1 Maccabees 7:1-15:27

New Catholic Bible

The Rise of the Hasmoneans

Judah Renews the Resistance

Chapter 7

Demetrius Becomes King.^{[a] 1} In the year one hundred and fifty-one, Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, departed from home and, arriving with a few men at a town on the seacoast, began to rule there. ² As he was entering the royal palace of his ancestors, his troops seized Antiochus and Lysias with the intention of handing them over to him. ³ However, when he was informed of this act, he said, “Keep them out of my sight.” ⁴ The soldiers therefore executed them, and Demetrius ascended the royal throne.

Alcimus Invents Intrigues for the New King. ⁵ Then all the renegades and godless men of Israel approached him, led by Alcimus^[b] who had designs on the high priesthood. ⁶ They brought to the king this accusation against the people: “Judas and his brothers have killed all your Friends and have driven us out of our country. ⁷ Send a man whom you trust to go forth and inspect the devastation that Judas has wreaked on us and on the lands ruled by the king, and authorize him to punish him and all their allies.”

⁸ The king chose Bacchides, one of the Friends of the King, who was the governor of West-of-Euphrates, an influential personage in the kingdom, and a loyal supporter of the king. ⁹ He sent him and the godless Alcimus, whom he appointed as high priest, with orders to exact vengeance on the Israelites. ¹⁰ They set out, and when they arrived with a large army in the land of Judah, they sent envoys to Judas and his brothers to suggest deceitful proposals of peace. ¹¹ But the latter placed no trust in their words, since they saw the immense force that had accompanied them.

¹² However, a group of scribes approached Alcimus and Bacchides to ask for just terms of peace. ¹³ The Hasideans were the first among the Israelites to request a peace agreement, ¹⁴ for they said, “A priest of the line of Aaron has come with the army, and he will not be a party to any wrongful act.” ¹⁵ Alcimus engaged in peace talks with them, and he swore this oath to them: “We will not attempt to injure you or your friends.” ¹⁶ However, once he had gained their confidence, he arrested sixty of them and put them to death in one day, in fulfillment of the words of Scripture:

¹⁸ Then fear and dread of them fell on the whole people. “There is no truth or justice among them,” they said. “They have violated their agreement and their sworn oath.”

¹⁹ Bacchides then withdrew from Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-zaith,^[c] where he ordered the arrest of many of those who had deserted to him, along with some of the people. He slaughtered them and cast them into an immense pit. ²⁰ After that he placed Alcimus in charge of the province, leaving an army with him to give him support, while he himself went back to the king.

²¹ The War Springs Up Anew. Alcimus used every means to continue in his role as high priest, ²² and all those who were reckoned as troublemakers rallied to his support. They gained control of the land of Judah and inflicted great damage on Israel. ²³ When Judas saw all the wrongs that Alcimus and his supporters had inflicted on the Israelites, exceeding anything that the Gentiles had done, ²⁴ he went throughout the territory of Judea, punishing those who had deserted and preventing them from gaining access to rural areas. ²⁵ When Alcimus saw that Judas and his supporters were gaining considerable strength and realized that he would not be able to withstand them, he returned to the king and brought malicious charges against them.

²⁶ Nicanor Is Entrusted with Putting Down the Insurgents. Then the king sent Nicanor,^[d] one of his most distinguished officers and a bitter enemy of Israel, with orders to destroy the people. ²⁷ Having arrived in Jerusalem with a large force, he sent to Judas and his brothers this deceitful message couched in peaceful terms: ²⁸ “Let there be no fighting between you and me. I shall come with a small escort to have a peaceful meeting with you.”

²⁹ When he came to Judas, they greeted each other peaceably, but the enemy had made plans to kidnap Judas. ³⁰ When Judas became aware that Nicanor’s visit had a treacherous purpose, he became afraid and refused to meet him again. ³¹ After Nicanor realized that his plot had been uncovered, he marched out to meet Judas in battle near Caphar-salama.^{[e] 32} About five hundred of Nicanor’s men were slain; the rest fled to the City of David.

³³ After these events, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests from the sanctuary and some of the elders of the people came out to greet him peaceably and to show him the burnt offering that was being offered for the king. ³⁴ But he mocked and jeered at them, defiled them,^[f] and spoke arrogantly, ³⁵ swearing in his rage: “Unless Judas and his army are turned over to me immediately, I will burn this temple to the ground when I return victorious.” Then he went off in great anger. ³⁶ At this turn of events, the priests went in and stood tearfully before the altar and the sanctuary, saying: ³⁷ “You have chosen this house to bear your name and to be a house of prayer and supplication for your people. ³⁸ Exact vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies and grant them no reprieve.”

³⁹ Judas Routs the Enemy. Nicanor left Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-horon, where he was joined by an army from Syria. ⁴⁰ Meanwhile, Judas pitched camp in Adasa^[g] with three thousand men, where he offered this prayer: ⁴¹ “When the messengers from the king were guilty of blasphemy, your angel sent forth and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand of his men. ⁴² In the same way, crush this army before us today, so that everyone will come to know that Nicanor has spoken blasphemously against your sanctuary. Judge him according to his wickedness.”

⁴³ The armies met in battle on the thirteenth of the month of Adar. Nicanor’s army was crushed, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle. ⁴⁴ When his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw down their arms and fled. ⁴⁵ The Jews pursued them a day’s journey, from Adasa as far as Gazara, sounding their trumpets in warning as they followed. ⁴⁶ People emerged from all the surrounding villages of Judea and hemmed in Nicanor’s forces, driving them back to confront their pursuers. They all fell by the sword, without a single one managing to escape.

⁴⁷ Then the Jews collected the spoils and the booty. They cut off Nicanor’s head and the right hand that he had stretched out so arrogantly, and they brought them to Jerusalem to be put on display there. ⁴⁸ The people rejoiced greatly and celebrated that day as a great festival. ⁴⁹ They decreed that this occasion was to be observed each year on the thirteenth day of Adar.^{[h] 50} And for a short time the land of Judah was at peace.

Chapter 8

The Prestige of Rome.^{[i] 1} Judas heard of the reputation of the Romans—how they were mighty men who favored all who joined themselves to them and made an alliance with all who came to them and were strong and powerful. ² He had also been told of the battles they had fought and of the brave deeds that they had performed against the people of Gaul^[j] as they conquered them and forced them to pay tribute, ³ and what they had done in the province of Spain, seizing the silver and gold mines there ⁴ and by their planning and persistence gaining control of the entire country even though it was considerably distant from their own. They also had subdued kings who had come against them from the ends of the earth,^[k] crushing them and inflicting heavy losses on them, while the rest paid tribute to them every year.

⁵ Philip^[l] and Perseus, the king of the Macedonians, and the others who had engaged in battle against them had been crushed by them and subjugated. ⁶ They had also defeated Antiochus the Great, the king of Asia, who had attacked them with one hundred and twenty elephants, and with cavalry and chariots and a very large army. ^7 [m]They had taken him alive and imposed terms of surrender that obligated him and his successors to pay a substantial annual tribute, give hostages, ⁸ and surrender portions of his best provinces—the countries of India, Media, and Lydia—which they took from him and gave to King Eumenes. ⁹ When the Greeks devised a plan to attack and destroy them, ¹⁰ the Romans got wind of it and sent against them a single general.^[n] In the ensuing battle many of the Greeks were wounded and fell, and the Romans took captive their wives and children, tore down their strongholds, and enslaved them, a status that they endure even to the present day. ¹¹ All of the other kingdoms and islands that opposed them they destroyed and subjugated.

