Difference between revisions of "Menelaus"

<p> <strong> MENELAUS. </strong> [[Brother]] of [[Simon]] the [[Benjamite]] ( 2M Malachi 3:4 ), or, according to [[Josephus]] ( <em> Ant </em> . XII. v. 1), a younger brother of [[Jason]] and Onias. He purchased the office of high priest from [[Antiochus]] [[Epiphanes]] for the sum of 660 talents ( <em> c </em> <em> [Note: circa, about.] </em> . b.c. 172), thereby causing the deposition of Jason, who had obtained the office by similar corrupt means. Being unable, through lack of funds, to pay the required sum, he was cited to appear before the king, but, finding the latter absent on warfare, he plundered the [[Temple]] of sacred vessels and thereby found means to silence his enemies. Having secured the death of [[Onias]] III., who threatened to divulge the sacrilege ( 2Ma 4:27-34 ), he became so unpopular that Jason marched against him to recover the office he had lost ( 2Ma 5:5-10 ). After this attempt of Jason, which ended in failure, [[Menelaus]] is lost to sight for some years, but finally suffered death at the hands of Antiochus [[Eupator]] ( <em> c </em> <em> [Note: circa, about.] </em> . b.c. 163). </p> <p> T. A. Moxon. </p>