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Temperance, I take it, is the repression of the desires; but of the desires some are mental and some physical, and both kinds are clearly controlled by Reason; when we are tempted towards forbidden meats, how do we come to relinquish the pleasures to be derived from them?

Accordingly when we feel a desire to eat water-animals and birds and beasts and meats of every description forbidden to us under the Law, we abstain through the predominance of Reason.

Accordingly when we feel a desire to eat water-animals and birds and beasts and meats of every description forbidden to us under the Law, we abstain through the predominance of Reason.

This, certainly, is why we praise the virtuous Joseph, because by his Reason, with a mental effort, he checked the carnal impulse. [*1] For he, a young man at the age when physical desire is strong, by his Reason quenched the impulse of his passions.

And with regard to all the rest we can recognize that Reason is in the position of master over the passions or affections.

'We, O Antiochus, having accepted the Divine Law as the Law of our country, do not believe any stronger necessity is laid upon us than that of our obedience to the Law.

Therefore we do surely deem it right not. in any way whatsoever to transgress the Law.

And yet, were our Law, as you suggest, not truly divine, while we vainly believed it to be divine, not even so would it be right for us to destroy our reputation for piety.

And you scoff at our philosophy, as if under it we were living in a manner contrary to reason.

Not so, for the Law teaches us self-control, so that we are masters of all our pleasures and desires and are thoroughly trained in manliness so as to endure all pain with readiness; and it teaches justice, so that with all our various dispositions we act fairly, and it teaches righteousness, so that with due reverence we worship only the God who is.

Not so, for the Law teaches us self-control, so that we are masters of all our pleasures and desires and are thoroughly trained in manliness so as to endure all pain with readiness; and it teaches justice, so that with all our various dispositions we act fairly, and it teaches righteousness, so that with due reverence we worship only the God who is.

Not so, for the Law teaches us self-control, so that we are masters of all our pleasures and desires and are thoroughly trained in manliness so as to endure all pain with readiness; and it teaches justice, so that with all our various dispositions we act fairly, and it teaches righteousness, so that with due reverence we worship only the God who is.

Therefore do we eat no unclean meat; for believing our Law to be given by God, we know also that the Creator of the world, as a Lawgiver, feels for us according to our nature.

Therefore do we eat no unclean meat; for believing our Law to be given by God, we know also that the Creator of the world, as a Lawgiver, feels for us according to our nature.

'Why, O Eleazar, dost thou madly destroy thyself in this misery? We will bring to thee of the seethed meats, but do thou feign only to partake of the swine's flesh, and so save thyself.'

And Eleazar, as if their counsel did but add to his tortures, cried loudly: 'No. May we sons of Abraham never have so evil a thought as with faint heart to counterfeit a part unseemly to us.

Contrary to Reason, indeed, were it for us, after living unto the truth till old age, and guarding in lawful guise the repute of so living, now to change and become in our own persons a pattern to the young of impiety, to the end that we should encourage them to eat unclean meat.

Shame were it if we should live on a little longer, during that little being mocked of all men for cowardice, and while despised by the tyrant as unmanly should fail to defend the Divine Law unto the death. 13 Therefore, O sons of Abraham, do ye die nobly for righteousness' sake; but as for you, O minions of the tyrant, why pause ye in your work?'

Beyond question, then, the Inspired Reason is master over the passions; for if his passions or sufferings had prevailed over his Reason we should have credited them with this evidence of their superior power.

But now his Reason having conquered his passions, we properly attribute to it the power of commanding them.

And it is right that we should admit that the mastery lies with Reason, in cases at least where it conquers pains that come from outside ourselves; for it were ridiculous to deny it.

'Alas! miserable creatures that we are and foolish above measure! When the king invites us and appeals to us on terms of kind treatment shall we not obey him?

'Alas! miserable creatures that we are and foolish above measure! When the king invites us and appeals to us on terms of kind treatment shall we not obey him?

Why do we encourage ourselves with vain desires and dare a disobedience that is to cost us our lives? Shall we not, O men my brothers, fear the dread instruments and weigh well his threats of the tortures, and abandon these empty vaunts and this fatal bragging?

Why do we encourage ourselves with vain desires and dare a disobedience that is to cost us our lives? Shall we not, O men my brothers, fear the dread instruments and weigh well his threats of the tortures, and abandon these empty vaunts and this fatal bragging?