¹² However, with their friends and those who depended on them for protection, they maintained strong ties of friendship. They had subdued kings far and near, and all who heard of their reputation were terrified of them. ¹³ Those whom they wished to help ascend to a throne became kings; those whom they wished to depose were overthrown. As a result, they were greatly exalted. ¹⁴ Yet for all this not one of them ever put on a crown or wore purple as an emblem of authority. ¹⁵ They had built a senate house where each day three hundred and twenty senators deliberated on how best to achieve the well-being of the people. ¹⁶ They entrusted one man^[o] each year to rule over them and their dominions; all obeyed this one man without any envy or jealousy.

¹⁷ Alliance with Rome. Therefore, Judas chose Eupolemus, son of John, son of Accos, and Jason, son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome to make a treaty of friendship and alliance, ¹⁸ in the hope that in this way they would escape the yoke, for they could clearly see that the kingdom of the Greeks was reducing Israel to a state of slavery. ¹⁹ Following a very lengthy journey to Rome, the envoys entered the senate chamber and spoke these words: ²⁰ “Judas Maccabeus and his brothers and the Jewish people have sent us to conclude a treaty of alliance and peace with you and to enroll ourselves as your allies and friends.” ²¹ This proposal pleased the Romans, ²² and this is a copy of their reply, which they inscribed on tablets of bronze^[p] and sent to Jerusalem, where it would remain in the possession of the Jews as a record of peace and alliance:

²³ “May good fortune attend the Romans and the Jewish nation at sea and on land forever. May sword and foe be far from them. ²⁴ But if war should be instigated against Rome or any of her allies throughout her dominions, ²⁵ the Jewish nation shall provide them with their wholehearted support as the occasion shall demand. ²⁶ To the enemy that instigates that war they shall not give or provide grain, arms, money, or ships. Thus have the Romans decreed, and they shall fulfill their obligations without receiving any recompense. ²⁷ In the same way, if war should be instigated against the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall provide them with their wholehearted support as the occasion shall demand. ²⁸ To the enemy that instigates that war they shall not give grain, arms, money, or ships. Thus have the Romans decreed, and they shall fulfill their obligations without any breach of faith. ²⁹ In these terms the Romans have made a treaty with the Jewish people. ³⁰ Subsequently, if both parties should decide to make any addition or deletion, they shall have the authority to do so, and any such addition or deletion that they make shall be deemed valid.

³¹ “Concerning the wrongs that King Demetrius is perpetrating against the Jewish people, we have written to him as follows: ‘Why have you made your yoke heavy upon our friends and allies the Jews? ³² If they have any further complaint to make against you, we shall uphold their rights and make war on you by land and sea.’ ”^[q]

Chapter 9

The Heroic Death of Judas. ¹ When Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judah for a second time, and with them the right wing of his army. ² They took the road to Galilee and, besieging Mesaloth in Arbela,^[r] they captured it and killed many people. ³ In the first month of the year one hundred and fifty-two they encamped outside Jerusalem,^{[s] 4} and from there they marched to Berea with twenty thousand foot soldiers and two thousand cavalry.

⁵ Judas meanwhile had encamped at Elasa with three thousand picked men. ⁶ When his men saw the immense number of the enemy forces, they were greatly terrified, and many slipped away from the camp, until only eight hundred men remained.

⁷ When Judas realized that the battle was imminent and that his army was melting away, he became despondent, for he had no time to redeploy them. ⁸ But despite being disheartened, he said to those who remained, “Let us rise up and advance against the enemy. We may have sufficient strength to defeat them.” ⁹ His men tried to dissuade him, saying, “We do not have the necessary strength. Let us save our own lives now and return to fight them when our kindred have joined up with us. Right now we are too few.” ¹⁰ But Judas replied, “Far be it from us to do such a thing as to flee from them. If our time has come, let us die bravely for our kindred and leave no stain upon our honor.”

¹¹ Then the army of Bacchides marched out from the camp and was arrayed in battle position. The cavalry was divided into two squadrons. The slingers and the archers went ahead of the army, and the most skilled warriors were in the front line. ¹² Bacchides was on the right wing. The phalanx, flanked by the two squadrons, advanced to the sound of the trumpets, and the men with Judas also blew their trumpets. ¹³ The earth shook with the noise of the armies, and the battle raged from morning until evening. ¹⁴ Observing that Bacchides and the main strength of his army were on the right, Judas, with his most valiant men at his side, ¹⁵ drove back the right wing and pursued them as far as Mount Azotus.^{[t] 16} But when those on the left wing observed that the right wing had been crushed, they reversed direction and closely followed Judas and his men, attacking them from the rear. ¹⁷ The battle was fought desperately, and many on both sides fell. ¹⁸ Judas was among those who fell, and the rest fled.

¹⁹ Jonathan and Simon took their brother Judas and buried him in the tomb of their ancestors at Modein. ²⁰ All Israel wept over him with great mourning for many days, saying, ²¹ “How tragically the mighty one has fallen, the savior of Israel!” ²² The rest of the acts of Judas, the battles that he waged, the valorous deeds that he performed, and his greatness have not been recorded, for they were very numerous.

The Politics of Jonathan (160–143 B.C.)

²³ Jonathan Succeeds Judas. After the death of Judas, the renegades came out of hiding in all parts of Israel, and all the evildoers reappeared. ²⁴ In those days there was a severe famine, and the country went over to their side. ²⁵ Bacchides chose godless men to be in charge of the country. ²⁶ These searched out and hunted down the friends of Judas and brought them to Bacchides, who took his revenge on them and mocked them. ²⁷ There was great distress^[u] in Israel, the likes of which had not been since the days when the prophets ceased to appear among them.

²⁸ Then all the friends of Judas assembled and said to Jonathan, ²⁹ “Since the death of your brother Judas there has been no one like him to lead us against our enemies and Bacchides, as well as against those of our own nation who are hostile to us. ³⁰ Therefore, today we have chosen you to take his place as our ruler and our leader, and to fight our battle.” ³¹ Thereupon Jonathan accepted the leadership in the place of his brother Judas.

³² Jonathan and Simon Retaliate. When Bacchides learned of this, he made plans to kill Jonathan, ³³ but Jonathan and his brother Simon and all who were with him heard about it, and they took refuge in the wilderness of Tekoa,^[v] where they encamped by the waters of the pool of Asphar. ³⁴ Bacchides learned of this on the Sabbath day, and he crossed the Jordan with his entire army.

³⁵ Jonathan sent his brother^[w] to act as leader of the multitude and to ask the Nabateans, with whom he was friendly, for permission to store with them the great quantity of baggage that they had brought with them. ³⁶ However, the sons of Jambri made a sortie from Medeba,^[x] captured John, and carried off the baggage. ³⁷ Some time afterward the news was reported to Jonathan and his brother Simon: “The sons of Jambri are celebrating a great wedding, and with a large retinue they are escorting from Nadabath the daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan.” ³⁸ Remembering how their brother John had been slain, they went up and hid themselves under the cover of a mountain.

³⁹ As they kept watch, they observed a tumultuous procession come into sight carrying a great amount of baggage. The bridegroom came forth, escorted by his fully armed friends and his kindred, to welcome the bridal party with tambourines and musicians. ⁴⁰ The Jews sprang on them from their place of ambush and began to slay them. Many fell wounded, and the rest fled toward the mountain; and the Jews gathered up all their spoil. ⁴¹ Thus the wedding was turned into mourning and the sound of their music into lamentation.^{[y] 42} Having thereby gained revenge for the blood of their brother, the Jews returned to the marshes of the Jordan.

⁴³ “Let Us . . . Fight for Our Lives.” When Bacchides heard of this, he came with a huge force to the banks of the Jordan on the Sabbath. ⁴⁴ Then Jonathan said to those with him, “Let us get up now and fight for our lives, for today things have changed considerably from the way they used to be. ⁴⁵ In front of us the battle awaits; behind us are the waters of the Jordan on one side and marshland and thickets on the other. There is no way out. ⁴⁶ Cry out to Heaven that you may be saved from our enemies.” ⁴⁷ Once the battle had begun, Jonathan raised his arm to strike Bacchides, but Bacchides managed to elude him and escaped to the rear. ⁴⁸ Jonathan then leapt into the Jordan and swam across to the other side with his men. However, the enemy did not pursue them across the Jordan. ⁴⁹ On that day Bacchides lost about one thousand men.

