1When Philopator learned from deserters that the positions he had occupied had been taken by Antiochus, he gave orders to all his troops, infantry and cavalry.
2He took with him his sister Arsinoe and marched to the region of Raphia, where the army of Antiochus was encamped.
3Theodotus, however, plotted an attempt on the life of Ptolemy, choosing the best Ptolemaic soldiers who had been entrusted to him.
4At night, he penetrated into Ptolemy's tent to kill him alone and thus put an end to the war.
5Andreas, however, one of the king's friends, deflected the sword, while Dositheus, a Jew who later abandoned the law, removed the king from danger.
6Arsinoe, surrounded by her handmaids, went through the ranks weeping and pleading with the soldiers to fight manfully for themselves, their children and their wives.
7She promised to give them, if they won, two minas of gold per head.
8The adversaries were thus destroyed in hand-to-hand combat and many were captured.
9Having overcome the plot, the king decided to visit the neighboring cities and encourage them.
10Doing this and distributing gifts to the temples, he strengthened the spirit of his subjects.
11The Jews sent him elders of the council and priests, bearing gifts and congratulating him on his victory.
12This awakened in him a keen desire to visit Jerusalem as quickly as possible.
13Arriving there, he offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to the supreme God, making other offerings in conformity with the holy place.
14When he came to the place, he was impressed by the beauty and grandeur of the temple.
15He was amazed at the well-regulated order of the service of the sanctuary, and conceived the desire to enter the Holy of Holies.
16They explained to him that this was not permitted, for not even members of the people could enter there, nor even all the priests, but only the high priest, once a year.
17He, however, was by no means persuaded.
18Even after the law was read to him, he did not desist from his pretension.
19He declared that he must enter, saying: Even if they have been deprived of this honor, I should not be.
20He asked why no one had stopped him when he entered all the temples.
21Someone said thoughtlessly that it was wrong for him to boast of this.
22But since this has happened, he said, why should I not enter anyway, whether they want it or not?
23The priests prostrated themselves in their sacred vestments and implored the supreme God to help them in this crisis.
24The cries and tears filled the temple, for those who had remained in the city ran disturbed.
25The virgins who stayed secluded in their houses ran with their mothers into the streets.
26The newly wed brides abandoned their bridal chambers.
27Covering themselves with dust and ashes, they filled the streets of the city with groans and lamentations.
28The Jews accompanied groups of their fellow citizens to the temple hoping to defend the holy place.
29They shouted asking that weapons be distributed, fighting courageously for the sanctuary of their fathers.
30With difficulty the elders managed to restrain the multitudes and make them remain in prayer.