not understood that these are not gods, who cannot save themselves from war or some other calamity?

These idols of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, will later be recognized as lies; for all nations and kings it will be obvious that they are not gods, but works of men's hands, and that there is no divine work in them. To whom, then, would it not be obvious that they are not gods?

They will never establish a king over a land, nor give rain to men. They will not know how to judge their own affairs, nor will they protect against injustice, since they can do nothing, like crows that stand between heaven and your earth. And when the fire falls on the house of these wooden gods, overlaid with gold and silver, their priests will flee and be saved; but they will be consumed like beams in the midst of the flames. They will resist neither a king nor an enemy army. How can we admit or think that they are gods?

They will not escape thieves and robbers, these gods of wood, covered in silver and gold. Men more powerful than them will take away the silver and gold, and walk away with the rich clothes with which they've been covered, and these gods won't be able to help themselves. So it is better to be a king displaying his strength, or a useful vessel in the house, which the master uses, than to be these false gods; or a door to a house, guarding what is there, than to be these false gods; or a wooden pillar in a king's house, than to be these false gods. The sun, the light and the stars, which are bright and sent for the benefit of men, obey God. Likewise the lightning, when it appears, is beautiful to behold; the wind also blows over all the land; and the clouds, when God commands them to cover the whole earth, carry out what they are ordered to do. Fire too, when sent from on high to consume the mountains and forests, does as it is commanded. But idols are not comparable, either in beauty or in power, to all these things. We must therefore neither think nor say that they are gods, since they can neither discern what is right, nor do good to men. Knowing therefore that they are not gods, do not fear them.

They cannot curse or bless kings. They don't show the nations signs in the sky; they don't shine like the sun, they don't shine like the moon. Beasts are better than them, since they can flee to find shelter and be useful to themselves. So in no way is it obvious to us that they are gods; so don't fear them.

Just as a scarecrow in a field of cucumbers protects from nothing, so it is with their wooden gods, covered in gold and silver. Just like a thorn bush in a garden, on which all the birds land, or a dead man thrown into a dark place, so are their wooden gods, overlaid with gold and silver. The very purple and scarlet that spoil on them make it clear that they are no gods. They themselves will eventually be devoured and become a disgrace in the land. Better is the righteous man who has no idols; he will not have to fear confusion.

As Jeremiah says, they will see by trial how painful and bitter it is to have forsaken the Lord. Jeremiah 2:19. Chapter 2 deals with Israel's apostasy.

How they will then be confounded, the king and the princes, the priests and the scribes, who in truth have said and say to that which is nothingness or, worse, is sin: "You are a father to me. You have begotten me! In reference to Psalm 2:7.

Truly, truly, I say to you that Moses broke the Tables of the Law in anger at the sight of the idolatrous people, then returned to the mountain, prayed, worshipped and obtained mercy. Centuries ago. See the book of Exodus, chapters 32 to 34.

Jeremiah asks: "Can a virgin forget her finery and a bride her girdle? "Jeremiah 2:32.

"Why do you try to show the honesty of your conduct in order to seek love, you who, on the contrary, teach perversion and your ways and whose garments evoke the blood of the poor and the innocent? "Jeremiah 2:34.

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Book of Jeremiah 2, 19.32.34

Jer 2:19: Your impiety chastises you and your rebellions punish you! Know therefore and see how evil and bitter it is to have forsaken Yahweh, your God, and to have no fear of me, - oracle of the Lord Yahweh of hosts.

Jer 2:32: Does a virgin forget her adornment, a bride her girdle? And my people have forgotten me for days without number!

Jer 2:34: Even on the skirts of your garments is the blood of the innocent poor; you did not catch them breaking and entering, but you killed them for all these things.

Book of Psalms 2, 7

Ps 2, 7 : I will publish the decree: Yahweh has said to me: You are my Son, I have begotten you today.

Book of Exodus 32-34

Exodus 32-34: When the people saw that Moses was slow to come down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us. For as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him." Aaron said to them, "Take off the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, sons and daughters, and bring them to me." Everyone took off the gold rings they had in their ears, and they brought them to Aaron. He received them from their hands, fashioned the gold with a chisel, and made a cast-iron calf out of it. And they said, "Israel, this is your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the image, and cried out, "Tomorrow there will be a feast in honor of Yahweh." The next day, having risen early in the morning, they offered burnt offerings and presented peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and then they rose to enjoy themselves.