⁵⁰ Bacchides Builds Strongholds. After returning to Jerusalem, Bacchides built strongholds in Judea with high walls, gates, and bars: the fortress in Jericho, Emmaus, Beth-horon, Bethel, Timnath, Pharathon, and Tephon, ⁵¹ and he stationed a garrison in each to harass Israel. ⁵² He also fortified the city of Beth-zur, Gazara, and the citadel, and in them he placed soldiers and stores of provisions. ⁵³ He took the sons of the leading men of the country as hostages and placed them under guard in the citadel at Jerusalem.

⁵⁴ Alcimus Dies Paralyzed. In the year one hundred and fifty-three, in the second month, Alcimus ordered the demolition of the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary, thereby destroying the work of the prophets. ⁵⁵ However, he had only begun the work of demolition when he suffered a stroke. His mouth was closed and he was paralyzed, unable to utter a word or give commands concerning his house. ⁵⁶ Before much time had passed, he died in great agony. ⁵⁷ On learning that Alcimus was dead, Bacchides returned to the king, and the land of Judah was left in peace for two years.

⁵⁸ Bacchides Negotiates with Jonathan. Then all the renegades gathered together in council. “Now is the time,” they said, “with Jonathan and his people living in peace and security, for us to bring back Bacchides, and he will capture all of them in a single night.” ⁵⁹ Therefore, they went and consulted with him. ⁶⁰ Bacchides set out with a large force, simultaneously sending letters secretly to all his allies in Judea that instructed them to seize Jonathan and his men. However, they were unable to do so because their plot became known, ⁶¹ and Jonathan and his men arrested about fifty of the ringleaders in this treacherous plan and put them to death.

⁶² Then Jonathan withdrew with Simon and his companions to Bethbasi^[z] in the desert. He rebuilt the fortifications that had been demolished and strengthened them. ⁶³ When Bacchides learned of this, he assembled his entire army and sent instructions to his supporters in Judea. ⁶⁴ Then he came and encamped opposite Bethbasi, and after constructing engines of war, he fought against it for many days.

⁶⁵ Leaving his brother Simon in the city, Jonathan went out into the country area accompanied by only a few men. ⁶⁶ He struck down Odomera and his kindred and the people of Phasiron in their encampment, all of whom had been preparing to set out to join in the battle.^{[aa] 67} Meanwhile, Simon and his forces made a sortie from the town and set fire to the engines of war. ⁶⁸ Moving against Bacchides, they exerted such pressure that they inflicted a severe defeat upon him. Inasmuch as his plans for a military assault had been frustrated, ⁶⁹ Bacchides vented his anger on the renegades who had advised him to undertake this invasion. He slew many of them and then decided to return to his own land.

⁷⁰ When Jonathan learned of this, he sent envoys to negotiate terms of peace with him and obtain the release of the captives. ⁷¹ Bacchides agreed to Jonathan’s proposals and swore that he would never again try to cause him harm for the rest of his life. ⁷² He handed over the prisoners he had previously taken captive from the land of Judah. Then he returned to his own land and never again came into their territory.

⁷³ Thus the sword ceased from Israel. Jonathan settled in Michmash,^[ab] from where he began to serve as judge for the people and to exile the renegades from Israel.

Chapter 10

Jonathan Is Named High Priest.^{[ac] 1} In the year one hundred and sixty, Alexander Epiphanes,^[ad] the son of Antiochus, arrived by sea and occupied Ptolemais. The people there welcomed him, and he began to reign. ² When King Demetrius heard of this, he assembled a very large army and marched out to engage him in battle. ³ Demetrius also sent a letter to Jonathan honoring him and expressing the desire for continued peace, ⁴ for he thought to himself, “Let us move first to make peace with him before he makes peace with Alexander against us, ⁵ recalling all the wrongs that we inflicted upon him and his brothers and his nation.”

⁶ So Demetrius gave Jonathan the authority to raise an army and to procure arms and to designate himself as an ally; and he also ordered the hostages in the citadel to be released to him. ⁷ Thereupon Jonathan went to Jerusalem and read the letter to all the people and to those in the citadel. ⁸ They were all greatly frightened when they heard that the king had given him authority to raise an army. ⁹ They released the hostages to Jonathan, and he restored them to their parents.

¹⁰ Jonathan then took up residence in Jerusalem and began to rebuild and restore the city. ¹¹ He ordered those entrusted with the work to build the walls and to encircle Mount Zion with squared stones for its fortification, and this task was accomplished.

¹² The foreigners who occupied the fortresses built by Bacchides abandoned them; ¹³ all of them deserted their posts and fled to their own lands. ¹⁴ Only in Beth-zur did some remain of those who had forsaken the law and the commandments, for it served as a place of refuge.

¹⁵ King Alexander was informed of all the proposals made by Demetrius to Jonathan, and he was also told of the battles that Jonathan and his brothers had fought, of the heroic deeds that they had accomplished, and of the hardships that they had endured. ¹⁶ His response was, “Shall we ever come across another man like him? Let us take steps to make him our friend and ally.” ¹⁷ He therefore wrote a letter to him in these words:

¹⁸ “King Alexander sends greetings to his brother Jonathan. ¹⁹ We have heard that you are a mighty warrior and worthy to be our friend. ²⁰ We have therefore appointed you today to be the high priest of your nation. You are also to have the title ‘Friend of the King,’ supporting our interests and maintaining friendly relations with us.” In addition he sent him a purple robe and a crown of gold.

²¹ Jonathan put on the sacred vestments in the seventh month of the year one hundred and sixty, at the Feast of Booths.^[ae] He also raised an army and procured a large supply of arms.

²² Political Turning Point. When Demetrius learned of these developments, he was greatly distressed, and he said, ²³ “How did we allow Alexander to get ahead of us in gaining the friendship of the Jews and thus strengthening his position? ²⁴ I too will write to them in conciliatory terms and offer them honors and gifts as an inducement to support me.”

²⁵ Therefore, he sent them this message: “King Demetrius sends greetings to the Jewish nation. ²⁶ We have heard of how you have honored our agreement with us and have continued to maintain our friendship, and that you have not transferred your allegiance to our enemies. At this news we rejoice. ²⁷ If you now continue to keep faith with us, we will reward you handsomely for what you do on our behalf, ²⁸ granting you numerous exemptions and bestowing gifts on you.

²⁹ “I now free you and exempt all the Jews from payments of tribute, from the tax on salt, and from the crown levies.^{[af] 30} From this day henceforth, I also renounce the third of the grain harvest and the half of the fruit harvest to which I am entitled. From this day and for all time I will not collect them from the land of Judah or from the three districts annexed to it from Samaria. ³¹ Jerusalem and its surroundings, its tithes and its revenues, shall be sacred and free from tax. ³² I also relinquish my authority over the citadel in Jerusalem and transfer it to the high priest, so that he may station within it men of his own choosing to guard it. ³³ Every Jew carried off into captivity from the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom I set free without ransom, and all their taxes, even those on their livestock, are to be voided. ³⁴ Let all feast days, Sabbaths, new moon festivals, appointed days, and the three days that precede and the three days that follow a festival be days of exemption and release for all the Jews in my kingdom. ³⁵ No one will have the authority to exact any payment from them or to impose any burden on them in any matter whatsoever.

