2 Maccabees 14:3-5

New Catholic Bible

³ Now a man named Alcimus, a former high priest who had willfully incurred defilement at the time of the revolt, realized that there was no possible way that his safety could be assured or that he could again have access to the holy altar. ⁴ Therefore, he went to King Demetrius about the year one hundred and fifty-one and presented him with a crown of gold and a palm branch, in addition to some of the customary olive branches from the temple. On that occasion, he kept silent. ⁵ However, he found an opportunity to further his mad scheme when Demetrius invited him to a meeting of the council and questioned him about the dispositions and the intentions of the Jews. He replied: