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1. Now there was a certain commander of Alexander's forces, an
Apanemian by birth, whose name was Diodotus, and was also called
Trypho, took notice the ill-will of the soldiers bare to
Demetrius, and went to Malchus the Arabian, who brought up
Antiochus, the son of Alexander, and told him what ill-will the
army bare Demetrius, and persuaded him to give him Antiochus,
because he would make him king, and recover to him the kingdom of
his father. Malchus at the first opposed him in this attempt,
because he could not believe him; but when Trypho lay hard at him
for a long time, he over-persuaded him to comply with Trypho's
intentions and entreaties. And this was the state Trypho was now
in.
2. But Jonathan the high priest, being desirous to get clear of
those that were in the citadel of Jerusalem, and of the Jewish
deserters, and wicked men, as well as of those in all the
garrisons in the country, sent presents and ambassadors to
Demetrius, and entreated him to take away his soldiers out of the
strong holds of Judea. Demetrius made answer, that after the war,
which he was now deeply engaged in, was over, he would not only
grant him that, but greater things than that also; and he desired
he would send him some assistance, and informed him that his army
had deserted him. So Jonathan chose out three thousand of his
soldiers, and sent them to Demetrius.
3. Now the people of Antioch hated Demetrius, both on account of
what mischief he had himself done them, and because they were his
enemies also on account of his father Demetrius, who had greatly
abused them; so they watched some opportunity which they might
lay hold on to fall upon him. And when they were informed of the
assistance that was coming to Demetrius from Jonathan, and
considered at the same time that he would raise a numerous army,
unless they prevented him, and seized upon him, they took their
weapons immediately, and encompassed his palace in the way of a
siege, and seizing upon all the ways of getting out, they sought
to subdue their king. And when he saw that the people of Antioch
were become his bitter enemies and that they were thus in arms,
he took the mercenary soldiers which he had with them, and those
Jews who were sent by Jonathan, and assaulted the Antiochians;
but he was overpowered by them, for they were many ten thousands,
and was beaten. But when the Jews saw that the Antiochians were
superior, they went up to the top of the palace, and shot at them
from thence; and because they were so remote from them by their
height, that they suffered nothing on their side, but did great
execution on the others, as fighting from such an elevation, they
drove them out of the adjoining houses, and immediately set them
on fire, whereupon the flame spread itself over the whole city,
and burnt it all down. This happened by reason of the closeness
of the houses, and because they were generally built of wood. So
the Antioehians, when they were not able to help themselves, nor
to stop the fire, were put to flight. And as the Jews leaped from
the top of one house to the top of another, and pursued them
after that manner, it thence happened that the pursuit was so
very surprising. But when the king saw that the Antiochians were
were busy in saving their children and their wives, and so did
not fight any longer, he fell upon them in the narrow passages,
and fought them, and slew a great many of them, till at last they
were forced to throw down their arms, and to deliver themselves
up to Demetrius. So he forgave them this their insolent behavior,
and put an end to the sedition; and when he had given rewards to
the Jews out of the rich spoils he had gotten, and had returned
them thanks, as the cause of his victory, he sent them away to
Jerusalem to Jonathan, with an ample testimony of the assistance
they had afforded him. Yet did he prove an ill man to Jonathan
afterward, and broke the promises he had made; and he threatened
that he would make war upon him, unless he would pay all that
tribute which the Jewish nation owed to the first kings [of
Syria]. And this he had done, if Trypho had not hindered him, and
diverted his preparations against Jonathan to a concern for his
own preservation; for he now returned out of Arabia into Syria,
with the child Antiochus, for he was yet in age but a youth, and
put the diadem on his head; and as the whole forces that had left
Demetrius, because they had no pay, came to his assistance, he
made war upon Demetrius, and joining battle with him, overcame
him in the fight, and took from him both his elephants and the
city Antioch.
4. Demetrius, upon this defeat, retired into Cilicia; but the
child Antiochus sent ambassadors and an epistle to Jonathan, and
made him his friend and confederate, and confirmed to him the
high priesthood, and yielded up to him the four prefectures which
had been added to Judea. Moreover, he sent him vessels and cups
of gold, and a purple garment, and gave him leave to use them. He
also presented him with a golden button, and styled him one of
his principal friends, and appointed his brother Simon to be the
general over the forces, from the Ladder of Tyre unto Egypt. So
Jonathan was so pleased with these grants made him by Antiochus,
that he sent ambassadors to him and to Trypho, and professed
himself to be their friend and confederate, and said he would
join with him in a war against Demetrius, informing him that he
had made no proper returns for the kindness he had done him; for
that when he had received many marks of kindness from him, when
he stood in great need of them, he, for such good turns, had
requited him with further injuries.
