“The following was written.
‘Lucius, consul of the Romans,
To King Ptolemy,
Greetings!
The envoys of the Jews
Have come to us as our friends and allies.
They have come to renew our ancient friendship and alliance.
They had been sent by the high priest Simon and the Jewish people.
They have brought a gold shield weighing one thousand minas.
We therefore have decided to write
To the kings and the countries
So that they should not seek their harm.
They should not make war against them.
They should not make war against their cities and their country.
That they should not make alliances with those who war against them.
It has seemed good to us to accept the shield from them.
Therefore if any scoundrels have fled to you from their country,
Hand them over to Simon the high priest,
So that he may punish them according to their law.’”
This Roman letter is from Lucius Calpurnius Piso the Roman Consul of the Roman Senate from 140-139 BCE. He seems to be sending this letter to King Ptolemy VII who ruled in Egypt from 145-116 BCE, so this is the right time frame. Envoys had been sent by Simon and the Jews to Rome to renew their alliance and friendship. They brought with them a gold shield that was mentioned in the previous chapter. The Romans accepted this shield. Lucius then decided to write to the kings and countries that no one should invade their cities, fight a war with them, or form an alliance against them. If there were any problems with scoundrels fleeing, see Simon the high priest, although he was not called a king or even an ethnarch.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 