2 Maccabees 6:6-8

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

⁶ A man could neither keep the sabbath, nor observe the feasts of his fathers, nor so much as confess himself to be a Jew.

⁷ On the monthly celebration of the king’s birthday, the Jews^[a] were taken, under bitter constraint, to partake of the sacrifices; and when the feast of Diony′sus came, they were compelled to walk in the procession in honor of Diony′sus, wearing wreaths of ivy. ⁸ At the suggestion of Ptol′emy a decree was issued to the neighboring Greek cities, that they should adopt the same policy toward the Jews and make them partake of the sacrifices,