5. So Antiochus gave Jonathan leave to raise himself a numerous
army out of Syria and Phoenicia and to make war against
Demetrius's generals; whereupon he went in haste to the several
cities which received him splendidly indeed, but put no forces
into his hands. And when he was come from thence to Askelon, the
inhabitants of Askelon came and brought him presents, and met him
in a splendid manner. He exhorted them, and every one of the
cities of Celesyria, to forsake Demetrius, and to join with
Antiochus; and, in assisting him, to endeavor to punish Demetrius
for what offenses he had been guilty of against themselves; and
told them there were many reasons for that their procedure, if
they had a mind so to do. And when he had persuaded those cities
to promise their assistance to Antiochus, he came to Gaza, in
order to induce them also to be friends to Antiochus; but he
found the inhabitants of Gaza much more alienated from him than
he expected, for they had shut their gates against him; and
although they had deserted Demetrius, they had not resolved to
join themselves to Antiochus. This provoked Jonathan to besiege
them, and to harass their country; for as he set a part of his
army round about Gaza itself, so with the rest he overran their
land, and spoiled it, and burnt what was in it. When the of Gaza
saw themselves in this state of affliction, and that no
assistance came to them from Demetrius, that what distressed them
was at hand, but what should profit them was still at a great
distance, and it was uncertain whether it would come at all or
not, they thought it would he prudent conduct to leave off any
longer continuance with them, and to cultivate friendship with
the other; so they sent to Jonathan, and professed they would be
his friends, and afford him assistance: for such is the temper of
men, that before they have had the trial of great afflictions,
they do not understand what is for their advantage; but when they
find themselves under such afflictions, they then change their
minds, and what it had been better for them to have done before
they had been at all damaged, they choose to do, but not till
after they have suffered such damages. However, he made a league
of friendship with them, and took from them hostages for their
performance of it, and sent these hostages to Jerusalem, while he
went himself over all the country, as far as Damascus.
6. But when he heard that the generals of Demetrius's forces were
come to the city Cadesh with a numerous army, (the place lies
between the land of the Tyrians and Galilee,)for they supposed
they should hereby draw him out of Syria, in order to preserve
Galilee, and that he would not overlook the Galileans, who were
his own people, when war was made upon them, he went to meet
them, having left Simon in Judea, who raised as great an army as
he was able out of the country, and then sat down before
Bethsura, and besieged it, that being the strongest place in all
Judea; and a garrison of Demetrius's kept it, as we have already
related. But as Simon was raising banks, and bringing his engines
of war against Bethsura, and was very earnest about the siege of
it, the garrison was afraid lest the place should be taken of
Simon by force, and they put to the sword; so they sent to Simon,
and desired the security of his oath, that they should come to no
harm from him, and that they would leave the place, and go away
to Demetrius. Accordingly he gave them his oath, and ejected them
out of the city, and he put therein a garrison of his own.
7. But Jonathan removed out of Galilee, and from the waters which
are called Gennesar, for there he was before encamped, and came
into the plain that is called Asor, without knowing that the
enemy was there. When therefore Demetrius's men knew a day
beforehand that Jonathan was coming against them, they laid an
ambush in the mountain, who were to assault him on the sudden,
while they themselves met him with an army in the plain; which
army, when Jonathan saw ready to engage him, he also got ready
his own soldiers for the battle as well as he was able; but those
that were laid in ambush by Demetrius's generals being behind
them, the Jews were afraid lest they should be caught in the
midst between two bodies, and perish; so they ran away in haste,
and indeed all the rest left Jonathan; but a few there were, in
number about fifty, who staid with him, and with them Mattathias,
the son of Absalom, and Judas, the son of Chapseus, who were
commanders of the whole army. These marched boldly, and like men
desperate, against the enemy, and so pushed them, that by their
courage they daunted them, and with their weapons in their hands
they put them to flight. And when those soldiers of Jonathan that
had retired saw the enemy giving way, they got together after
their flight, and pursued them with great violence; and this did
they as far as Cadesh, where the camp of the enemy lay.
8. Jonathan having thus gotten a glorious victory, and slain two
thousand of the enemy, returned to Jerusalem. So when he saw that
all his affairs prospered according to his mind, by the
providence of God, he sent ambassadors to the Romans, being
desirous of renewing that friendship which their nation had with
them formerly. He enjoined the same ambassadors, that, as they
came back, they should go to the Spartans, and put them in mind
of their friendship and kindred. So when the ambassadors came to
Rome, they went into their senate, and said what they were
commanded by Jonathan the high priest to say, how he had sent
them to confirm their friendship. The senate then confirmed what
had been formerly decreed concerning their friendship with the
Jews, and gave them letters to carry to all the kings of Asia and
Europe, and to the governors of the cities, that they might
safely conduct them to their own country. Accordingly, as they
returned, they came to Sparta, and delivered the epistle which
they had received of Jonathan to them; a copy of which here
follows: "Jonathan the high priest of the Jewish nation, and the
senate, and body of the people of the Jews, to the ephori, and
senate, and people of the Lacedemonians, send greeting. If you be
well, and both your public and private affairs be agreeable to
your mind, it is according to our wishes. We are well also. When
in former times an epistle was brought to Onias, who was then our
high priest, from Areus, who at that time was your king, by
Demoteles, concerning the kindred that was between us and you, a
copy of which is here subjoined, we both joyfully received the
epistle, and were well pleased with Demoteles and Areus, although
we did not need such a demonstration, because we were satisfied
about it from the sacred writings yet did not we think fit
first to begin the claim of this relation to you, lest we should
seem too early in taking to ourselves the glory which is now
given us by you. It is a long time since this relation of ours to
you hath been renewed; and when we, upon holy and festival days,
offer sacrifices to God, we pray to him for your preservation and
victory. As to ourselves, although we have had many wars that
have compassed us around, by reason of the covetousness of our
neighbors, yet did not we determine to be troublesome either to
you, or to others that were related to us; but since we have now
overcome our enemies, and have occasion to send Numenius the son
of Antiochus, and Antipater the son of Jason, who are both
honorable men belonging to our senate, to the Romans, we gave
them this epistle to you also, that they might renew that
friendship which is between us. You will therefore do well
yourselves to write to us, and send us an account of what you
stand in need of from us, since we are in all things disposed to
act according to your desires." So the Lacedemonians received the
ambassadors kindly, and made a decree for friendship and mutual
assistance, and sent it to them.
