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As I am going to demonstrate a most philosophical proposition, namely, that religious reasoning is absolute master of the passions, I would willingly advise you to give the utmost heed to philosophy. For reason is necessary to every one as a step to science: and more especially d... Mentions: Eleazar .

AND it came to pass, after that Alexander the Macedonian, the son of Philip, who came out of the land of Chittim, and struck Darius king of the Persians and Medes, it came to pass, after he had struck him, that he reigned in his stead, in former time, over Greece . And he fought... Mentions: Jacob/Israel , Judah , David , Greece , Rome , Jerusalem , Egypt .

And in the hundred and sixties year Alexander Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus, went up and took possession of Ptolemais : and they received him, and he reigned there. And king Demetrius heard thereof, and he gathered together exceeding great forces, and went forth to meet him in ... Mentions: Jonathan , Judah , Jacob/Israel , Simon , Ptolemais , Jerusalem , Samaria , Galilee , Egypt .

And the king of Egypt gathered together great forces, as the sand which is by the sea shore, and many ships, and sought to make himself master of Alexander’s kingdom by deceit, and to add it to his own kingdom. And he went forth into Syria with words of peace, and they of the cit... Mentions: Jonathan , Jacob/Israel , Simon , Mattathias , Judas , Egypt , Syria , Ptolemais , Azotus , Joppa .

And Jonathan saw that the time served him, and he chose men, and sent them to Rome , to confirm and renew the friendship that they had with them. And to the Spartans, and to other places, he sent letters after the same manner. And they went to Rome , and entered into the senate hou... Mentions: Jonathan , Judah , Abram/Abraham , Simon , Jacob/Israel , Rome, Jerusalem , Hamath , Damascus , Joppa .

And Simon heard that Tryphon had gathered together a mighty host to come into the land of Judah , and destroy it utterly. And he saw that the people trembled and was in great fear; and he went up to Jerusalem , and gathered the people together; and he encouraged them, and said to t... Mentions: Simon , Judah , Jacob/Israel , Judas , Jonathan , Jerusalem , Joppa , Ptolemais , Gilead , Asia .

And in the hundred and seventy and second year king Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media , to get him help, that he might fight against Tryphon. And Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media , heard that Demetrius was come into his borders, and he sent one of hi... Mentions: Simon , Jacob/Israel , Jonathan , Judas , Mattathias , Media, Persia , Joppa , Rome , Jerusalem .

And Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent letters from the isles of the sea to Simon the priest and governor of the Jews, and to all the nation; and the contents thereof were after this manner: King Antiochus to Simon the chief priest and governor, and to the nation of the J... Mentions: Simon, Jerusalem , Dor , Rome , Samos , Pamphylia .

And John went up from Gazara, and told Simon his father what Cendebaeus was doing. And Simon called his two oldest sons, Judas and John , and said to them, I and my brethren and my father’s house have fought the battles of Israel from our youth, even to this day; and things have p... Mentions: Simon, Judas , Jacob/Israel , Mattathias , Kidron , Azotus , Jericho , Jerusalem .

THE brethren, the Jews that are in Jerusalem and they that are in the country of Judaea, send greeting to the brethren, the Jews that are throughout Egypt , and wish them good peace: and may God do good to you, and remember his covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob , his faith... Mentions: Abram/Abraham , Isaac , Jacob/Israel , Judas , Jonathan , Jerusalem , Egypt , Persia .

And Maccabaeus and they that were with him, the Lord leading them on, recovered the temple and the city; and they pulled down the altars that had been built in the marketplace by the aliens, and also the walls of sacred inclosures. And having cleansed the sanctuary they made ano... Mentions: Simon , Joseph , Jacob/Israel , Phoenicia , Cyprus , Jerusalem , Asia .

Now after a very little time Lysias, the king’s guardian and kinsman and chancellor, being sore displeased for the things that had come to pass, collected about fourscore thousand footmen and all his horsemen and came against the Jews, thinking to make the city a place for Greek... Mentions: Jacob/Israel , Jerusalem , Antioch 1 .

So when these covenants had been made, Lysias departed to the king, and the Jews went about their husbandry. But certain of the governors of districts, Timotheus and Apollonius the son of Gennaeus, and Hieronymus also and Demophon, and beside them Nicanor the governor of Cyprus ... Mentions: Judas , Joshua , Cyprus , Joppa , Jerusalem , Jericho , Ephron 1 .

In the hundred forty and ninth year tidings were brought to Judas and his company that Antiochus Eupator was coming with great multitudes against Judaea, and with him Lysias his guardian and chancellor, each having a Greek force, a hundred and ten thousand footmen, and five tho... Mentions: Judas , Antioch 1 , Ptolemais .