Yahweh said to Moses: "Go, come down; for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have behaved very badly. They soon turned aside from the way I had commanded them; they made themselves a molten calf, and worshipped it, and offered sacrifices to it, and said, Israel, this is your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." Yahweh said to Moses, "I see that this people is a stiff-necked people. 10Now leave them to me: let my anger burn against them and consume them! But I will make of you a great nation."

Moses implored Yahweh, his God, and said, "Why, Yahweh, should your anger be kindled against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt by great power and a strong hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out for their own hurt, to destroy them in the mountains and to destroy them from the earth? Return from the fierceness of your anger, and repent of the evil you want to do to your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, your servants, to whom you said, swearing by yourself, 'I will multiply your seed like the stars of heaven, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall possess it forever.'"

And Yahweh repented of the evil he had spoken of doing to his people. Moses returned and came down from the mountain, having in his hand the two tablets of the testimony, tablets written on their two sides; they were written on both sides. The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing, engraved on the tablets. Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, and he said to Moses, "There is a battle cry in the camp!" Moses replied, "It's neither a noise of shouts of victory, nor a noise of shouts of defeat; I hear the voice of people singing." When he was near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. And Moses' anger was kindled; he threw down the tablets with his hands and broke them at the foot of the Mountain. And taking the calf they had made, he burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, poured the powder on the water, and gave it to the children of Israel to drink.

Moses said to Aaron, "What has this people done to you that you have brought upon them such great sin?" Aaron replied: "Let not the anger of my lord be kindled! You yourself know that this people is inclined to evil. 23They said to me, 'Make us a god who will go before us; for as for this Moses, this man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. I said to them, "Let those who have gold strip themselves of it! They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out of it came this calf."

Moses saw that the people had no restraint, because Aaron had taken away all restraint from them, exposing them to become a laughingstock among their enemies. And Moses stood at the gate of the camp, and said, "Mine are those who are for Yahweh!" And all the children of Levi gathered to him. He said to them, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: Let each of you put his sword to his side; go through the camp again and again from gate to gate, and let each of you kill his brother, each of you his friend, each of you his kinsman!" The children of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people perished that day. Moses said, "Consecrate yourselves today to Yahweh, since every one of you has been against his son and his father, so that he may give you a blessing today."

The next day, Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. And now I will go up to Yahweh: perhaps I will obtain forgiveness for your sin." Moses returned to Yahweh and said, "Ah! this people has committed a great sin! They have made themselves a god of gold. Now forgive their sin; if not, erase me from your book that you have written." Yahweh said to Moses: "It is he who has sinned against me whom I will blot out of my book. Go now, lead the people where I have told you. Behold, my angel will go before you, but on the day of my visitation I will punish them for their sin." Thus Yahweh smote the people, because they had made the calf that Aaron had made.

(Chapter 33) Yahweh said to Moses, "Go, depart from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt; go up to the land I promised with an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your descendants. I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Chananean, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, so as not to destroy you on the way."

Hearing these harsh words, the people mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Say to the children of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if I went up among you for a moment, I would destroy you. And now remove your ornaments from over you, and I will know what I have to do to you." 6The children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, right from Mount Horeb.

Moses took the tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp at some distance; he called it the tent of meeting; and whoever sought Yahweh, went to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. And when Moses went to the tent, all the people rose, each standing at the entrance of the tent, and they followed Moses with their eyes, until he entered the tent. As soon as Moses had entered the tent, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the entrance of the tent, and Yahweh spoke with Moses. And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent; and all the people arose, and every man bowed down at the entrance of his tent. And Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses returned to the camp; but his servant Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the midst of the tent.

Moses said to Yahweh: "You say to me: Bring up this people; and you do not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you said, 'I know you by name, and you have found favor in my sight. And now, if I have found favor in your sight, let me know your ways, that I may know you, that I may find favor in your sight. Consider that this nation is your people." Yahweh replied, "My face will go with you, and I will give you rest." Moses said, "If your face does not come, do not send us away from here. How will it be known that I and your people have found favor in your eyes, if not that you will walk with us? This is what will distinguish me and your people from all the peoples on the face of the earth." Yahweh said to Moses, "I will still do what you ask, for you have found favor in my sight and I know you by name."