Let us take pity on our own youth and have compassion on our mother's age; and let us lay to heart that if we disobey we shall die.

Let us take pity on our own youth and have compassion on our mother's age; and let us lay to heart that if we disobey we shall die.

And even the divine justice will have mercy on us, if compelled by necessity we yield to the king in fear. Why should we cast away from us this dear life and rob ourselves of this sweet world?

And even the divine justice will have mercy on us, if compelled by necessity we yield to the king in fear. Why should we cast away from us this dear life and rob ourselves of this sweet world?

Even the Law itself does not willingly condemn us to death, we being in terror of the instruments of torture.

Why does such contentiousness inflame us and a fatal obstinacy find favour with us, when we might have a peaceful life by obeying the king?'

AND thus no sooner did the tyrant conclude his urging of them to eat unclean meat than all with one voice together, and as with one soul, said to him: 2 'Why dost thou delay, O tyrant? We are ready to die rather than transgress the commandments of our fathers.

For we should be putting our ancestors also to shame, if we did not walk in obedience to the Law and take Moses as our counsellor.

For we should be putting our ancestors also to shame, if we did not walk in obedience to the Law and take Moses as our counsellor.

For we esteem thy mercy, giving. us our life in return for a breach of the Law, a thing harder to bear than death itself.

But if the old men of the Hebrews endured the tortures for righteousness' sake, yea, until they died, more befittingly will we young men die despising the torments of thy compulsion, over which he our aged teacher also triumphed.

For we through this our evil entreatment and our endurance of it shall win the prize of virtue; but thou for our cruel murder shalt suffer at the hands of divine justice sufficient torment by fire for ever.'

And at the point of death he said, 'We, O most abominable tyrant, suffer thus for our upbringing and our virtue that are of God; but thou for thy impiety and thy cruelty shall endure torments without end.'

Gladly do we give our bodily members to be mutilated for the cause of God.

Doth it seem evil to thee that we worship the Creator of all and live according to his virtuous Law?

'I am not so old in years as my brethren, but I am as old in mind. For we were born and reared for the same purpose and are equally bound also to die for the same cause; so if thou chooseth to torture us for not eating unclean meat, torture.'

We six youths have overthrown thy tyranny. 'For is not thine impotence to alter our Reason or force us to eat unclean meat an overthrow for thee?

Thy fire is cool for us, thy engines of torture torment not, and thy violence is impotent. 61 For the guards have been officers for us, not of a tyrant, but of the Divine Law; and therefore have we our Reason yet unconquered.'

For if they had yielded to their passions or sufferings and eaten unclean meat we should have said that they had been conquered thereby.

And it is impossible to deny the supremacy of the mind; for they won the victory over their passions and their pains. 19 How can we do otherwise than admit right Reason's mastery over passion with these men who shrank not before the agonies of burning?

And each and all of them together, looking at each other brightly and very boldly, said, 'With a whole heart will we consecrate ourselves unto God who gave us our souls, and let us lend our bodies to the keeping of the Law.

We now shudder when we hear of the suffering of those youths; but they, not only seeing it with their eyes, nor merely hearing the spoken, imminent threat, but actually feeling the pang, endured it through; and that in the torture by fire, than which what greater agony can be found?

We now shudder when we hear of the suffering of those youths; but they, not only seeing it with their eyes, nor merely hearing the spoken, imminent threat, but actually feeling the pang, endured it through; and that in the torture by fire, than which what greater agony can be found?

And what need have we of examples of the love of offspring among irrational animals, when even the bees, about the season of the making of the comb, fend off intruders, and stab with their sting, as with a sword, those who approach their brood, and do battle against them even to the death?

O how may I express the passionate love of parents for children? We stamp a marvellous likeness of our soul and of our shape on the tender nature of the child, and most of all through the mother's sympathy with her children being deeper than the father's.

Thou hast given us thy fellowship: it was not that thou wast in need of us: but that we are in need of thee:

And His children shall be known to Him. Therefore we will sing in His love:

We live in the Lord by His grace: and life we receive in His Messiah:

We live in the Lord by His grace: and life we receive in His Messiah:

And bring us out from the bonds of darkness: and open to us the door by which we shall come out to thee.