Now after a space of three years tidings were brought to Judas and his company that Demetrius the son of Seleucus, having sailed into the haven of Tripolis with a mighty host and a fleet, had gotten possession of the country, having made away with Antiochus and Lysias his guardi... Mentions: Judas , Simon , Mattathias , Jerusalem , Antioch 1 .

But Nicanor, hearing that Judas and his company were in the region of Samaria , resolved to set upon them with all security on the day of rest. And when the Jews that were compelled to follow him said, O destroy not so savagely and barbarously, but give due glory to the day which ... Mentions: Judas , Hezekiah , Samaria , Jerusalem .

Now Philopater, on learning from those who came back that Antiochus had made himself master of the places which belonged to himself, sent orders to all his footmen and horsemen, took with him his sister Arsinoe, and marched out as far as the parts of Raphia, where Antiochus and h... Mentions: Jerusalem .

And what wonder? if the lusts of the soul, after participation with what is beautiful, are frustrated, on this ground, therefore, the temperate Joseph is praised in that by reasoning, he subdued, on reflection, the indulgence of sense. For, although young, and ripe for sexual int... Mentions: Joseph , Moses , Jacob/Israel , Simeon , Levi .

The argument is exceedingly ridiculous: for reasoning does not appear to bear sway over its own affections, but over those of the body, in such a way as that any one of you may not be able to root out desire, but reasoning will enable you to avoid being enslaved to it. One may no... Mentions: David , Asia .

For a certain man named Simon , who was in opposition to Onias, who once held the high priesthood for life, and was an honorable and good man, after that by slandering him in every way, he could not injure him with the people, went away as an exile, with the intention of betraying... Mentions: Simon , Syria , Phoenicia , Cilicia , Jerusalem , Egypt .

The tyrant Antiochus, therefore, sitting in public state with his assessors upon a certain lofty place, with his armed troops standing in a circle around him, commanded his spearbearers to seize every one of the Hebrews , and to compel them to taste swine’s flesh, and things offer... Mentions: Eleazar .

When Eleazar had in this manner answered the exhortations of the tyrant, the spearbearers came up, and rudely haled Eleazar to the instruments of torture. And first, they stripped the old man, adorned as he was with the comeliness of piety. Then tying back his arms and hands, the... Mentions: Eleazar, Abram/Abraham .

The reasoning of our father Eleazar , like a first-rate pilot, steering the vessel of piety in the sea of passions, and flouted by the threats of the tyrant, and overwhelmed with the breakers of torture, in no way shifted the rudder of piety till it sailed into the harbour of vict... Mentions: Eleazar , Aaron , Isaac , Abram/Abraham , Jacob/Israel .

Then, indeed, vehemently swayed with passion, he commanded to bring others of the adult Hebrews , and if they would eat of the unclean thing, to let them go when they had eaten; but if they objected, to torment them more grievously. The tyrant having given this charge, seven breth...

Why delay you, O tyrant? for we are readier to die than to transgress the injunctions of our fathers. And we should be disgracing our fathers if we did not obey the law, and take knowledge for our guide. O tyrant, counsellor of law-breaking, do not, hating us as you do, pity us m... Mentions: Eleazar .

Now this one, having endured this praiseworthy death, the third was brought along, and exhorted by many to taste and save his life. But he cried out and said, Know you⌃ not, that the father of those who are dead, became the father of me also; and that the same mother bare me; and...

And when he had died, disfigured in his torments, the fifth leaped forward, and said, I intend not, O tyrant, to get excused from the torment which is in behalf of virtue. But I have come of mine own accord, that by the death of me, you may owe heavenly vengeance a punishment for...

When he, too, had undergone blessed martyrdom, and died in the caldron into which he had been thrown, the seventh, the youngest of all, came forward: whom the tyrant pitying, though he had been dreadfully reproached by his brethren, seeing him already encompassed with chains, had...

If then, the seven brethren despised troubles even to death, it is confessed on all sides that righteous reasoning is absolute master over the passions. For just as if, had they as slaves to the passions, eaten of the unholy, we should have said that they had been conquered by th... Mentions: Isaac , Abram/Abraham , Jacob/Israel , Assyria .

And more that this, they even urged them on to this ill-treatment; so that they not only despised pains themselves, but they even got the better of their affections of brotherly love. O reasonings more royal than a king, and freer than freemen! Sacred and harmonious concert of th... Mentions: Abram/Abraham .

O reasoning of the sons, lord over the passions, and religion more desirable to a mother than progeny! The mother, when two things were set before here, religion and the safety of her seven sons for a time, on the conditional promise of a tyrant, rather elected the religion which... Mentions: Abram/Abraham , Noah .

If, then, even a woman, and that an aged one, and the mother of seven children, endured to see her children’s torments even to death, confessedly religious reasoning is master even of the passions. I have proved, then, that not only men have obtained the mastery of their passions... Mentions: Daniel , Eleazar , Abram/Abraham , Isaac , Jacob/Israel .