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19-20-21-22-23Jason of Cyrene wrote five books about Judas Maccabeus and his brothers in which he told how they made our great temple an acceptable place of worship once again and how they dedicated its altar. He also told us about the wars they fought against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator.[#2.19-23 An unknown Jewish author whose writings are lost.; #2.19-23 Antiochus Epiphanes is also known as Antiochus IV (ruled 175–164 b.c. ). His son Eupator is also known as Antiochus V (ruled 164–162 b.c. ).]
Jason described some visions these brave warriors were given from heaven as they defended our Jewish way of life. He also explained how our small army made raids across the whole country, forcing the cruel barbarians to run for their lives. And because of the Lord's kindness and mercy, our troops recaptured our world-famous temple. They also freed Jerusalem and put back into effect the laws that those barbarians had hoped to wipe out.
I will now try to summarize Jason's books in one volume.
24They are so full of facts and details that they discourage readers who want to learn about these events.
25My shorter version will please everyone—people who read for pleasure will enjoy it, and those who like to memorize things will find it easy to remember.
26-27Writing a short version of a long book is like trying to prepare a banquet for a crowd of people with different tastes. So I worked night and day and lost a lot of sleep. But that's all right, because I am glad to work hard in order to satisfy my readers.
28My story is merely a summary of the main events included in Jason's account.
29He was like a builder who had to know every detail about the new house he was constructing. I am simply a decorator whose only job is to make things look beautiful.
30Historians learn as much as possible about their subjects, then present every side of a story, without leaving out a thing.
31But writers who summarize books are allowed to be brief and to leave out many of the details.
32Enough said is enough said! Now is the time to begin the story itself. How foolish it would be to write such a long introduction that I would have to leave out part of the history.