Moses said, "Show me your glory." Yahweh replied, "I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and I will speak the name of Yahweh before you: for I show grace to whom I show grace, and mercy to whom I show mercy." Yahweh said, "You will not be able to see my face, for man cannot see me and live." Yahweh said, "Here is a place near me; you shall stand on the rock. When my glory passes, I will put you in the hollow of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed. Then I will withdraw my hand, and you will see me from behind; but my face shall not be seen."

(Chapter 34) Yahweh said to Moses: "Hew out two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets you broke. Be ready for tomorrow, and go up to Mount Sinai in the morning, and stand there before me on the top of the mountain. Let no one go up with you, and let no one show himself anywhere on the mountain, and let neither sheep nor oxen graze on the side of this mountain." So Moses cut two tables of stone like the first ones; and rising early, he went up Mount Sinai, as Yahweh had commanded him; and he took the two tables of stone in his hand.

Yahweh came down in the cloud, stood there with him and spoke the name of Yahweh. And Yahweh passed before him and cried out, "Yahweh! Yahweh! Merciful and compassionate God, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness, who preserves his grace to a thousand generations, who forgives iniquity, rebellion and sin; but he does not leave them unpunished, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the children's children to the third and fourth generation!" Immediately Moses bowed to the ground and worshipped, 9saying, "If I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, deign the Lord to walk among us, for they are a stiff-necked people; forgive our iniquities and our sins, and take us for your inheritance."

Yahweh said, "Behold, I make a covenant: in the presence of all your people I will do wonders that have not taken place in any land or among any nation; and all the people around you will see the work of Yahweh, for terrible are the things I will do with you.

Take heed to what I command you today. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorite, the Chananean, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Beware of making a covenant with the inhabitants of the land against which you are marching, lest they be a snare in your midst. 13But you shall overthrow their altars, break their pillars and cut down their Asherim. You shall worship no other god; for Yahweh is called the jealous one, he is a jealous God. So do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they invite you in and you eat of their victims; lest you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters, prostituting themselves to their gods, cause your sons also to prostitute themselves to their gods.

You shall not make gods of molten metal.

You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread: for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I have commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of abib, for in the month of abib you came out of Egypt.

Every firstborn male of your flocks, whether ox or sheep, is mine. You shall redeem the donkey's firstborn with a lamb; and if you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck. You shall redeem every firstborn of your sons, and they shall not come before me empty-handed.

Six days thou shalt labor, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest, even in the time of plowing and harvesting.

You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, of the first wheat harvest, and the Feast of Harvest at the end of the year.

Three times a year, all the males will present themselves before the Lord, Yahweh, God Israel. For I will drive out the nations from before you and extend your borders; and no one will covet your land while you go up to present yourself before Yahweh, your God, three times a year.

You shall not offer the blood of my victim with leavened bread, and the sacrifice of the Passover feast shall not be kept overnight until morning.

You shall bring the first-fruits of the first-fruits of your ground to the house of Yahweh your God.

You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk."

Yahweh said to Moses, "You write these words; for according to these words I make a covenant with you and with Israel."

And Moses was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights, neither eating bread nor drinking water. And Yahweh wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words.

Moses came down from Mount Sinai; Moses had the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain; and Moses did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant as he spoke with Yahweh. Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face glowed; and they feared to approach him. Moses called them, and Aaron and all the princes of the congregation came to him, and he spoke to them. Then all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them all the commands he had received from Yahweh on Mount Sinai.

When Moses had finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. When Moses entered before Yahweh to speak with him, he took off the veil, until he came out; then he went out and told the children of Israel what he had been commanded. 35The children of Israel saw Moses' face, they saw that the skin of Moses' face was radiant; and Moses put the veil back on his face, until he entered to speak with Yahweh.

I see the interior of the Kerioth synagogue, on the very spot where the dead Saul lay on the ground after seeing the future glory of Christ. In EMV 78.

The leader reads. And so the trials of Onias, the mistakes of Jason, the betrayals and thefts of Menelaus pass before the audience. The chapter is over. The reader looks at Jesus, who has been listening attentively. Cf. the second book of the Maccabees, 2 M 4.

I want direct contact to begin, continuous contact between the apostles and the people. This was decided in Upper Galilee, and there was a first glimmer of light. Jesus sends them out to preach for the first time in EMV 166.2-3. They give their first sermon in EMV 166.4-12 (especially Simon the Zealot and John). It was near the house of Elise, in Judea, that Jesus declared that he was no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the crowds(EMV 209.5).