³⁶ “Thirty thousand Jews will be enrolled in the king’s army, and they will receive the standard benefits given to all the forces of the king. ³⁷ Some of them will be stationed in the major strongholds of the king; others will be appointed to positions of trust in the kingdom. Their officers and commanders will be appointed from their own number, and they will be allowed to observe their own laws, as the king has commanded in the land of Judah.

³⁸ “As for the three districts that have been annexed to Judea from the province of Samaria, let them be so incorporated with Judea that they will be considered to be under one ruler and will obey no authority other than the high priest. ³⁹ Ptolemais and the adjoining land I bestow as a gift to the sanctuary in Jerusalem so that the necessary expenses of the sanctuary may be met.^{[ag] 40} I also promise an annual grant of fifteen thousand shekels out of the king’s revenues from appropriate places. ⁴¹ As for the additional funds that the officials have not paid as was done in previous years, they shall henceforth be handed over for the needs of the temple. ⁴² Furthermore, the five thousand silver shekels that used to be taken annually from the income of the temple will no longer be collected, since these funds belong to the priests who minister there.

⁴³ “All who take refuge in the temple in Jerusalem or in any of its precincts because of money owed to the king or any other debt will be released without any forfeiture of property they possess in my kingdom. ⁴⁴ The cost of the rebuilding and restoration of the structures of the sanctuary are to be taken from the revenues of the king. ⁴⁵ Likewise, the cost of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and fortifying it all around, and of rebuilding the walls in Judea, are to be covered by the royal revenues.”

⁴⁶ When Jonathan and the people heard these proposals, they put no faith in them and refused to accept them, for they remembered the great evils that Demetrius had perpetrated in Israel and the harsh oppression he had inflicted on them. ⁴⁷ They favored Alexander, for he had been the first to make peaceful overtures to them, and they remained his allies throughout his life.

⁴⁸ King Alexander assembled a great army and encamped opposite Demetrius. ⁴⁹ When the two kings met in battle, the army of Demetrius fled, and Alexander pursued him and defeated his soldiers. ⁵⁰ The battle raged fiercely until sunset, and Demetrius was killed on that day.

⁵¹ Alexander Allies Himself with Egypt.^[ah] Alexander sent envoys to Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, with this message: ⁵² “Now that I have returned to my kingdom and taken my seat on the throne of my ancestors and established my rule by crushing Demetrius and thereby gaining control of my country— ⁵³ for I met him in battle, defeated him and his army, and now occupy the throne of his kingdom— ⁵⁴ let us therefore enter into an alliance of friendship with one another. Give me your daughter as my wife; as your son-in-law, I will give gifts to you and to her that are in keeping with your royal position.”

⁵⁵ King Ptolemy said in his reply: “Happy was the day on which you returned to the land of your ancestors and took your seat on the throne of their kingdom. ⁵⁶ I hereby agree to your request, but please come to me at Ptolemais so that we may meet each other, and I will become your father-in-law, as you have proposed.”

⁵⁷ In the year one hundred and sixty-two, Ptolemy set out from Egypt with his daughter Cleopatra and came to Ptolemais, ⁵⁸ where King Alexander met him. Ptolemy gave him his daughter Cleopatra in marriage, and their wedding was celebrated at Ptolemais with great pomp, as is customary with such royal occasions.

⁵⁹ Jonathan Is Named Governor.^[ai] King Alexander then wrote to Jonathan, asking him to come and meet him. ⁶⁰ Jonathan went amidst great pomp to Ptolemais, where he met the two kings. He presented them and their Friends with silver and gold and many gifts and thus won their favor. ⁶¹ Some troublemaking renegades from Israel united themselves in opposition to him, but the king paid no heed to them. ⁶² Rather, he issued orders that Jonathan should be divested of his own garments and be clothed in royal purple, and this was done. ⁶³ The king then seated him at his side and said to his officers, “Accompany him to the center of the city and proclaim that no one is to bring charges against him on any matter or to make trouble for him in any way.”

⁶⁴ When his accusers observed the honor that was paid to him in this proclamation and saw him clothed in his purple robe, they all fled. ⁶⁵ The king also honored him by enrolling him as one of his Chief Friends, and he appointed him as commander and governor of the province. ⁶⁶ Then Jonathan returned in peace and joy to Jerusalem.

⁶⁷ Jonathan Defeats Apollonius. In the year one hundred and sixty-five, Demetrius,^[aj] the son of Demetrius, came from Crete to the land of his ancestors. ⁶⁸ When King Alexander learned of this, he was greatly disturbed, and he returned to Antioch. ⁶⁹ Demetrius appointed Apollonius as governor of Coelesyria,^[ak] and the latter assembled a large force, encamped at Jamnia, and sent the following message to Jonathan the high priest: ⁷⁰ “You are the only one who has seen fit to rise up against us. Because of you, I have been assailed by ridicule and brought into disgrace. Why do you flaunt your authority against us in the hill country? ⁷¹ If you have such confidence in your forces, come down to meet us in the plain, and there we can test each other’s strength. The power of the cities is ready to support me. ⁷² Make an inquiry to find out who I am and the identity of the others who are supporting me. You will be told that you cannot make a stand against us. Your ancestors were twice put to flight in their own land. ⁷³ Now you too will not be able to withstand my cavalry and such an army in the plain, where there is not a stone or a pebble or a place to flee.”

⁷⁴ When Jonathan heard this message from Apollonius, his spirit was aroused. He set out from Jerusalem with ten thousand picked men, and his brother Simon joined him with reinforcements. ⁷⁵ He encamped outside Joppa, where the people of the city had closed its gates against him because Apollonius had a garrison there. ⁷⁶ However, when they began the siege, the people of the city became terrified, and they opened the gates, whereupon Jonathan took possession of Joppa.

⁷⁷ When Apollonius learned of this, he assembled three thousand cavalry and a large force of infantry. He marched to Azotus as though he were planning to march through it, but at the same time he advanced into the plain, confident in the strength of such a large number of cavalry. ⁷⁸ Jonathan pursued him as far as Azotus, where the armies engaged in battle. ⁷⁹ Apollonius, however, had left a thousand cavalry concealed behind them. ⁸⁰ Jonathan realized that there was an ambush behind him, for his army was surrounded and showered with arrows from morning until evening. ⁸¹ But his men held their ground as Jonathan had ordered, while the enemy’s horses became weary.

⁸² At that point, when the cavalry was exhausted, Simon led his forces forward and engaged the enemy phalanx in battle. Overwhelmed by him, they took to flight. ⁸³ The horsemen scattered over the plain and fled to Azotus, seeking refuge in Beth-dagon, the temple of their idol. ⁸⁴ However, Jonathan burned and plundered Azotus and its surrounding villages, and he destroyed by fire both the temple of Dagon and the men who had taken refuge in it. ⁸⁵ The number of those who fell by the sword, together with those who were burned to death, totaled about eight thousand men. ⁸⁶ Then Jonathan left there and encamped outside Ashkelon, and the people of that city came out to meet him with great pomp. ⁸⁷ He and his men then returned to Jerusalem laden with a great deal of booty.

⁸⁸ When King Alexander heard of these events, he conferred even greater honors on Jonathan. ⁸⁹ He sent him a gold buckle, which it was customary to present to the King’s Kinsmen,^[al] and he also gave him Ekron and all its territory as a possession.

Chapter 11

Demetrius II Becomes King. ¹ The king of Egypt then gathered a huge army, as numerous as the sands on the seashore, and also a great fleet of ships. His purpose was to take possession of Alexander’s kingdom by subterfuge and add it to his kingdom. ² He set out for Syria with protestations of peace, and the people of the towns opened their gates to him and went out to meet him. King Alexander had commanded them to do so, since Ptolemy was his father-in-law. ³ However, on entering the towns, Ptolemy stationed troops as a garrison in each one.

