31. When Nicanor realized that Judas had completely outwitted him, he went to the great and holy temple where priests were offering up the appropriate sacrifices and ordered them to hand over the man.
32. When they asserted with solemn pledges that they didn’t know where he was,
33. he stretched out his strong hand against the temple and made the following pronouncement: "If you don’t turn Judas over to me as a prisoner, I will level the sacred area of God, tear down the altar to the ground, and build here a great temple to Dionysus."
34. With these words, he left. But the priests, stretching out their hands to heaven, called on the one who always fights in defense of our nation, saying,
35. "You, Lord, who need nothing, made the temple your dwelling among us.
36. Now, holy one, Lord of all holiness, keep your newly purified house free from all defilement forever."
37. A Jerusalem elder named Razis was denounced to Nicanor as someone who loved the citizens, was well spoken of, and was called "Father of the Jews" because of his kindness.
38. Early on in the revolt, he had been put on trial for Judaism and risked body and soul for its cause.
39. Wanting to make public the hatred he had toward the Jews, Nicanor sent a group of more than five hundred soldiers to take him,
40. because he thought that by arresting him, he would create a problem for the Jewish people.
41. When the mob was about to take the tower, forcing open the door of the courtyard, they commanded that the door be set on fire. Razis was surrounded on every side, so he fell on his own sword.
42. He wanted to die bravely rather than fall into the hands of sinners and suffer outrages unworthy of his own high birth.
43. But the blow didn’t strike its mark because of the haste of the struggle and the surge of the mob through the doors. Running with honor out onto the wall, he courageously threw himself down into the mob.
44. When they suddenly drew back, a space opened up, and he landed in the middle of it.