As for the fate of the complicit masses, read it in these words: "From the earth, the voice of this blood cries out to me. You will therefore be cursed...". And it is God who will pronounce them to an entire people who have failed to protect the gift of Heaven. For if it is true that I have come to redeem, woe to those who will be murderers and will not be redeemed, among this people whose first redemption was my Word. Cf. Gen 4:10-11 below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Second Book of the Maccabees, 4

2 M 4 : Simon, the informer of the treasury and of his country, spoke ill of Onias: it was he, he said, who had stirred up Heliodorus and who was the author of all the evil. The city's benefactor, the defender of his fellow citizens and the faithful observer of the laws, he dared to pass him off as an adversary of the state. This hatred went so far that murders were committed by one of Simon's affianced. Then Onias, considering the danger of these divisions and the outbursts of Apollonius, the military governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, who was encouraging Simon's wickedness, went to see the king, not to accuse his fellow citizens, but having in mind the general and particular interest of all his people. For he could see that, without the king's intervention, it would be impossible to pacify the situation, and that Simon would not give up his criminal ventures.

But after the death of Seleucus, Antiochus nicknamed Epiphanes succeeded him, and Jason, brother of Onias, set out to usurp the pontificate. In a meeting with the king, he promised him three hundred and sixty talents of silver and eighty talents from other revenues. In addition, he promised to commit himself in writing to a further 150 talents, if he were allowed to establish, on his own authority and according to his own views, a gymnasium with an epebeum, and to register the inhabitants of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. The king agreed to everything. As soon as Jason had obtained power, he set about introducing Greek customs among his fellow citizens. He abolished the franchises which the kings, out of humanity, had granted to the Jews thanks to the enterprise of John, father of Eupolemus, who had been sent on an embassy to conclude a treaty of alliance and friendship with the Romans, and, destroying legitimate institutions, he established customs contrary to the law. He took pleasure in founding a gymnasium at the very foot of the Acropolis, and raised the noblest children by putting them under the hat. Hellenism then grew to such an extent, and the excessive perversity of Jason, a godless man and by no means a high priest, led to such an inclination towards foreign customs, that the priests no longer showed any zeal for the service of the altar and, despising the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, rushed to take part, in the palaestra, in the exercises proscribed by the law, as soon as the call to throw the discus was heard. Paying no heed to the honorific functions of their country, they held in high esteem the distinctions of the Greeks. That's why serious calamities befell them, and in the very people whose way of life they imitated and to whom they wanted to resemble in everything, they found enemies and oppressors. For one does not violate divine laws with impunity; but this is what subsequent events will demonstrate.

While the five-yearly games were being celebrated in Tyre, which the king was attending, the criminal Jason sent spectators from Jerusalem, who were citizens of Antioch, bearing three hundred drachmas of silver for the sacrifice of Hercules; but the same people who were carrying them asked that this money be used, not for sacrifices, which was not appropriate, but to cover other expenses. Thus the three hundred drachmas were indeed intended by the one who sent them for the sacrifice in honor of Hercules; but they were used, according to the desire of those who brought them, for the construction of triremes.

Apollonius, son of Menestheus, having been sent to Egypt, on the occasion of the enthronement of King Ptolemy Philometor, Antiochus learned that this king was ill-disposed towards him and, wishing to be safe from him, he went to Joppa, then to Jerusalem. Received magnificently by Jason and the whole city, he made his entry by torchlight and amidst acclamations; then he led his army to Phoenicia in the same way.

Three years later, Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the aforementioned Simon, to bring the money to the king and pay the registration fees for important business. But Menelaus recommended himself to the king, honored him with the outward appearance of a man in high place, and had the sovereign pontificate awarded to himself, offering three hundred talents of silver more than Jason had done. Having received his letters of investiture from the king, he returned to Jerusalem, having nothing worthy of the priesthood and bringing only the instincts of a cruel tyrant and the fury of a wild beast. Thus Jason, who had deceived his own brother, deceived in turn by another, had to flee to the land of the Ammonites. As for Menelaus, he obtained power; but, as he did not comply with the sum promised to the king, despite the complaints of Sostratus, commander of the Acropolis, who was responsible for collecting taxes, both were summoned to the king.

Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus to replace him as high priest, and Sostratus left Cratès, governor of Cyprus, to replace him. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Tarsus and Mallas revolted, because these two cities had been given as presents to Antiochides, the king's concubine. The king therefore left in haste to quell the sedition, having left as his lieutenant Andronicus, one of the great dignitaries. Menelaus, judging the circumstances favorable, took some gold vessels from the temple and gave them to Andronicus, and managed to sell others to Tyre and the neighboring cities.

When Onias became aware of Menelaus' new crime, he reproached him for it, after retiring to a safe haven at Daphne, near Antioch. Menelaus therefore took Andronicus aside and urged him to put Onias to death. Andronic therefore came to Onias and, using cunning, swore an oath on his right hand; then, although suspicious, he persuaded him to leave his asylum and immediately put him to death, without regard for justice. And so, not only the Jews, but many of the other nations were outraged and grieved at this man's unjust murder.

And when the king had returned from Cilicia, the Jews of Antioch, together with Greeks who were also enemies of violence, came to him about the unjust murder of Onias. Antiochus was deeply saddened and, moved by compassion for Onias, shed tears at the memory of the deceased's moderation and wise conduct. Red with anger, he immediately had Andronicus stripped of his purple, tore off his clothes and, having had him led through the whole city, he degraded this scoundrel in the very place where he had carried out his impious attack on Onias, the Lord thus striking him with just punishment.

Now, a great number of sacrilegious thefts having been committed in the city by Lysimachus, in agreement with Menelaus, and word of them having spread, the people rose up against Lysimachus, when already many golden vessels had been scattered. Seeing the multitude stirred up and their spirits inflamed with anger, Lysimachus armed some three thousand men and began to commit acts of violence, under the command of a certain Tyrant, a man advanced in age and no less in perversity. But when they heard of Lysimachus' attack, some seized stones, others large sticks, and some gathered ashes from the ground, and hurled them tumultuously at Lysimachus' followers. In this way, they wounded many of his men, killed several of them, put all the others to flight and massacred the sacrilegious man himself near the temple treasury.

An investigation against Menelaus then began. When the king came to Tyre, the three men sent by the elders explained the justice of their case. Seeing himself convinced, Menelaus promised Ptolemy, son of Dorymene, a large sum of money to make the king favorable to him. Ptolemy then took the king under the peristyle, as if to cool off, and made him change his mind. The king declared Menelaus innocent of the charges brought against him, though guilty of all crimes, and condemned to death unfortunate men who, had they pleaded their case even before Scythians, would have been returned innocent; and men who had defended the city, the people and sacred objects, suffered this unjust punishment without delay. The Tyrians themselves were outraged, and gave the victims a magnificent funeral. As for Menelaus, thanks to the greed of the powerful, he maintained his dignity, growing in malice and cruel scourge of his fellow citizens.

Book of Genesis 4, 10-11

Gen 4, 10-11 : Yahweh said: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out from the earth to me. Now you are cursed by the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand."

The chief reads. And so the trials of Onias, the mistakes of Jason, the betrayals and thefts of Menelaus pass before the audience. The chapter is over. The reader looks at Jesus, who has been listening attentively. Cf. the second book of the Maccabees, 2 M 4.

I want direct contact to begin, continuous contact between the apostles and the people. This was decided in Upper Galilee, and there was a first glimmer of light. Jesus sends them out to preach for the first time in EMV 166.2-3. They give their first sermon in EMV 166.4-12 (especially Simon the Zealot and John). It was near the house of Elise, in Judea, that Jesus declared that he was no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the crowds(EMV 209.5).

As for the fate of the complicit masses, read it in these words: "From the earth, the voice of this blood cries out to me. You will therefore be cursed...". And it is God who will pronounce them to an entire people who have failed to protect the gift of Heaven. For if it is true that I have come to redeem, woe to those who will be murderers and will not be redeemed, among this people whose first redemption was my Word. Cf. Gen 4:10-11 below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Second Book of the Maccabees, 4

2 M 4 : Simon, the informer of the treasury and of his country, spoke ill of Onias: it was he, he said, who had stirred up Heliodorus and who was the author of all the evil. The city's benefactor, the defender of his fellow citizens and the faithful observer of the laws, he dared to pass him off as an adversary of the state. This hatred went so far that murders were committed by one of Simon's affianced. Then Onias, considering the danger of these divisions and the outbursts of Apollonius, the military governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, who was encouraging Simon's wickedness, went to see the king, not to accuse his fellow citizens, but having in mind the general and particular interest of all his people. For he could see that, without the king's intervention, it would be impossible to pacify the situation, and that Simon would not give up his criminal ventures.