⁴ When he reached Azotus, he was shown the burnt-out temple of Dagon, Azotus and its outlying areas demolished, corpses strewn everywhere, and the charred remains of those burned by Jonathan in the fighting and stacked up in heaps along his route. ⁵ In an attempt to turn the king against Jonathan, they explained to him what Jonathan had done, but the king said nothing. ⁶ Jonathan met the king with pomp at Joppa, and they exchanged greetings and spent the night there. ⁷ Jonathan accompanied the king as far as the river called Eleutherus,^[am] and then he returned to Jerusalem.

⁸ King Ptolemy took possession of the cities along the seacoast as far as Seleucia by the sea,^[an] and he continued to devise wicked plans against Alexander. ⁹ He sent envoys to King Demetrius, saying: “Come, let us make a pact with each other. I will give you in marriage my daughter whom Alexander has married, and you will reign over the kingdom of your father. ¹⁰ I regret that I gave my daughter to him, for he has sought to kill me.”^{[ao] 11} He made this deceitful accusation against Alexander because he coveted his kingdom. ¹² After taking his daughter away from him and giving her to Demetrius, Ptolemy ended his friendship with Alexander, and their enmity became clearly manifest. ¹³ Then Ptolemy entered Antioch and assumed the crown of Asia in addition to the crown of Egypt that he already possessed.

¹⁴ King Alexander was in Cilicia at that time because the people of that region were in revolt, ¹⁵ but when he was informed about what was occurring, he marched against Ptolemy, who opposed him with a strong force and put him to flight. ¹⁶ Alexander fled to Arabia to seek protection, and King Ptolemy’s triumph was complete ¹⁷ when Zabdiel the Arab cut off Alexander’s head and sent it to Ptolemy. ¹⁸ However, three days later King Ptolemy died, and his men in the fortified cities were killed by the inhabitants there. ¹⁹ Thus Demetrius became king in the year one hundred and sixty-seven.

²⁰ Jonathan Makes a Pact with Demetrius. At this juncture Jonathan mustered the men of Judea for an attack on the citadel in Jerusalem, and they set up a large number of engines of war to use against it. ²¹ However, some renegades who were traitors to their own nation went to the king and informed him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel. ²² When Demetrius heard this report, he was furious, and he immediately set out for Ptolemais. He also wrote to Jonathan, ordering him to end the siege and to meet him for a conference at Ptolemais as soon as possible.

²³ When Jonathan heard this, he gave orders to continue the siege. Then, selecting some elders of Israel and priests to accompany him, he placed himself in jeopardy ²⁴ by taking silver, gold, clothing, and numerous other gifts and journeying to Ptolemais, where by means of these gifts he won the favor of Demetrius. ²⁵ Although some renegade Jews of his own nation brought charges against him, ²⁶ the king treated him just as his predecessors had done and honored him in the presence of all his Friends. ²⁷ He confirmed him in the high priesthood and in all the other positions of honor he had previously held, and he had him enrolled among his Chief Friends.

²⁸ Jonathan asked the king to exempt Judea and the three districts^[ap] of Samaria from tribute, and promised him three hundred talents in return. ²⁹ The king consented and wrote the following letter to Jonathan about all these matters:

³⁰ “King Demetrius sends greetings to his brother Jonathan and to the Jewish nation. ³¹ For your own information we are sending you a copy of the letter that we wrote to our kinsman Lasthenes^[aq] concerning you, as follows: ³² ‘King Demetrius sends greetings to his father Lasthenes. ³³ Since the Jewish people are our friends and fulfill their obligations to us, we have decided to reward them. ³⁴ Therefore, we confirm their possession of the territory of Judea and of the three districts of Aphairema, Lydda, and Ramathaim. These districts, with all their dependencies, were annexed to Judea from Samaria for the benefit of all those who offer sacrifices for us at Jerusalem instead of paying the royal taxes that the king formerly received from them every year from the crops of the land and the fruit of the trees. ³⁵ From this day forward we also release them from the payment of other revenues that are due to us—that is, tithes, and tribute, the tax on the salt pits, and the crown taxes. ³⁶ These provisions shall be irrevocable from this moment for all time. ³⁷ Be sure, therefore, to have a copy of them made and given to Jonathan, so that it may be displayed in a conspicuous place on the holy mountain.’ ”

³⁸ Jonathan’s Forces Save Demetrius. When King Demetrius saw that the country was at peace under his rule and that there was no opposition to him, he dismissed his forces, sending all of them to their own homes except for the foreign troops that he had recruited from the islands of the nations. As a result, all the soldiers who had served under his predecessors hated him. ³⁹ Trypho, one of Alexander’s former supporters, observed that all the soldiers were grumbling against Demetrius. He went to see Imalkue the Arab, who was bringing up Antiochus, Alexander’s young son, ⁴⁰ and repeatedly urged him to hand over the boy to him so that he could become king in place of his father. During his stay there for many days, he also reported to Imalkue everything that Demetrius had done and the hatred that his soldiers felt toward him.

⁴¹ Meanwhile, Jonathan sent a report to King Demetrius asking that he withdraw his troops from the citadel in Jerusalem and from the strongholds, for they showed constant hostility toward Israel. ⁴² In reply, Demetrius sent this message back to Jonathan: “I will not only do this for you and your nation, but I will also confer great honor upon you and your nation whenever the opportunity presents itself. ⁴³ In return, please do me the favor of sending men to fight for me, because all my troops have deserted.”

⁴⁴ Therefore, Jonathan sent three thousand skilled fighting men to him at Antioch, and when they reached the king, he was delighted at their arrival, ⁴⁵ for the people, one hundred and twenty thousand strong, had massed together in the center of the city, intending to kill him. ⁴⁶ However, the king took refuge in the palace, while the people seized control of the main streets of the city and began to fight. ⁴⁷ The king then summoned the Jews to come to his aid. They immediately rallied around him and then spread out through the city. On that day they killed about one hundred thousand of its inhabitants, ⁴⁸ after which they set fire to the city and seized a great amount of booty. Thus they saved the life of the king.

⁴⁹ When the people of the city realized that the Jews had the city at their mercy, their courage failed them, and they cried out to the king, making this entreaty: ⁵⁰ “Grant us terms of peace, and order the Jews to stop fighting against us and our city.” They threw down their arms and made peace. ⁵¹ The Jews thus gained glory in the eyes of the king and of all his subjects in the kingdom, and they returned to Jerusalem with a great amount of spoil.

⁵² However, when King Demetrius felt secure on his royal throne and the land was peaceful under his rule, ⁵³ he broke all the promises he had made and became estranged from Jonathan. Instead of rewarding Jonathan for all the services he had rendered him, he treated him very harshly.

⁵⁴ Jonathan Enters the Service of Antiochus VI. After this, Trypho returned, bringing with him the young boy Antiochus,^[ar] who was crowned king. ⁵⁵ All the soldiers that Demetrius had discharged rallied to Antiochus and fought against Demetrius, who was routed and fled. ⁵⁶ Trypho captured the elephants and took control of Antioch.

⁵⁷ Then the young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan as follows: “I confirm you in the high priesthood, place you in authority over the four districts, and appoint you as one of the King’s Friends.” ⁵⁸ He also sent him a dinner service of gold plate and gave him the right to drink from gold vessels, to dress in royal purple, and to wear a gold buckle. ⁵⁹ He also appointed Jonathan’s brother Simon as governor of the region from the Ladder of Tyre^[as] to the frontiers of Egypt.

⁶⁰ Jonathan then set out and traveled through West-of-Euphrates^[at] and its cities, and the whole Syrian army rallied to his support. When he reached Ashkelon, the people of the city received him with great honor. ⁶¹ From there he proceeded to Gaza, but the people of Gaza closed their gates to him. Therefore, he besieged Gaza, burning down its suburbs and plundering them. ⁶² Then the people of Gaza pleaded with Jonathan for mercy, and he granted them peace, taking the sons of their rulers as hostages and sending them to Jerusalem. He then traveled through the country as far as Damascus.

