1 Maccabees 9:53-55

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

⁵³ And he took the sons of the leading men of the land as hostages and put them under guard in the citadel at Jerusalem.

⁵⁴ In the one hundred and fifty-third year,^[a] in the second month, Alcimus gave orders to tear down the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary. He tore down the work of the prophets! ⁵⁵ But he only began to tear it down, for at that time Alcimus was stricken and his work was hindered; his mouth was stopped and he was paralyzed, so that he could no longer say a word or give commands concerning his house.