But after the death of Seleucus, Antiochus nicknamed Epiphanes succeeded him, and Jason, brother of Onias, set out to usurp the pontificate. In a meeting with the king, he promised him three hundred and sixty talents of silver and eighty talents from other revenues. In addition, he promised to commit himself in writing to a further 150 talents, if he were allowed to establish, on his own authority and according to his own views, a gymnasium with an epebeum, and to register the inhabitants of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. The king agreed to everything. As soon as Jason had obtained power, he set about introducing Greek customs among his fellow citizens. He abolished the franchises which the kings, out of humanity, had granted to the Jews thanks to the enterprise of John, father of Eupolemus, who had been sent on an embassy to conclude a treaty of alliance and friendship with the Romans, and, destroying legitimate institutions, he established customs contrary to the law. He took pleasure in founding a gymnasium at the very foot of the Acropolis, and raised the noblest children by putting them under the hat. Hellenism then grew to such an extent, and the excessive perversity of Jason, a godless man and by no means a high priest, led to such an inclination towards foreign customs, that the priests no longer showed any zeal for the service of the altar and, despising the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, rushed to take part, in the palaestra, in the exercises proscribed by the law, as soon as the call to throw the discus was heard. Paying no heed to the honorific functions of their country, they held in high esteem the distinctions of the Greeks. That's why serious calamities befell them, and in the very people whose way of life they imitated and to whom they wanted to resemble in everything, they found enemies and oppressors. For one does not violate divine laws with impunity; but this is what subsequent events will demonstrate.

While the five-yearly games were being celebrated in Tyre, which the king was attending, the criminal Jason sent spectators from Jerusalem, who were citizens of Antioch, bearing three hundred drachmas of silver for the sacrifice of Hercules; but the same people who were carrying them asked that this money be used, not for sacrifices, which was not appropriate, but to cover other expenses. Thus the three hundred drachmas were indeed intended by the one who sent them for the sacrifice in honor of Hercules; but they were used, according to the desire of those who brought them, for the construction of triremes.

Apollonius, son of Menestheus, having been sent to Egypt, on the occasion of the enthronement of King Ptolemy Philometor, Antiochus learned that this king was ill-disposed towards him and, wishing to be safe from him, he went to Joppa, then to Jerusalem. Received magnificently by Jason and the whole city, he made his entry by torchlight and amidst acclamations; then he led his army to Phoenicia in the same way.

Three years later, Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the aforementioned Simon, to bring the money to the king and pay the registration fees for important business. But Menelaus recommended himself to the king, honored him with the outward appearance of a man in high place, and had the sovereign pontificate awarded to himself, offering three hundred talents of silver more than Jason had done. Having received his letters of investiture from the king, he returned to Jerusalem, having nothing worthy of the priesthood and bringing only the instincts of a cruel tyrant and the fury of a wild beast. Thus Jason, who had deceived his own brother, deceived in turn by another, had to flee to the land of the Ammonites. As for Menelaus, he obtained power; but, as he did not comply with the sum promised to the king, despite the complaints of Sostratus, commander of the Acropolis, who was responsible for collecting taxes, both were summoned to the king.

Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus to replace him as high priest, and Sostratus left Cratès, governor of Cyprus, to replace him. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Tarsus and Mallas revolted, because these two cities had been given as presents to Antiochides, the king's concubine. The king therefore left in haste to quell the sedition, having left as his lieutenant Andronicus, one of the great dignitaries. Menelaus, judging the circumstances favorable, took some gold vessels from the temple and gave them to Andronicus, and managed to sell others to Tyre and the neighboring cities.

When Onias became aware of Menelaus' new crime, he reproached him for it, after retiring to a safe haven at Daphne, near Antioch. Menelaus therefore took Andronicus aside and urged him to put Onias to death. Andronic therefore came to Onias and, using cunning, swore an oath on his right hand; then, although suspicious, he persuaded him to leave his asylum and immediately put him to death, without regard for justice. And so, not only the Jews, but many of the other nations were outraged and grieved at this man's unjust murder.