⁶³ Jonathan heard that the generals of Demetrius had arrived at Kadesh in Galilee with a large army, intending to remove him from office. ⁶⁴ He went forth to confront them, leaving his brother Simon in the province. ⁶⁵ Simon encamped opposite Beth-zur, attacked it for many days, and blockaded the inhabitants within it. ⁶⁶ Finally, they sued for peace, which he granted to them, although he expelled them from the town, took possession of it, and stationed a garrison there.

⁶⁷ Meanwhile Jonathan and his army encamped by the Lake of Gennesaret. Early in the morning they marched to the Plain of Hazor.^{[au] 68} There in the plain was the army of the foreigners advancing to attack, having first prepared an ambush against him in the mountains. ⁶⁹ While the main force made a frontal attack, the troops in ambush emerged from their place of concealment and joined in the fighting. ⁷⁰ All of the men with Jonathan fled; not one of them was left except for Mattathias, son of Absalom, and Judas, son of Chalphi, the commanders of the army. ⁷¹ Jonathan tore his clothes, threw dust on his head, and prayed. ⁷² Then he resumed the battle and completely routed the enemy, who took to flight. ⁷³ When the fugitives from Jonathan’s army observed this, they returned to his banner and joined him in the pursuit of the enemy as far as their camp in Kadesh, where they encamped. ⁷⁴ About three thousand of the foreign troops fell on that day. Jonathan then returned to Jerusalem.

Chapter 12

Jonathan Renews Friendship with Rome and Sparta. ¹ When Jonathan saw that the times were favorable, he selected men to send to Rome for the purpose of confirming and renewing the treaty of friendship with the Romans. ² He also sent letters to the same effect to Sparta and elsewhere.

³ Upon reaching Rome, the envoys entered the senate chamber and said, “The high priest Jonathan and the Jewish people have sent us to renew their treaty of friendship and alliance with you.” ⁴ The Romans provided them with letters that requested the authorities in various locations to give the envoys safe conduct to the land of Judah.

⁵ This is a copy of the letter that Jonathan wrote to the Spartans: ^6 [av]“Jonathan the high priest, the senate of the nation, the priests, and the rest of the Jewish people send greetings to their brothers the Spartans. ⁷ Quite some time ago a letter was sent to Onias^[aw] the high priest from Arius your king, stating that you are indeed our brothers, as the attached copy shows. ⁸ Onias welcomed the envoy with honor and accepted the letter, on which was set forth a clear declaration of alliance and friendship. ⁹ Although we have no need of such things, inasmuch as we have as a source of encouragement the sacred books^[ax] in our possession, ¹⁰ we have decided to request the renewal of our pact of family ties and friendship with you so that we may not become estranged from you, for a great many years have elapsed since you last contacted us.

¹¹ “We, for our part, remember you constantly in the sacrifices we offer and in our prayers at our festivals and on other appointed days, for it is right and proper to remember brothers.^{[ay] 12} We rejoice in your renown. ¹³ We ourselves, however, have endured many trials and wars, and the kings in our vicinity have been attacking us. ¹⁴ We did not want to bother you and our other allies and friends during these wars, ¹⁵ inasmuch as we have the support of Heaven to help us. Therefore, we were delivered from our enemies, and they have been humbled. ¹⁶ And so we have chosen Numenius, the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, and we have sent them to the Romans to renew our former pact of friendship and alliance. ¹⁷ We have also instructed them to visit you and greet you and deliver this letter about the renewal of our pact of family ties. ¹⁸ Please send us a reply to this letter.”

¹⁹ This is a copy of the letter that was sent to Onias: ²⁰ “Arius, the king of the Spartans, sends greetings to Onias the high priest. ²¹ A document has been uncovered that states that the Spartans and the Jews are brothers, both being descended from Abraham. ²² And now that we have learned of this, we ask that you write to us with news of your welfare. ²³ We, on our part, affirm that your livestock and your possessions belong to us and that ours belong to you, and we are instructing our envoys to give you a promise to this effect.”

²⁴ Jonathan Thwarts the Syrian Offensive. When Jonathan heard that the generals of Demetrius had returned to wage war against him with an even larger army than previously, ²⁵ he set forth from Jerusalem and met them in the region of Hamath,^[az] thereby giving them no opportunity to invade his own territory. ²⁶ He sent spies into their camp who returned and informed him that the enemy was preparing to attack the Jews that night. ²⁷ Therefore, at sunset Jonathan commanded his troops to remain awake and fully armed throughout the night, prepared for battle, and he stationed outposts all around the camp. ²⁸ When the enemy learned that Jonathan and his men were ready for battle, they were terrified, and their courage failed them. After lighting fires in the camp, they then withdrew. ²⁹ However, Jonathan and his men were not aware of their withdrawal until morning, for they saw the fires burning. ³⁰ Although Jonathan pursued them, he was unable to overtake them, for they had crossed the River Eleutherus. ³¹ And so, Jonathan turned aside to attack the Arabs who are called Zabadeans,^[ba] and he thoroughly routed them and engaged in plunder. ³² Then he moved on to Damascus, marching through that entire region.

³³ Simon also set out and advanced as far as Ashkelon and its neighboring strongholds. He then turned toward Joppa and occupied it, ³⁴ for he had heard that its inhabitants intended to hand over this stronghold to the supporters of Demetrius, and he stationed a garrison there to guard it.

³⁵ Jonathan Erects Fortifications in Jerusalem and Judea. When Jonathan returned, he convened the elders of the people and secured their agreement to build strongholds in Judea, ³⁶ to increase the height of the walls in Jerusalem, and to erect a high barrier between the citadel and the city so that the citadel would be isolated and its occupants would be unable to engage in commerce with the city. ³⁷ The people worked together to rebuild the city. Part of the wall above the valley to the east had collapsed, and the quarter called Chaphenatha was also repaired. ³⁸ Simon meanwhile rebuilt Adida in the Shephelah, and he strengthened its fortifications with gates and bars.

³⁹ Jonathan Falls into the Hands of His Enemies. Meanwhile, Trypho set his sights on becoming king of Asia, assuming the crown, and launching an attack on King Antiochus. ⁴⁰ However, he was afraid that Jonathan would not allow him to do this and might even resort to war to prevent him from doing so. Therefore, he set out and marched to Beth-shan, in the hope of seizing him and putting him to death. ⁴¹ Jonathan marched out to confront him with forty thousand picked warriors and arrived at Beth-shan.

⁴² When Trypho saw that Jonathan was confronting him with a large army, he was hesitant about launching an attack against him. ⁴³ Instead he received him with honor, commended him to all his Friends, and gave him gifts. He also ordered his Friends and all his soldiers to obey him as they would himself. ⁴⁴ Then he said to Jonathan, “Why have you put all your soldiers to so much trouble when we are not at war? ⁴⁵ Send them back home after first choosing a few of them to remain with you, and journey with me to Ptolemais. I will hand it over to you together with the other strongholds and the remaining troops and all the officials, and then I will depart for home. That was my purpose in coming here.”

⁴⁶ Jonathan believed that he was being truthful and did as he had suggested. He dismissed his forces, and they returned to the land of Judah. ⁴⁷ However, he kept three thousand men with him, two thousand of whom he left in Galilee while one thousand accompanied him. ⁴⁸ But as soon as Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the people of the city closed the gates and seized him, and they slew with the sword all those who had accompanied him.

⁴⁹ Trypho sent soldiers and cavalry into Galilee and the Great Plain^[bb] to destroy all of Jonathan’s men. ⁵⁰ When these learned that Jonathan had been captured and his forces had been slaughtered, they encouraged one another and marched in close formation, ready for battle. ⁵¹ Their pursuers, realizing that they were prepared to fight for their lives, turned back. ⁵² Thus they all returned home safely to the land of Judah. They grieved over Jonathan and his companions and were in great fear, and all Israel was plunged into mourning.

