1. During that time, a priest of the Jehoiarib family named Mattathias, who was the son of John and the grandson of Simeon, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein.
2. Mattathias had five sons: John (also called Gaddi),
3. Simon (also called Thassi),
4. Judas (also called Maccabaeus),
5. Eleazar (also called Avaran), and Jonathan (also called Apphus).
6. When Mattathias saw all the sins that were being committed in Judea and Jerusalem,
7. he said:“Why was I born to see these terrible things,the ruin of my people and of the holy city?Must I sit here helplesswhile the city is surrendered to enemiesand the Temple falls into the hands of foreigners?