And when the king had returned from Cilicia, the Jews of Antioch, together with Greeks who were also enemies of violence, came to him about the unjust murder of Onias. Antiochus was deeply saddened and, moved by compassion for Onias, shed tears at the memory of the deceased's moderation and wise conduct. Red with anger, he immediately had Andronicus stripped of his purple, tore off his clothes and, having had him led through the whole city, he degraded this scoundrel in the very place where he had carried out his impious attack on Onias, the Lord thus striking him with just punishment.

Now, a great number of sacrilegious thefts having been committed in the city by Lysimachus, in agreement with Menelaus, and word of them having spread, the people rose up against Lysimachus, when already many golden vessels had been scattered. Seeing the multitude stirred up and their spirits inflamed with anger, Lysimachus armed some three thousand men and began to commit acts of violence, under the command of a certain Tyrant, a man advanced in age and no less in perversity. But when they heard of Lysimachus' attack, some seized stones, others large sticks, and some gathered ashes from the ground, and hurled them tumultuously at Lysimachus' followers. In this way, they wounded many of his men, killed several of them, put all the others to flight and massacred the sacrilegious man himself near the temple treasury.

An investigation against Menelaus then began. When the king came to Tyre, the three men sent by the elders explained the justice of their case. Seeing himself convinced, Menelaus promised Ptolemy, son of Dorymene, a large sum of money to make the king favorable to him. Ptolemy then took the king under the peristyle, as if to cool off, and made him change his mind. The king declared Menelaus innocent of the charges brought against him, though guilty of all crimes, and condemned to death unfortunate men who, had they pleaded their case even before Scythians, would have been returned innocent; and men who had defended the city, the people and sacred objects, suffered this unjust punishment without delay. The Tyrians themselves were outraged, and gave the victims a magnificent funeral. As for Menelaus, thanks to the greed of the powerful, he maintained his dignity, growing in malice and cruel scourge of his fellow citizens.

Book of Genesis 4, 10-11

Gen 4, 10-11 : Yahweh said: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out from the earth to me. Now you are cursed by the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand."

Second book of the Maccabees, 4

2 M 4 : Simon, this informer of the treasury and of his country, spoke ill of Onias: it was he, he said, who had stirred up Heliodorus and who was the author of all the evil. The city's benefactor, the defender of his fellow citizens and the faithful observer of the laws, he dared to pass him off as an adversary of the state. This hatred went so far that murders were committed by one of Simon's affianced. Then Onias, considering the danger of these divisions and the outbursts of Apollonius, the military governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, who was encouraging Simon's wickedness, went to see the king, not to accuse his fellow citizens, but having in mind the general and particular interest of all his people. For he could see that, without the king's intervention, it would be impossible to pacify the situation, and that Simon would not give up his criminal ventures.

But after the death of Seleucus, Antiochus nicknamed Epiphanes succeeded him, and Jason, brother of Onias, set out to usurp the pontificate. In a meeting with the king, he promised three hundred and sixty talents of silver and eighty talents from other revenues. In addition, he promised to commit himself in writing to a further 150 talents, if he were allowed to establish, on his own authority and according to his own views, a gymnasium with an epebeum, and to register the inhabitants of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. The king agreed to everything. As soon as Jason had obtained power, he set about introducing Greek customs among his fellow citizens. He abolished the franchises which the kings, out of humanity, had granted to the Jews thanks to the enterprise of John, father of Eupolemus, who had been sent on an embassy to conclude a treaty of alliance and friendship with the Romans, and, destroying legitimate institutions, he established customs contrary to the law. He took pleasure in founding a gymnasium at the very foot of the Acropolis, and raised the noblest children by putting them under the hat. Hellenism then grew to such an extent, and the excessive perversity of Jason, a godless man and by no means a high priest, led to such an inclination towards foreign customs, that the priests no longer showed any zeal for the service of the altar and, despising the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, rushed to take part, in the palaestra, in the exercises proscribed by the law, as soon as the call to throw the discus was heard. Paying no heed to the honorific functions of their country, they held in high esteem the distinctions of the Greeks. That's why serious calamities befell them, and in the very people whose way of life they imitated and to whom they wanted to resemble in everything, they found enemies and oppressors. For one does not violate divine laws with impunity; but this is what subsequent events will demonstrate.