⁵³ All the surrounding nations were determined to destroy them. “They have no leader or ally,” they said. “Now let us attack them and wipe out every memory of them from all peoples.”

Simon Achieves Independence (143–134 B.C.)

Chapter 13

Simon Becomes Leader of Israel. ¹ When Simon heard that Trypho had assembled a large army to invade and destroy the land of Judah, ² and he saw that the people were trembling with fear, he went up to Jerusalem. Assembling the people, ³ he exhorted them in these words: “You yourselves are fully aware of what I and my brothers and the house of my father have done for the laws and the sanctuary. You also know about the battles we have fought and the hardships we have endured. ⁴ As a result, all of my brothers have perished for the sake of Israel, and I alone am left. ⁵ Far be it from me, then, to give priority to my own life in any time of oppression, for I am not of any greater worth than my brothers. ⁶ Rather, I will avenge my nation and the sanctuary and your wives and children, for all the nations have united to destroy us because of their hatred for us.”

⁷ These words rekindled the spirit of the people, ⁸ and they replied by shouting, “You are our leader in place of Judas and your brother Jonathan. ⁹ Fight our battles, and we will do whatever you tell us.” ¹⁰ Therefore, Simon assembled all the fighting men and hurried to complete the walls of Jerusalem, fortifying it on every side. ¹¹ He sent Jonathan, the son of Absalom, with a large force to Joppa; Jonathan drove out the people who were there and occupied the town.

¹² Simon Prevents Trypho from Invading Judah. Then Trypho departed from Ptolemais with a large army to invade the land of Judah, bringing Jonathan with him under guard, ¹³ while Simon encamped in Adida, opposite the plain. ¹⁴ When Trypho learned that Simon had assumed the role of his brother Jonathan and that he was prepared to engage in battle with him, he sent envoys to say to him, ¹⁵ “We are detaining your brother Jonathan because of the money that he owed to the royal treasury in connection with the offices he held. ¹⁶ Send us a hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons as hostages to ensure that when he is set free he will not revolt against us, and we will release him.”

¹⁷ Although Simon was positive that they were speaking deceitfully to him, he had the money and the boys brought to him, fearing to provoke great hostility among the people, who might say ¹⁸ that Jonathan perished because Simon would not send Trypho the money and the boys. ¹⁹ Therefore, he sent both the boys and the one hundred talents, but Trypho broke his word and refused to release Jonathan. ²⁰ Next, Trypho set out to invade and ravage the country. He made a detour along the road that leads to Adora,^[bc] but Simon and his army kept marching opposite him every place he went.

²¹ The men in the citadel sent messages to Trypho, urging him to come to their aid by way of the desert and to send them supplies. ²² Trypho prepared his entire cavalry force to go, but that night it snowed so heavily that he was unable to proceed. Therefore, he withdrew into Gilead. ²³ When he drew near to Baskama,^[bd] he had Jonathan put to death and buried him there. ²⁴ Then Trypho returned to his own country.

²⁵ Jonathan’s Funeral. Simon sent for the body of his brother Jonathan and buried him in Modein, the city of his ancestors. ²⁶ There was great lamentation for him throughout Israel, and the mourning lasted for many days. ²⁷ Over the tomb of his father and brothers Simon erected a tall monument that was visible from a great distance, composed of polished stone back and front. ²⁸ He also erected seven pyramids, facing each other, for his father and mother and four brothers. ²⁹ For the pyramids he devised an elaborate setting of tall columns, surmounted by trophies of armor as a perpetual memorial, and next to the armor he placed carved ships that could be seen by all who sailed the sea. ³⁰ This tomb, which he built at Modein, remains to this day.

³¹ A New Political Autonomy.^[be] Trypho next dealt treacherously with the young King Antiochus. He killed him ³² and usurped his position as king, claiming the crown of Asia and inflicting great havoc on the country. ³³ Meanwhile, Simon rebuilt the strongholds of Judea, strengthening them with high towers, great walls, and bolted gates, and he stocked the strongholds with provisions. ³⁴ He also sent selected emissaries to King Demetrius with a request that he grant tax relief to the country, since Trypho had done little else except plunder the land. ³⁵ King Demetrius responded favorably to his request with the following letter:

³⁶ “King Demetrius sends greetings to Simon the high priest and the Friend of Kings, and to the elders and the Jewish people. ³⁷ We have received the gold crown and the palm branch that you sent, and we are willing to enter into a treaty of peace with you and to write to our officials with instructions to grant you an exemption from the payment of tribute. ³⁸ All of our previous guarantees to you remain in force, and the strongholds that you have built shall remain in your possession. ³⁹ We pardon any errors or offenses committed up to now, and we remit the crown tax that you owe. Moreover, any other tax that formerly was collected in Jerusalem is hereby canceled. ⁴⁰ If any of you are qualified to be enrolled in our service, let them be enrolled. Let there be peace between us.”

⁴¹ Thus in the year one hundred and seventy, the yoke of the Gentiles was removed from Israel, ⁴² and the people began to write in their documents and contracts: “In the first year of Simon, the great high priest, commander and leader of the Jews.”^[bf]

⁴³ Simon Captures Gazara. About that time, Simon besieged Gazara^[bg] and surrounded it with troops. He constructed a siege-machine, and after he had brought it up to the town, he opened a breach in one of the towers and captured it. ⁴⁴ The men leapt from the siege-machine into the city, and a great tumult arose there. ⁴⁵ The men of the city, with their wives and children, mounted the walls with their garments torn, and they cried out loudly, imploring Simon to make peace with them. ⁴⁶ “Do not treat us as our wickedness deserves,” they said, “but according to your mercy.”

⁴⁷ Simon reached an agreement with them and did not destroy them. However, he expelled them from the city, and he purified the houses that contained idols. Then he entered the city with hymns and songs of praise. ⁴⁸ After removing everything from it that was unclean, he settled there people who observed the law. He also strengthened its fortifications and built a residence for himself.

⁴⁹ The Citadel Surrenders.^[bh] The occupants of the citadel in Jerusalem were prevented from coming out and going into the countryside to buy and sell. Thus they were in a state of famine, and many of them died of starvation. ⁵⁰ Then they implored Simon to make peace with them, and he granted their request. Expelling them from the citadel, he cleansed it of its defilement. ⁵¹ On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the year one hundred and seventy-one, the Jews entered the citadel with shouting and the waving of palm branches, to the accompaniment of lyres and cymbals and harps and the singing of hymns and canticles, because a great enemy of Israel had been destroyed. ⁵² Simon decreed that this day should be observed each year with rejoicing. He also strengthened the fortifications of the temple hill alongside the citadel, and he took up residence there with his men. ⁵³ And since his son John had now reached manhood, he appointed him as commander of all the forces, with his residence in Gazara.^[bi]

Chapter 14

Capture of Demetrius. ¹ In the year one hundred and seventy-two, King Demetrius assembled his forces and marched into Media to obtain support for his war against Trypho.^{[bj] 2} When Arsaces,^[bk] the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his generals to take him alive. ³ The general marched forth and defeated the army of Demetrius. He captured him and brought him to Arsaces, who imprisoned him.

Glory of Simon^[bl]

¹⁶ Renewal of the Alliance with Rome and Sparta. When the people heard in Rome and as far away as Sparta that Jonathan had died, they were deeply grieved.^{[bm] 17} But when they heard that his brother Simon had succeeded him as high priest and that he was governing the country and the towns in it, ¹⁸ they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew the treaty of friendship and alliance that they had established with his brothers, Judas and Jonathan. ¹⁹ The terms of the treaty were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.

