4. But a certain Simon from the tribe of Benjamin, who had been appointed administrator of the temple, had a difference of opinion with the high priest about the management of the city market.
5. Since he wasn’t able to overcome Onias, he went to Thraseas’ son Apollonius, who was governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia at that time.
6. Simon told him that the treasury in Jerusalem was filled with untold riches and that it was full of uncounted cash, which didn’t belong to the accounts for the sacrifices, but potentially fell under the king’s authority.
7. Apollonius met with the king and told him about the funds.The king chose his chief administrator Heliodorus and sent him with orders to confiscate the funds in question.
8. Heliodorus immediately made the journey, supposedly to inspect the cities of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia but actually to put the king’s plan into effect.
9. When he arrived in Jerusalem and was received in a friendly manner by the high priest of the city, he revealed the information that had been reported and stated plainly why he had come. Then he asked whether these things were true.
10. The high priest informed him that these were the deposits of widows and orphans,
11. and also some deposits of Hyrcanus the Tobiad, an exceedingly prominent man. He also said that there were only 22,800 pounds of silver and 11,400 pounds of gold, and that the ungodly Simon had given a false report.