9. At this time there were three sects among the Jews, who had
different opinions concerning human actions; the one was called
the sect of the Pharisees, another the sect of the Sadducees, and
the other the sect of the Essens. Now for the Pharisees,
they say that some actions, but not all, are the work of fate,
and some of them are in our own power, and that they are liable
to fate, but are not caused by fate. But the sect of the Essens
affirm, that fate governs all things, and that nothing befalls
men but what is according to its determination. And for the
Sadducees, they take away fate, and say there is no such thing,
and that the events of human affairs are not at its disposal; but
they suppose that all our actions are in our own power, so that
we are ourselves the causes of what is good, and receive what is
evil from our own folly. However, I have given a more exact
account of these opinions in the second book of the Jewish War.
10. But now the generals of Demetrius being willing to recover
the defeat they had had, gathered a greater army together than
they had before, and came against Jonathan; but as soon as he was
informed of their coming, he went suddenly to meet them, to the
country of Hamoth, for he resolved to give them no opportunity of
coming into Judea; so he pitched his camp at fifty furlongs'
distance from the enemy, and sent out spies to take a view of
their camp, and after what manner they were encamped. When his
spies had given him full information, and had seized upon some of
them by night, who told him the enemy would soon attack him, he,
thus apprized beforehand, provided for his security, and placed
watchmen beyond his camp, and kept all his forces armed all
night; and he gave them a charge to be of good courage, and to
have their minds prepared to fight in the night time, if they
should be obliged so to do, lest their enemy's designs should
seem concealed from them. But when Demetrius's commanders were
informed that Jonathan knew what they intended, their counsels
were disordered, and it alarmed them to find that the enemy had
discovered those their intentions; nor did they expect to
overcome them any other way, now they had failed in the snares
they had laid for them; for should they hazard an open battle,
they did not think they should be a match for Jonathan's army, so
they resolved to fly; and having lighted many fires, that when
the enemy saw them they might suppose they were there still, they
retired. When Jonathan came to give them battle in the morning in
their camp, and found it deserted, and understood they were fled,
he pursued them; yet he could not overtake them, for they had
already passed over the river Eleutherus, and were out of danger.
So when Jonathan was returned thence, he went into Arabia, and
fought against the Nabateans, and drove away a great deal of
their prey, and took [many] captives, and came to Damascus, and
there sold off what he had taken. About the same time it was that
Simon his brother went over all Judea and Palestine, as far as
Askelon, and fortified the strong holds; and when he had made
them very strong, both in the edifices erected, and in the
garrisons placed in them, he came to Joppa; and when he had taken
it, he brought a great garrison into it, for he heard that the
people of Joppa were disposed to deliver up the city to
Demetrius's generals.
11. When Simon and Jonathan had finished these affairs, they
returned to Jerusalem, where Jonathan gathered all the people
together, and took counsel to restore the walls of Jerusalem, and
to rebuild the wall that encompassed the temple, which had been
thrown down, and to make the places adjoining stronger by very
high towers; and besides that, to build another wall in the midst
of the city, in order to exclude the market-place from the
garrison, which was in the citadel, and by that means to hinder
them from any plenty of provisions; and moreover, to make the
fortresses that were in the country much stronger and more
defensible than they were before. And when these things were
approved of by the multitude, as rightly proposed, Jonathan
himself took care of the building that belonged to the city, and
sent Simon away to make the fortresses in the country more secure
than formerly. But Demetrius passed over [Euphrates], and came
into Mesopotamia, as desirous to retain that country still, as
well as Babylon; and when he should have obtained the dominion of
the upper provinces, to lay a foundation for recovering his
entire kingdom; for those Greeks and Macedonians who dwelt there
frequently sent ambassadors to him, and promised, that if he
would come to them, they would deliver themselves up to him, and
assist him in fighting against Arsaces, the king of the
Parthians. So he was elevated with these hopes, and came hastily
to them, as having resolved, that if he had once overthrown the
Parthians, and gotten an army of his own, he would make war
against Trypho, and eject him out of Syria; and the people of
that country received him with great alacrity. So he raised
forces, with which he fought against Arsaces, and lost all his
army, and was himself taken alive, as we have elsewhere related.
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