3 Menelaus the high priest tried to deceive King Antiochus and Lysias by encouraging them to attack us. He did not do this for the benefit of the country, but to regain his position as high priest.
4 Meanwhile, Lysias told Antiochus that Menelaus was to blame for all of the country's problems. Then our God, the King of kings, turned Antiochus against Menelaus. And right away, Antiochus sentenced this troublemaker to be killed in the town of Beroea, where they had a special way of executing prisoners.
5 In Beroea there was a 22 meters tower full of ashes, and the inside wall of the tower sloped down into the ash pile.
6 Criminals who were guilty of dishonoring a temple or of some other horrible crime were thrown down inside the tower to die.
7 So that was how the lawbreaker Menelaus died—and without even a proper burial afterwards.
8 Such a death was a perfect punishment for someone who had so often disgraced the temple altar, together with its holy ashes and fire.
9 Antiochus was an arrogant and savage king, who wanted to punish the people of Judea more severely than his father had ever done. He was on his way to invade the country,