2 Maccabees 8:10
“This was briefly mentioned in the previous book: namely, that merchants gathered with gold and silver to buy the sons of Israel as slaves for themselves. But here it is recounted more clearly that, by Nicanor, who promised the king to make up the tribute owed to the Romans from Jewish slaves, the merchants themselves…”
10So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews, as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romans.
Preparing…
Preparing…
Preparing…
8So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and little, and that things prospered with him still more and more, he wrote unto Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, to yield more aid to the king’s affairs.
9Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, he sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations under him, to root out the whole generation of the Jews; and with him he joined also Gorgias a captain, who in matters of war had great experience.
— 2 Maccabees 8:10 —
11Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews, and promising that they should have fourscore and ten bodies for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the Almighty God.
12Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanor’s coming, and he had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was at hand,