1 Maccabees 1:14-16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
14 Thereupon they built a gymnasium[a] in Jerusalem according to the Gentile custom. 15 They disguised their circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant; they allied themselves with the Gentiles and sold themselves to wrongdoing.
Antiochus in Egypt. 16 (A)When his kingdom seemed secure, Antiochus undertook to become king of the land of Egypt and to rule over both kingdoms.
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- 1:14 Gymnasium: symbol and center of Greek athletic and intellectual life, it was the chief instrument of Hellenistic culture. Jewish youth were attracted by sports and encouraged to join youth clubs. They received training in military skills and in the duties of citizens. Many were won over to paganism, and some even sought surgical correction of their circumcision (since physical exercise was carried out in nudity).
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