²⁰ This is a copy of the letter sent by the Spartans: “The rulers and the citizens of Sparta send greetings to Simon the high priest and to the elders, the priests, and the rest of the Jewish people, our brothers. ²¹ The envoys you sent to our people have informed us of your glory and fame, and we were overjoyed to receive them. ²² We have made a record of their report in the archives of our public assembly, as follows: ‘Numenius, the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, have come to us to reaffirm their friendship with us. ²³ The people have been pleased to receive these men with honor and to deposit a copy of their words in the public archives so that the people of Sparta may have a record of them. A copy of this document has been made for Simon the high priest.’ ”

²⁴ After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a large gold shield weighing one thousand minas, to confirm the alliance with the Romans.

²⁵ Homage Rendered to Simon. When the people heard an account of these events, they said, “How can we possibly thank Simon and his sons? ²⁶ He and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm and repulsed the enemies of Israel, ensuring the nation’s freedom.” Therefore, they engraved an inscription on bronze tablets and affixed them to pillars on Mount Zion. ^27 [bn]The following is a copy of the inscription:

“On the eighteenth day of Elul,^[bo] in the year one hundred and seventy-two, the third year of the high priesthood of Simon, ²⁸ in Asaramel, in a great assembly of the priests and the people and the rulers of the nation and the elders of the country, the following resolution was approved:

²⁹ “ ‘Because wars were a frequent occurrence in our country, Simon, the son of Mattathias, a priest of the line of Joarib, and his brothers have placed their lives in jeopardy by confronting the enemies of their nation, so that their sanctuary and the law might be preserved, and in this way they have brought great glory to their nation. ³⁰ After Jonathan had rallied his nation and become their high priest, he was gathered to his ancestors. ³¹ When enemies resolved to invade and to devastate their country and to lay hands on their sanctuary, ³² Simon next came forward to fight for his nation, spending a large portion of his personal wealth to equip the soldiers of his nation and pay their wages. ³³ He fortified the towns of Judea, including Beth-zur on the Judean frontier, a location that had formerly been used by the enemy to store their arms, and he stationed there a garrison of Jewish soldiers. ³⁴ He also fortified Joppa by the sea and Gazara on the border of Azotus, formerly occupied by the enemy. He resettled Jews there and provided them with everything that was necessary for their restoration.

³⁵ “ ‘When the people recognized Simon’s loyalty and the glory that he was determined to win for his nation, they made him their leader and high priest because of everything he had accomplished and for the loyalty and justice he had maintained toward his nation, as in every possible way he sought to exalt his people.

³⁶ “ ‘In his time and under his leadership the Gentiles were driven out of their country, including those in the City of David in Jerusalem who had built for themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth and defile the environs of the sanctuary and do grave damage to the state of its purity. ³⁷ He installed Jewish soldiers in this citadel and fortified it for the greater security of the land and the city, and he also heightened the walls of Jerusalem. ³⁸ As a result of all this, King Demetrius confirmed him in the office of high priest, ³⁹ made him one of his Friends, and conferred the highest honors on him. ⁴⁰ For he had heard that the Romans were addressing the Jews as friends and allies and brothers, and that they had received Simon’s envoys with great honor.

⁴¹ “ ‘The Jewish people and their priests have therefore resolved that Simon is to be their permanent leader and high priest until a true prophet shall appear. ⁴² He is to act as their governor and to have complete charge of the sanctuary and its functions, and in addition the supervision of the country, its weapons, and its strongholds, ⁴³ and is to be obeyed by all the people. All contracts made in the country are to be written in his name. He shall be entitled to be clothed in royal purple and to wear gold ornamentation.

⁴⁴ “ ‘None of the people or the priests are to have the lawful authorization to nullify any of these decisions, or to oppose any of his commands, or to convene an assembly in the country without his permission, or to be clothed in royal purple or wear a gold brooch. ⁴⁵ Whoever acts in opposition to these decisions or rejects any of them is to be liable to punishment.

⁴⁶ “ ‘All of the people have agreed to grant Simon the authority to act in accordance with these decisions. ⁴⁷ Simon has accepted and has agreed to serve as high priest, to be commander and ethnarch of the Jews and the priests, and to be the protector of them all.’ ”

⁴⁸ It was decreed that this inscription should be engraved on bronze tablets and placed in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the temple, ⁴⁹ and that copies of it were to be deposited in the treasury, where they would be in the keeping of Simon and his sons.

Chapter 15

Antiochus VII Recognizes Simon’s Titles. ¹ Antiochus,^[bp] the son of King Demetrius, sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to the entire nation. ² It read as follows:

“King Antiochus sends greetings to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to the Jewish nation. ³ Whereas certain scoundrels have seized control of the kingdom of my ancestors, I intend to assert my claim to it so that I may restore it to its former state. I have recruited a large force of mercenaries and have equipped warships. ⁴ My intention is to land in my country and take revenge on those who have ravaged my kingdom and laid waste many of its cities.

⁵ “Therefore, I now confirm all the tax exemptions that the kings who preceded me granted to you and any other privileges that they conferred upon you. ⁶ I authorize you to mint your own coinage as money for your country. ⁷ Jerusalem and its temple are to be free. All the weapons you have prepared and all the strongholds you have built and now occupy shall remain in your hands. ⁸ All debts you now owe to the royal treasury and any such future debts shall be canceled from this time forward forever. ⁹ When we again gain control of our kingdom, we shall bestow the highest possible honors on you and your nation and the temple, so that your glory will be manifest to the entire world.”

¹⁰ Antiochus VII Besieges Trypho at Dor.^[bq]In the year one hundred and seventy-four, Antiochus invaded the land of his ancestors, and all the troops rallied to him, leaving Trypho with only a few supporters. ¹¹ With Antiochus in full pursuit, Trypho fled to Dor, which borders the sea, ¹² for he now comprehended how desperate his situation was inasmuch as his troops had deserted him. ¹³ Antiochus encamped opposite Dor with one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and eight thousand cavalry. ¹⁴ He surrounded the town while his ships intensified the blockade from the sea. He thus put pressure on the town from land and sea, and he permitted no one to leave or to enter it.

¹⁵ Rome Issues an Edict in Favor of the Jews. In the meantime, Numenius and his companions arrived from Rome with letters such as this addressed to the various kings and nations:

^16 [br]“Lucius, the consul of the Romans, sends greetings to King Ptolemy. ¹⁷ Envoys from the Jews, our friends and allies, have come to us to renew our original treaty of friendship and alliance. They were sent by Simon the high priest and the Jewish people, ¹⁸ and they brought with them a gold shield weighing one thousand minas. ¹⁹ Therefore, we have decided to write to various kings and countries with the edict that they are not to seek to harm them or to wage war against them or their cities or their country, and that they are not to enter into an alliance with those who war against them. ²⁰ We have decided to accept the shield from them. ²¹ Therefore, if any rebels have fled to you from their country, you are to hand them over to Simon the high priest so that he may punish them according to their law.”

²² The consul sent the same message to King Demetrius, to Attalus,^[bs] Ariarthes, and Arsaces, ²³ and to the following countries: Sampsames, Sparta, Delos, Myndos, Sicyon, Caria, Samos, Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, Phaselis, Cos, Side, Aradus, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus, and Cyrene. ²⁴ A copy of the letter was also sent to Simon the high priest.

²⁵ Antiochus Gives Simon an Ultimatum. King Antiochus besieged Dor for a second time, continuously assaulting it with his troops and the siege-machines he had constructed. He blockaded Trypho, preventing any movement either into or out of the town. ²⁶ Simon sent to Antiochus two thousand picked men to support him together with silver and gold and a great amount of military equipment. ²⁷ However, Antiochus refused to accept his aid. Instead, he broke all the agreements he had previously drawn up with Simon and became estranged from him.