route

May 16, 2015

King Ptolemy VI sees the destruction at Azotus (1 Macc 11:4-11:7)

“When King Ptolemy approached Azotus, they showed him the burnt out temple of Dagon, Azotus, and its suburbs destroyed. The corpses were lying about. The charred bodies of those whom Jonathan had burned in the war had been piled in heaps along his route. They also told the king what Jonathan had done, to throw blame on him. However, the king kept silent. Jonathan met the king at Joppa with pomp. They greeted one another and spent the night there. Jonathan went with the king as far as the river called Eleutherus. Then he returned to Jerusalem.”

It was hard to tell what King Ptolemy of Egypt thought about the destruction at Azotus. There were dead bodies piled up all over the place. The temple of Dagon had been destroyed. They told the king that Jonathan had done all this. Jonathan then met the king at Joppa. They greeted each other and stayed 1 night together. The next day, Jonathan left the king at the River Eleutherus, which is north of Tripolis, to return to Jerusalem.

February 20, 2015

They agree on the wages (Tob 5:15-5:17)

“Then he added.

‘I will pay you a drachma a day as wages,

I will pay you as well expenses for yourself and my son?

Go with my son!

I will add something to your wages.’

Raphael responded.

‘I will go with him.

So do not fear.

We shall leave in good health.

We will return to you in good health safe and sound

Because the way is safe.’

So Tobit said to him.

‘Blessings be upon you brother.’

So they agreed to these terms.”

Tobit will pay him a drachma a day, plus expenses. He may even add something if all turns out okay. Raphael agreed. He then tried to calm the fear of Tobit. They were leaving in good health and would return safe and sound because it was not a difficult route. A drachma is only mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, and not elsewhere in the biblical literature. This it must have been a coin in the Hellenistic and Roman times, not the Persian times. The relative value would be about $.25 USA or a quarter. They agreed to these terms. Tobit then gave him a blessing.