1. This history begins when Alexander the Great, son of Philip of Macedonia, marched from Macedonia and attacked Darius, king of Persia and Media. Alexander enlarged the Greek Empire by defeating Darius and seizing his throne.
2. He fought many battles, captured fortified cities, and put the kings of the region to death.
3. As he advanced to the ends of the earth, he plundered many nations; and when he had conquered the world, he became proud and arrogant.
4. By building up a strong army, he dominated whole nations and their rulers, and forced everyone to pay him taxes.
8. After his death, the generals took control,
9. and each had himself crowned king of his own territory. The descendants of these kings ruled for many generations and brought a great deal of misery on the world.
10. The wicked ruler Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus the Third of Syria, was a descendant of one of Alexander's generals. Antiochus Epiphanes had been a hostage in Rome before he became king of Syria in the year 137.
11. At that time there appeared in the land of Israel a group of traitorous Jews who had no regard for the Law and who had a bad influence on many of our people. They said, “Let's come to terms with the Gentiles, for our refusal to associate with them has brought us nothing but trouble.”
12. This proposal appealed to many people,