For we see that our death has not touched thee.

And we sat there and fasted until the evening.

And after these things I heard that angel saying unto those angels who held the lamps: 'Destroy, therefore, and overthrow its wall to its foundations, lest the enemy should boast and say: We have overthrown the wall of Zion, And we have burnt the place of the mighty God."'

And after these things I heard that angel saying unto those angels who held the lamps: 'Destroy, therefore, and overthrow its wall to its foundations, lest the enemy should boast and say: We have overthrown the wall of Zion, And we have burnt the place of the mighty God."'

And we rent our garments, we wept, and mourned, and fasted seven days.

And we rent our garments, we wept, and mourned, and fasted seven days.

But as for us who live, woe unto us, Because we see the afflictions of Zion, And what has befallen Jerusalem.

Moreover, (you priests) take you the keys of the sanctuary, And cast them into the height of heaven, And give them to the Lord and say: "Guard Your house Thyself, For lo! we are found false stewards.

Who will be judge regarding these things? Or to whom shall we complain regarding that which has befallen us? O Lord, how have you borne (it)?

"Blessed are you more than we who live."

For what advantage is there in this, or what (evil), worse than what' we have seen befall us, are we to expect to see?

For what advantage is there in this, or what (evil), worse than what' we have seen befall us, are we to expect to see?

For we have all been made like a breath.

But you know accurately what you have done by means of Your servants; for we are not able to understand that which is good as you art, our Creator.

And now I see that as for the world which was made on account of us, lo! it abides; but we, on account of whom it was made, depart.'

For what we were formerly now we no longer are and what we now are we shall not afterwards remain.

For what we were formerly now we no longer are and what we now are we shall not afterwards remain.

For what we were formerly now we no longer are and what we now are we shall not afterwards remain.

For what we were formerly now we no longer are and what we now are we shall not afterwards remain.

Therefore we should not be distressed so much over the evil which has now come as over that which is still to be.

For you see that He whom we serve is just, And our Creator is no respecter of persons.

For that which is to be shall be the object of desire, And for that which comes afterwards shall we hope; For it is a time that passes not away,

And truly we shall be in darkness, And there shall be no light to the people who are left,

For where again shall we seek the law, Or who will distinguish for us between death and life?'

For in a little time are we born, And in a little time do we return.

For in a little time are we born, And in a little time do we return.

And take not account of our works; For what are we? For lo! by Your gift do we come into the world, And we depart not of our own will.

And take not account of our works; For what are we? For lo! by Your gift do we come into the world, And we depart not of our own will.

And take not account of our works; For what are we? For lo! by Your gift do we come into the world, And we depart not of our own will.

For we said not to our parents, "Beget us, Nor did we send to Sheol and say, "Receive us."

For we said not to our parents, "Beget us, Nor did we send to Sheol and say, "Receive us."

What therefore is our strength that we should bear Your wrath, Or what are we that we should endure Your judgment?

What therefore is our strength that we should bear Your wrath, Or what are we that we should endure Your judgment?

What therefore is our strength that we should bear Your wrath, Or what are we that we should endure Your judgment?

In you do we trust, for lo! Your law is with us, And we know that we shall not fall so long as we keep Your statutes.

In you do we trust, for lo! Your law is with us, And we know that we shall not fall so long as we keep Your statutes.

In you do we trust, for lo! Your law is with us, And we know that we shall not fall so long as we keep Your statutes.

In you do we trust, for lo! Your law is with us, And we know that we shall not fall so long as we keep Your statutes.

[To all time are we blessed at all events in this that we have not mingled with the Gentiles.]

[To all time are we blessed at all events in this that we have not mingled with the Gentiles.]

For we are all one celebrated people, Who have received one law from One: And the law which is amongst us will aid us, And the surpassing wisdom which is in us will help us.'

And I answered and said: 'How can we forget those for whom woe is then reserved?

And why therefore do we again mourn for those who die? Or why do we weep for those who depart to Sheol?

And why therefore do we again mourn for those who die? Or why do we weep for those who depart to Sheol?

But if, indeed, we who exist know wherefore we have come, And submit ourselves to Him who brought us out of Egypt, We shall come again and remember those things which have passed, And shall rejoice regarding that which has been.