Βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως
abomination of desolation
Translated by D. Graham J. Shipley11 Mar 2001Vetting: high9 revisions
Translation
[It is said] that Antiochos [IV] Epiphanes, son of Seleukos [IV] Philopator,1 was a terrible and grasping man. On capturing the city2 by the spear he killed 150,000 [people] and then, making an insolent assault and entering into the sanctuary in great arrogance and setting up an altar and an image, the abomination of desolation,3 and polluting the temple through unpurified sacrifices, he named it a sanctuary of Olympian Zeus; and he began to kill those who would not partake of the flesh of pigs.4 In his reign too the holy Makkabaioi were killed.
But others say Hadrian set up the statue. Consult the construction of such a statue in the [entry on] 'Antiochos'.5
But others say Hadrian set up the statue. Consult the construction of such a statue in the [entry on] 'Antiochos'.5
Greek original · Adler’s text
Βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως· ὅτι Ἀντίοχος ὁ Ἐπιφανὴς, υἱὸς Σελεύκου τοῦ Φιλοπάτορος, ἀνὴρ ὑπάρχων δεινὸς καὶ πλεονέκτης· ὃς παραλαβὼν τὴν πόλιν δορυάλωτον ἀνεῖλε μυριάδας ιηʹ. κατατολμήσας οὖν καὶ εἰς τὸ ἁγίασμα εἰσελθὼν ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ πολλῇ καὶ στήσας βωμὸν καὶ εἴδωλον βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως καὶ τὸν ναὸν μιάνας δι' ἀκαθάρτων θυσιῶν ἱερὸν Διὸς Ὀλυμπίου προσηγόρευσεν· καὶ τοὺς μὴ ἀπογευομένους τῶν χοιρείων κρεῶν ἀνῄρει. ἐφ' οὗ καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι Μακκαβαῖοι ἀνῃρέθησαν. οἱ δὲ λέγουσιν Ἀδριανὸν στῆσαι τὸν ἀνδριάντα. ζήτει τὴν κατασκευὴν τοῦ τοιούτου ἀγάλματος ἐν τῷ Ἀντίοχος.
Betacode
*bde/lugma e)rhmw/sews: o(/ti *)anti/oxos o( *)epifanh\s, ui(o\s *seleu/kou tou= *filopa/toros, a)nh\r u(pa/rxwn deino\s kai\ pleone/kths: o(\s paralabw\n th\n po/lin dorua/lwton a)nei=le muria/das ih#. katatolmh/sas ou)=n kai\ ei)s to\ a(gi/asma ei)selqw\n e)n u(perhfani/a| pollh=| kai\ sth/sas bwmo\n kai\ ei)/dwlon bde/lugma e)rhmw/sews kai\ to\n nao\n mia/nas di' a)kaqa/rtwn qusiw=n i(ero\n *dio\s *)olumpi/ou proshgo/reusen: kai\ tou\s mh\ a)pogeuome/nous tw=n xoirei/wn krew=n a)nh/|rei. e)f' ou(= kai\ oi( a(/gioi *makkabai=oi a)nh|re/qhsan. oi( de\ le/gousin *)adriano\n sth=sai to\n a)ndria/nta. zh/tei th\n kataskeuh\n tou= toiou/tou a)ga/lmatos e)n tw=| *)anti/oxos.
Notes (5)
- See already alpha 132, beta 200 and beta 201 for this phrase in other contexts.↩
- 1Antiochos IV, king of Syria 175-164; Seleukos IV, 187-175. In fact his brother; both were sons of Antiochos III. The events described here took place in 167 BCE. ↩
- 2Jerusalem. ↩
- 3Also mentioned in I Maccabees 1:54, 6:7; Diodorus Siculus 34/35.5.1; Josephus, Jewish War 1.34. The noun
bde/lugma , frombdelu/ssw orbdelu/ssomai , literally means a feeling or expression of loathing or revulsion, and hence the object that provokes such a reaction. It is almost solely used in biblical and theological sources with references to this or comparable episodes. An accurate translation would be 'the loathsome thing of desertification' or, as in the smart New English Bible version of Daniel 11:31, 'the abominable thing that causes desolation'. The terme)rh/mwsis means the process of creating a desert, wilderness, or emptiness; it does not refer to emotional 'desolation'. I have chosen, however, to give the phrase its traditional English rendering. What precisely it refers to has been much discussed; possibly an altar of Baal-Shamen, or simply the sacrificing of a pig. ↩- 4The entry thus far has echoes of George the Monk, Chronicon 287.3-4 and 288.9-10, but with other material included. ↩
- 5alpha 2693.
References
Millar, F.G.B. (1978), 'The background to the Maccabean revolution: reflections on Martin Hengel's "Judaism and Hellenism"', Journal of Jewish Studies, 29: 1-21
Shipley, G. (2000), The Greek World after Alexander: 323-30 BC, 307-12 with references to other works in bibliography, p. 420
Shipley, G. (2000), The Greek World after Alexander: 323-30 BC, 307-12 with references to other works in bibliography, p. 420
Linked from5 entries
- α2693ἈντίοχοςAntiochus, Antiochos[Antiochus], a king. This man seemed at first to be an attempter of great things and daring and able to follow through on his what had been begun, but as he moved along in life he proved much inferior to himself and the…
- αι183Αἴλιος ἈδριανόςAelius Hadrianus, Hadrian, AdrianosLook under 'abomination of desolation'.
- β199ΒδέλυγμαabominationEvery statue and every relief sculpture of a human being used to be called this amongst Jews.
- β200Βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεωςabomination of desolation[Referring to] the statue of the emperor Hadrian. For Hadrian utterly destroyed the city [i.e. Jerusalem]. For after the desolation that occurred under Vespasian and Titus, the Jews organizing in the reign of Hadrian…
- β201Βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεωςabomination of desolation[Meaning a] sign of desolation. There were certain statues forbidden by the law that were brought into [the Temple]. Pilate did this by bringing a statue of the emperor into the Temple at night.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history9 revisions · last 6 May 2015
- betacode typo — Catharine Roth
- corrected note numbering — David Whitehead
- coding — Catharine Roth
- another note; more keywords — David Whitehead
- cosmeticule — Catharine Roth
- another x-ref; another keyword; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- more keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Augmented note — William Hutton
- augmented notes; added keywords; minor cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — D. Graham J. Shipley