While the five-yearly games were being celebrated in Tyre, which the king was attending, the criminal Jason sent spectators from Jerusalem, who were citizens of Antioch, bearing three hundred drachmas of silver for the sacrifice of Hercules; but the same people who were carrying them asked that this money be used, not for sacrifices, which was not appropriate, but to cover other expenses. Thus the three hundred drachmas were indeed intended by the one who sent them for the sacrifice in honor of Hercules; but they were used, according to the desire of those who brought them, for the construction of triremes.

Apollonius, son of Menestheus, having been sent to Egypt, on the occasion of the enthronement of King Ptolemy Philometor, Antiochus learned that this king was ill-disposed towards him and, wishing to be safe from him, he went to Joppa, then to Jerusalem. Received magnificently by Jason and the whole city, he made his entry by torchlight and amidst acclamations; then he led his army to Phoenicia in the same way.

Three years later, Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the aforementioned Simon, to bring the money to the king and pay the registration fees for important business. But Menelaus recommended himself to the king, honored him with the outward appearance of a man in high place, and had the sovereign pontificate awarded to himself, offering three hundred talents of silver more than Jason had done. Having received his letters of investiture from the king, he returned to Jerusalem, having nothing worthy of the priesthood and bringing only the instincts of a cruel tyrant and the fury of a wild beast. Thus Jason, who had deceived his own brother, deceived in turn by another, had to flee to the land of the Ammonites. As for Menelaus, he obtained power; but, as he did not comply with the sum promised to the king, despite the complaints of Sostratus, commander of the Acropolis, who was responsible for collecting taxes, both were summoned to the king.

Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus to replace him as high priest, and Sostratus left Cratès, governor of Cyprus, to replace him. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Tarsus and Mallas revolted, because these two cities had been given as presents to Antiochides, the king's concubine. The king therefore left in haste to quell the sedition, having left as his lieutenant Andronicus, one of the great dignitaries. Menelaus, judging the circumstances favorable, took some gold vessels from the temple and gave them to Andronicus, and managed to sell others to Tyre and the neighboring cities.

When Onias became aware of Menelaus' new crime, he reproached him for it, after retiring to a safe haven at Daphne, near Antioch. Menelaus therefore took Andronicus aside and urged him to put Onias to death. Andronic therefore came to Onias and, using cunning, swore an oath on his right hand; then, although suspicious, he persuaded him to leave his asylum and immediately put him to death, without regard for justice. And so, not only the Jews, but many of the other nations were outraged and grieved at this man's unjust murder.

And when the king had returned from Cilicia, the Jews of Antioch, together with Greeks who were also enemies of violence, came to him about the unjust murder of Onias. Antiochus was deeply saddened and, moved by compassion for Onias, shed tears at the memory of the deceased's moderation and wise conduct. Red with anger, he immediately had Andronicus stripped of his purple, tore off his clothes and, having had him led through the whole city, he degraded this scoundrel in the very place where he had carried out his impious attack on Onias, the Lord thus striking him with just punishment.

Now, a great number of sacrilegious thefts having been committed in the city by Lysimachus, in agreement with Menelaus, and word of them having spread, the people rose up against Lysimachus, when already many golden vessels had been scattered. Seeing the multitude stirred up and their spirits inflamed with anger, Lysimachus armed some three thousand men and began to commit acts of violence, under the command of a certain Tyrant, a man advanced in age and no less in perversity. But when they heard of Lysimachus' attack, some seized stones, others large sticks, and some gathered ashes from the ground, and hurled them tumultuously at Lysimachus' followers. In this way, they wounded many of his men, killed several of them, put all the others to flight and massacred the sacrilegious man himself near the temple treasury.

An investigation against Menelaus then began. When the king came to Tyre, the three men sent by the elders explained the justice of their case. Seeing himself convinced, Menelaus promised Ptolemy, son of Dorymene, a large sum of money to make the king favorable to him. Ptolemy then took the king under the peristyle, as if to cool off, and made him change his mind. The king declared Menelaus innocent of the charges brought against him, though guilty of all crimes, and condemned to death unfortunate men who, had they pleaded their case even before Scythians, would have been returned innocent; and men who had defended the city, the people and sacred objects, suffered this unjust punishment without delay. The Tyrians themselves were outraged, and gave the victims a magnificent funeral. As for Menelaus, thanks to the greed of the powerful, he maintained his dignity, growing in malice and cruel scourge of his fellow citizens.

Book of Genesis 4, 10-11

Gen 4, 10-11 : Yahweh said: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out from the earth to me. Now you are cursed by the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand."