May 6 - 1 Maccabees 7-13

¹In the one hundred and fifty-first year, Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, departed from the city of Rome, and he went up with a few men to a maritime city, and he reigned there²And it happened that, as he entered into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, the army captured Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him³And the matter became known to him, and he said, "Do not show me their face.⁴And so the army killed them. And Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom⁵And there came to him iniquitous and impious men from Israel. And Alcimus was their leader, who wanted to be made a priest⁶And they accused the people to the king, saying: "Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your friends, and he has scattered us from our land⁷Now, therefore, send a man, whom you trust, and let him go and see all the destruction he has done to us and to the regions of the king. And let him punish all his friends and their helpers.⁸And so the king chose, from among his friends, Bacchides, who ruled across the great river in the kingdom, and who was faithful to the king. And he sent hi⁹to see the destruction that Judas had done. Moreover, he appointed the wicked Alcimus to the priesthood, and he commanded him to take revenge on the sons of Israel¹⁰And they rose up and came forth with a great army into the land of Judah. And they sent messengers, who spoke to Judas and his brothers with words of peace, in deceitfulness¹¹But they did not heed their words, for they saw that they arrived with a great army¹²Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides, a congregation of scribes, to seek just terms¹³And first, the Hasideans, who were among the sons of Israel, also sought peace from them¹⁴For they said, "A man who is a priest from the offspring of Aaron has arrived; he will not deceive us.¹⁵And he spoke to them peaceful words, and he swore to them, saying, "We will not carry out any evil against you or your friends.¹⁶And they believed him. And he captured sixty of their men and killed them in one day, according to the word that is written¹⁷The flesh of your saints, and their blood, they have poured out all around Jerusalem, and there was no one who would bury them¹⁸Then fear and trembling hovered over all the people. For they said: "There is no truth or judgment among them. For they have transgressed the agreement and the oath that they swore.¹⁹And Bacchides moved the camp from Jerusalem, and he took up a position at Bethzaith. And he sent and captured many of those who had fled from him, and some of the people he killed in sacrifice, and he threw them into a great pit²⁰Then he committed the country to Alcimus, and he left behind troops with him to assist him. And so Bacchides went away to the king²¹And Alcimus did what he pleased by means of his leadership of the priesthood²²And all those who disturbed the people assembled before him, and they obtained the land of Judah, and they caused a great scourging in Israel²³And Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus, and those who were with him, did to the sons of Israel, even more than the Gentiles did²⁴And he went out into all the parts surrounding Judea, and he took vengeance on the men who had rebelled, and they ceased to go forth into the region any longer²⁵But Alcimus saw that Judas, and those who were with him, prevailed. And he knew that he was not able to withstand them. And so he returned to the king, and he accused them of many crimes²⁶And the king sent Nicanor, one of his principal noblemen, who was a cultivator of hostility against Israel. And he commanded him to overthrow the people²⁷And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, and he sent to Judas and his brothers words of peace, with deceitfulness²⁸saying: "Let there be no fighting between me and you. I will come with a few men, to see your faces with peace.²⁹And he came to Judas, and they greeted one another in turns, peaceably. And the enemies were prepared to abduct Judas³⁰And the plan became known to Judas, that he came to him with deceit. And so he became very afraid of him, and he was no longer willing to see his face³¹And Nicanor knew that his plan had been exposed, and he went out to meet Judas in battle near Capharsalama³²And there fell of the army of Nicanor nearly five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David³³And after these events, Nicanor ascended to mount Zion. And some of the priests of the people went out to greet him in peace, and to show him the holocausts that were offered for the king³⁴But he mocked and despised them, and he defiled them. And he spoke arrogantly³⁵and he swore with anger, saying, "Unless Judas and his army have been delivered into my hands, when I return in peace, I will burn this house." And he went out with great anger³⁶And the priests went in and stood before the face of the altar and the temple. And weeping, they said³⁷"You, O Lord, have chosen this house so that your name may be invoked in it, so that it may be a house of prayer and supplication for your people³⁸Accomplish vindication with this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and do not allow them to continue.³⁹Then Nicanor departed from Jerusalem, and he positioned his camp near Bethhoron, and an army of Syria met him there⁴⁰And Judas took a position in Adasa with three thousand men. And Judas prayed, and he said⁴¹"O Lord, when those who were sent by king Sennacherib blasphemed against you, an angel went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand of them⁴²Just so, crush this army in our sight today, and so let the others know that he has spoken evil against your sanctuary. And judge him according to his wickedness.⁴³And the armies were sent into battle together on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And the camp of Nicanor was crushed, and he himself was among the first slain in the battle⁴⁴So then, when his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw away their weapons and fled⁴⁵And they pursued them for one day’s journey from Adasa, even until one comes into Gazara, and they sounded the trumpets after them with signals⁴⁶And they went forth from all of the towns all around Judea. And they herded them with the horns, and they turned back again to them, and they were all felled with the sword, and there was not so much as one of them left behind⁴⁷And they took their spoils like a prey, and they cut off the head of Nicanor, and his right hand, which he had extended arrogantly, and they brought it, and hung it up opposite Jerusalem⁴⁸And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day in great joy⁴⁹And he established that this day should be kept every year, on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar⁵⁰And the land of Judah was quieted for a brief time

Chapter 8

¹And Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they are powerful and strong, and that they willingly agree to all things that are asked of them; and that, whoever was agreeable to them, they established a friendship with them, and so they are powerful and resourceful²And they heard of their battles, and the successful works that they had accomplished in Galatia, how they had subdued them and brought them under tribute³and what great things they had accomplished in the region of Spain, and that they had driven under their power the mines of silver and gold which are there, and that they had obtained possession of the entire place by their counsel and patience⁴and that they had overcome places that were very far from them, and kings, who came against them from the ends of the earth, and had crushed them and struck them with a great scourging, while the rest pay tribute to them every year⁵and that they had defeated in battle Philip, and Perses the king of the Ceteans, and the others who had taken up arms against them, and had crushed them in warfare and subdued them⁶and how Antiochus, the great king of Asia, who brought a fight against them, having one hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen, and swift chariots, and a very great army, was crushed by them⁷and how they had captured him alive and had decreed to him that both he and those who would reign after him would pay a great tribute, and that he should provide hostages bound to an agreement⁸and that regions from the Indians, and from the Medes, and from the Lydians, from among their best regions, with those whom they had taken from them, they gave to king Eumenes⁹And those who were in Greece wanted to go out and defeat them, but they became aware of this plan¹⁰And so they sent one general to them, and he fought against them, and many of them fell, and they led into captivity their wives, and their sons, and they despoiled them and took possession of their land, and they destroyed their walls and drove them into servitude, even to this day¹¹And the remaining kingdoms and islands, which at any time had resisted them, they destroyed and drove under their power¹²But with their friends, and with those who remained at peace with them, they maintained friendship and conquered kingdoms: those that were near, and those that were far off. For all those who heard of their name were afraid of them¹³In fact, whomever they wanted to help become ruler, these reigned, but whomever they wanted, they deposed from the kingdom. And they were greatly exalted¹⁴And of all these, none wore a diadem or was clothed in purple, to be magnified in this¹⁵And also, they had made themselves a senate house, and they consulted daily with three hundred and twenty men, continually acting as a counsel for the multitude, so that they would do the things that were right¹⁶And they commit their government to one man each year, to rule over their entire land, and they all obey this one, and there is no envy or jealousy among them¹⁷And so Judas chose Eupolemus, the son of John, the son of Jacob, and Jason, the son of Eleazar, and he sent them to Rome to make an agreement of friendship and an alliance with them¹⁸and so that they would take away from them the yoke of the Grecians, for they saw that they oppressed the kingdom of Israel with servitude¹⁹And they went to Rome, a very long journey, and they entered the senate house, and they said²⁰"Judas Maccabeus, and his brothers, and the people of the Jews, have sent us to you to establish with you an alliance and peace, and so that we may be registered among your associates and friends.²¹And the word was pleasing in their sight²²And this is a copy of the writing, which they rewrote on tablets of brass and sent to Jerusalem, so that it would be with them in that place as a memorial of the peace and alliance²³"May all be well with the Romans and with the nation of the Jews, at sea and on land, forever, and may sword and enemy be far away from them²⁴But if a war is instituted against the Romans first, or against any of their allies in all their dominions²⁵the nation of the Jews will bring help to them, just as the situation shall direct, whole-heartedly²⁶And those who do battle, they need not provide with supplies of wheat, or arms, or money, or ships, just as it seems good to the Romans, and they shall obey their orders, while taking nothing from them²⁷But in like manner also, if war will have fallen upon the nation of the Jews first, the Romans shall help them willingly, just as the situation permits them²⁸And those who give assistance will not be provided with wheat, or arms, or money, or ships, just as it seems good to the Romans. And they shall obey their orders without deceit²⁹According to these words, the Romans have made an agreement with the people of the Jews³⁰And, if after these words, one or another would want to add anything to, or take anything from these, they may do as they propose. And whatever they add or take away, it shall be ratified³¹Moreover, concerning the evils that king Demetrius did to them, we have written to him, saying, ‘Why have you made your yoke heavy upon our friends and allies, the Jews³²If, therefore, they come again to us against you, we will render judgment for them, and we will make war against you by sea and by land.’

Chapter 9

¹Meanwhile, when Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, he again positioned Bacchides and Alcimus in Judea, and the right horn of his army with them²And they traveled by the way that leads to Gilgal, and they set up camp in Mesaloth, which is in Arbela. And they occupied it, and they destroyed the lives of many men³In the first month of the one hundred and fifty-second year, they positioned the army near Jerusalem⁴And they rose up and went to Berea, with twenty thousand men and two thousand horsemen⁵Now Judas had stationed his camp in Elasa, and three thousand chosen men were with him⁶And they saw the multitude of the army, that they were many, and they became very afraid. And many withdrew themselves from the camp, and there remained of them no more than eight hundred men⁷And Judas saw that his army had slipped away and that the battle pressed upon him, and his heart was shattered, because he did not have time to gather them together, and he was very discouraged⁸And so, he said to those who were remaining, "Let us rise up and go against our enemies, perhaps we may be able to fight against them.⁹But they dissuaded him, saying: "We will not be able, but let us try to save our lives and return to our brothers, and then we will fight against them. For we are but few.¹⁰And Judas said: "Far be it from us, to do this thing, so as to flee away from them. But if our time has drawn near, let us die with virtue, on behalf of our brothers, and let us not inflict guilt upon our glory.¹¹And the army moved from the camp, and they stood to meet them. And the horsemen were divided into two parts, and the stone-slingers and archers went before the army, and the first ones were all powerful men, experienced in combat¹²Moreover, Bacchides was with the right horn, and the legion drew near on both sides, and they sounded the trumpets¹³But those also who were from the side of Judas, these also now cried out, and the earth shook at the noise of the armies. And the battle was joined from morning, even until evening¹⁴And Judas saw that the stronger part of the army of Bacchides was on the right side, and all the steadfast in heart came together with him¹⁵And the right part was crushed by them, and he pursued them even to Mount Azotus¹⁶And those who were with the left horn saw that the right horn was crushed, and so they followed after Judas, and those who were with him, at their back¹⁷And the battle was hard fought, and there fell many wounded from one side and the other¹⁸And Judas fell, and the others fled away¹⁹And Jonathan and Simon carried Judas, their brother, and they buried him in the sepulcher of their fathers, in the city of Modin²⁰And all the people of Israel wept for him with a great wailing, and they mourned him for many days²¹And they said, "Such a powerful man has fallen, who accomplished the salvation of the people of Israel!²²But the rest of the words, about the wars of Judas, and the virtuous acts that he did, and his magnitude, have not been written. For they were very many²³And it happened that, after the death of Judas, the iniquitous began to emerge in all the parts of Israel, and they began to encourage all those who worked iniquity²⁴In those days, there occurred a very great famine, and the entire region handed itself over to Bacchides²⁵And Bacchides chose impious men, and he appointed them as rulers of the region²⁶And they sought out and persecuted the friends of Judas, and they led them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them and abused them²⁷And there occurred a great tribulation in Israel, such as had never been, since the day that there was no prophet seen in Israel²⁸And all the friends of Judas gathered together, and they said to Jonathan²⁹"Since your brother Judas has fallen away, there is not a man like him to go forth against our enemies, against Bacchides and those who are the enemies of our nation³⁰And so now, we have chosen you in his place, on this day, to be our leader and commander in order to wage our wars.³¹And so, at that time, Jonathan took upon himself the leadership, and he rose up in the place of Judas, his brother³²And Bacchides knew of it, and he sought to kill him³³And Jonathan and his brother Simon knew of this, and so did all who were with them. And they fled into the desert of Tekoa, and they settled by the water of lake Asphar³⁴And Bacchides knew of it, and on the day of the Sabbath, he himself arrived, with all his army, across the Jordan³⁵And Jonathan sent his brother, a commander of the people, to ask the Nabateans, his friends, to lend them their equipment, which was abundant³⁶And the sons of Jambri went forth from Medeba, and they captured John, and all that he had, and they went away in possession of these³⁷After these events, it was reported to Jonathan and his brother Simon that the sons of Jambri were having a great marriage celebration, and that they would be leading the bride, a daughter of one of the great leaders of Canaan, out of Medeba with great fanfare³⁸And they remembered the blood of John, their brother. And they went up and hid themselves under the cover of the mountain³⁹And they lifted up their eyes and saw. And behold, a tumult and a well-prepared multitude. And the bridegroom proceeded, with his friends and his brothers, to meet them with timbrels, and musical instruments, and many weapons⁴⁰And they rose up against them out of ambush, and they killed them, and there fell many wounded, and the remainder fled into the mountains, and they took all their spoils⁴¹And the marriage celebration was turned into mourning, and the voice of their musical instruments into lamentation⁴²And they took revenge for the blood of their brother, and they returned to the bank of the Jordan⁴³And Bacchides heard about this, and he came on the day of the Sabbath all the way to the coast of the Jordan, with a great force⁴⁴And Jonathan said to his own: "Let us rise up and fight against our enemies. For it is not today, as it was yesterday, or the day before⁴⁵For behold, the war is before us, and truly, with the water of the Jordan here and there, and the banks, and the marshes, and the woods: there is no place for us to turn aside⁴⁶Therefore, cry out now to heaven so that you may be freed from the hand of your enemies." And they joined together in warfare⁴⁷And Jonathan extended his hand to strike Bacchides, but he turned away from him in retreat⁴⁸And Jonathan, and those who were with him, leaped forward into the Jordan, and they swam across the Jordan to them⁴⁹And there fell from the side of Bacchides on that day one thousand men. And they returned to Jerusalem⁵⁰And they built fortified cities in Judea: the fortification that was in Jericho, and in Emmaus, and in Bethhoron, and in Bethel, and Timnath, and Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls, and gates, and bars⁵¹And he stationed garrisons in them, so that those in Israel became trained in warfare⁵²And he fortified the city of Bethzur, and of Gazara, and the stronghold, and he stationed auxiliaries in them, with supplies of rations⁵³And he took the sons of the leaders of the region for hostages, and put them in the stronghold in Jerusalem under guard⁵⁴Now in the second month of the one hundred and fifty-third year, Alcimus instructed that the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary be destroyed, and that the works of the prophets be destroyed. And he began to destroy them⁵⁵At that time, Alcimus was struck, and his works were hindered, and his mouth was closed shut, and he was weakened with paralysis, so that he was no longer able speak a word, nor to give orders concerning his house⁵⁶And Alcimus died at that time, in great torment⁵⁷And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead. And he returned to the king. And the land was quiet for two years⁵⁸And all the iniquitous considered together, saying, "Behold, Jonathan, and those who are with him, live in quietude and confidence. Now, therefore, let us bring forth Bacchides, and he will capture them all, in one night.⁵⁹So they went and gave counsel to him⁶⁰And he rose up, so as to advance with a great army. And he secretly sent letters to his associates who were in Judea, to seize Jonathan and those who were with him. But they were not able, for their plan became known to them⁶¹And he apprehended, from the men of the region, those who were the leaders of this malice, fifty men. And he killed them⁶²And Jonathan, and Simon, and those who were with him, withdrew into Bethbasi, which is in the desert. And he repaired its breaches, and they fortified it⁶³And Bacchides knew about it, and he gathered together all his multitude. And he reported it to those who were from Judea⁶⁴And he came and made camp above Bethbasi, and he fought against it for many days, and he made machines of war⁶⁵But Jonathan left behind his brother Simon in the city, and he went out into the country, and he approached with a number of men⁶⁶and he struck Odomera and his brothers, and the sons of Phasiron, in their tents. And he began to slaughter and to increase in forces⁶⁷In truth, Simon, and those who were with him, went forth from the city and burned the machines of war⁶⁸and they fought against Bacchides, and he was crushed by them. And they afflicted him greatly, because his counsel and his meetings were in vain⁶⁹And he was angry with the men of iniquity who had given him counsel to come into their region, and he killed many of them. But he decided to depart with the remainder into their country⁷⁰And Jonathan knew of it, and he sent ambassadors to him to arrange a peace with him, and to restore the captives to him⁷¹And he accepted it willingly, and he acted according to his words, and he swore that he would do him no evil all the days of his life⁷²And he restored to him the captives which he previously had been given from the land of Judah. And he turned back and went away into his own land, and he no longer drew near, in order to enter into their borders⁷³And so the sword ceased from Israel. And Jonathan lived in Michmash, and, in that place, Jonathan began to judge the people, and he destroyed the impious out of Israel

Chapter 10

¹And in the one hundred and sixtieth year, Alexander, the son of Antiochus, who was surnamed the illustrious, came up and occupied Ptolemais, and they received him, and he reigned there²And king Demetrius heard of it, and he gathered together an exceedingly great army, and he went forth to meet him in battle³And Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan, with peaceful words, to magnify him⁴For he said, "Let us first make a peace with him, before he makes one with Alexander against us⁵For he will remember all the evils that we have done to him, and to his brother, and to his nation.⁶And he gave him the authority to gather together an army, and to fabricate weapons, so that he would be his associate. And the hostages who were in the stronghold, he ordered to be handed over to him⁷And Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and he read the letters in the hearing of all the people and of those who were in the stronghold⁸And they were struck with a great fear, because they heard that the king gave him the authority to gather together an army⁹And the hostages were handed over to Jonathan, and he restored them to their parents¹⁰And Jonathan lived in Jerusalem, and he began to rebuild and repair the city¹¹And he told those doing the work to build up the walls, and mount Zion, all around, with square stones, as a fortification. And they did so¹²Then the foreigners, who were in the fortifications that Bacchides had built, fled away¹³And each one abandoned his place and departed into his own land¹⁴Only in Bethzur did there remain some others of these, who had forsaken the law and the precepts of God. For this was a refuge for them¹⁵And king Alexander heard of the promises that Demetrius promised to Jonathan. And they described the battles to him, and the virtuous deeds that he and his brothers had done, and the hardships that they had endured¹⁶And he said: "Would we ever find another such man? And so now, let us make him our friend and our associate.¹⁷And so, he wrote a letter, and he sent it to him, according to these words, saying¹⁸"King Alexander to his brother, Jonathan: greetings¹⁹We have heard of you, that you are a man of power and strength, and that you are fit to be our friend²⁰And so now, on this day, we appoint that you be high priest of your people, and that you be called the king’s friend, (and he sent him a purple robe, and a crown of gold,) and that you be of one mind with us in our affairs, and that you keep friendship with us.²¹Then Jonathan clothed himself with the holy vestment, in the seventh month, in the one hundred and sixtieth year, on the solemn day of the Feast of Tabernacles. And he gathered together an army, and he made an abundance of weapons²²And Demetrius heard these words, and he was exceedingly sorrowful, and he said²³"What have we done in this, that Alexander has gone before us to obtain the friendship of the Jews to strengthen himself²⁴I also will write to them words of petition, and offer positions of rank and gifts, so that they may act in assistance to me.²⁵And he wrote to them in these words: "King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews: greetings²⁶Since you have kept the peace with us, and have remained in our friendship, and have not made agreements with our enemies, we have heard of this, and we are glad²⁷And so now, persevere still to remain faithful to us, and we will reward you with good things for what you have done for us²⁸And we will repay you for your many expenses, and we will give you gifts²⁹And now, I release you, and all the Jews, from tributes, and I grant to you the payments of salt, and I send back the crowns and the thirds of the seed³⁰And the one half portion of the fruit from the trees, which is my share, I relinquish to you from this day and hereafter, so that it shall not be taken from the land of Judah, nor from the three cities that have been added to it from Samaria and Galilee, from this day and for all time³¹And let Jerusalem be holy and free within its borders, and let the tenths and tributes be for itself³²And I even return authority over the stronghold, which is in Jerusalem, and I give it to the high priest, in order to appoint in it any such men as he will choose, who will guard it³³And every soul of the Jews who were taken captive from the land of Judah in all my kingdom, I set at liberty without charge, so that they are all released from tributes, even of their cattle³⁴And all the days of solemnities, and the Sabbaths, and the new moons, and the decreed days, and the three days before the solemn day, and three days after the solemn day, shall all be days of immunity and remission for all the Jews who are in my kingdom³⁵And no one will have the authority to do anything, or to incite any plots, against any of them, in all cases³⁶And let there be enrolled from the Jews, into the army of the king, up to thirty thousand men. And allowances shall be given to them, just as is due to all the king’s army. And some of them shall be appointed to be in the fortresses of the great king³⁷And some of them shall be set over the affairs of the kingdom, those who act with faith, and let the leaders be from them, and let them walk by their own laws, just as the king has commanded in the land of Judah³⁸And the three cities that have been added to Judea from the region of Samaria, let them be counted with Judea, so that they may be united as one, and so that they may obey no other authority, except the high priest³⁹Ptolemais and its confines, I give as a free gift to the holy places that are in Jerusalem, for the necessary expenses of the holy things⁴⁰And I give, every year, fifteen thousand shekels of silver from the allotment of the king, from what belongs to me⁴¹And all that has been left over, which those who were set over the affairs in prior years have not paid: from this time, they will give it to the works of the house⁴²And beyond this, they shall receive five thousand shekels of silver from the allotment of the holy places each year, and this will belong to the priests who perform the ministry⁴³And whoever will flee into the temple that is in Jerusalem, or in any of its parts, being liable before the king in any matter, let them be released, and all that is theirs in my kingdom, let them have it freely⁴⁴And as to the works of rebuilding and repairing the holy places, the expenses shall be given from the king’s revenues⁴⁵And as to the raising of the walls of Jerusalem and the fortifications all around it, the expenses shall be given from the king’s revenues, as also for the building of the walls in Judea.⁴⁶So when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they did not believe or accept them, because they remembered the great malice that he had done in Israel, for he had troubled them greatly⁴⁷And so they were pleased with Alexander, because he had been to them a leader with words of peace, and they were of assistance to him every day⁴⁸And so king Alexander gathered together a great army, and he moved his camp against Demetrius⁴⁹And the two kings joined together in battle, and the army of Demetrius fled away, and Alexander followed after him, and he closed in on them⁵⁰And the battle was hard fought, until the sun went down. And Demetrius was slain on that day⁵¹And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, according to these words, saying⁵²"Know that I have returned to my kingdom, and I am seated upon the throne of my fathers, and I have obtained the leadership, and I have crushed Demetrius, and I have taken possession of our country⁵³and I have joined battle with him, and both he and his camp have been crushed by us, and we are seated on the throne of his kingdom⁵⁴And now, let us establish a friendship with one with another. And give me your daughter as a wife, and I will be your son-in-law, and I will give gifts that are worthy of you, to both you and her.⁵⁵And king Ptolemy responded by saying: "Happy is the day on which you were returned to the land of your fathers, and you sat on the throne of their kingdom⁵⁶And now, I will do for you as you have written. But meet with me at Ptolemais, so that we may see one another, and so that I may espouse her to you, just as you have said.⁵⁷And so Ptolemy departed from Egypt, both he and his daughter Cleopatra, and he arrived at Ptolemais in the one hundred and sixty-second year⁵⁸And king Alexander met him, and he gave him Cleopatra, his daughter. And he celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais with great glory, just as befits kings⁵⁹And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come to meet him⁶⁰And he went forth with glory to Ptolemais, and he met the two kings there, and he gave them much silver, and gold, and gifts. And he found favor in their sight⁶¹And some of the pestilent men of Israel, men of iniquity, came together against him, interrupting with objections against him. And the king did not attend to them⁶²And he ordered that Jonathan’s garments be taken away from him, and that he be clothed in purple. And they did so. And the king arranged for him to sit with him⁶³And he said to his princes, "Go out with him into the midst of the city, and make a proclamation, so that no one may raise objections against him in any matter, and so that no one may bother him for any reason.⁶⁴And so it happened that, when his accusers saw his glory being proclaimed, and him clothed in purple, they all fled away⁶⁵And the king magnified him, and he enrolled him among his foremost friends, and he gave him a position as governor and as a participant in his dominion⁶⁶And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with peace and joy⁶⁷In the one hundred and sixty-fifth year, Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, came from Crete into the land of his fathers⁶⁸And king Alexander heard of it, and he was very sorrowful, and he returned to Antioch⁶⁹And king Demetrius appointed Apollonius as his general, who was in charge of Coelesyria. And he gathered together a great army, and he drew near to Jamnia. And he sent to Jonathan, the high priest⁷⁰saying: "You alone resist us, and so I have been brought to derision and disgrace, because you exercise your power against us in the mountains⁷¹Now, therefore, if you trust in your forces, descend to us in the plains, and there let us contest one another. For the power of war is with me⁷²Inquire, and learn who I am, and the others, who are auxiliaries to me, who also say that your feet cannot stand before our face, for your fathers have twice been put to flight in their own land⁷³And now, how will you be able to withstand the horsemen, and so great an army in the plains, where there is no stone, or rock, or place to flee?⁷⁴But when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in his soul. And he chose ten thousand men, and he departed from Jerusalem, and Simon, his brother, met him to help him⁷⁵And they positioned their tents near Joppa, but they excluded him from the city, because a garrison from Apollonius was in Joppa. And so, he attacked it⁷⁶And those who were in the city, being terrified, opened to him. And so Jonathan obtained Joppa⁷⁷And Apollonius heard of it, and he moved three thousand horsemen, and a great army⁷⁸And he went toward Azotus, like one making a journey, but he suddenly departed into the plains, because he had a great number of horsemen, and he trusted in them. And Jonathan followed after him to Azotus, and they joined together in battle⁷⁹And Apollonius secretly left behind them in the camp a thousand horsemen⁸⁰And Jonathan realized that there was an ambush behind him, and they surrounded his camp, and they cast darts at the people from morning until evening⁸¹But the people stood firm, just as Jonathan had instructed them, and their horses suffered hardships⁸²Then Simon drew forth his army, and he sent them against the legion. For the horsemen were wearied. And they were crushed by him, and they fled⁸³And those who were scattered throughout the plains fled to Azotus, and they entered into Bethdagon, so that, by their idol in that place, they might save themselves⁸⁴But Jonathan set fire to Azotus and to the cities that were all around it, and he captured their spoils and the temple of Dagon. And he burned with fire all those who had fled into it⁸⁵And so it was that those who fell by the sword, with those who were burned, were nearly eight thousand men⁸⁶And Jonathan, removed his encampment from there, and he took up a position against Askalon. And they went out of the city to meet him with great glory⁸⁷And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with his own, having many spoils⁸⁸And it happened that, when king Alexander heard these words, he added still more glory to Jonathan⁸⁹And he sent him a clasp of gold, as is customary to be given to those who are of royal lineage. And he gave him Ekron, and all its borders, as a possession

Chapter 11

¹And the king of Egypt gathered together an army, like the sand that is along the shore of the sea, and many ships. And he sought to obtain the kingdom of Alexander by deceit, and to add it to his own kingdom²And he departed into Syria with words of peace, and they opened the cities to him, and they were meeting with him. For king Alexander had commanded them to go out to meet him, because he was his father-in-law³But when Ptolemy entered a city, he placed garrisons of soldiers in each of the cities⁴And when he drew near to Azotus, they revealed to him that the temple of Dagon had been burned with fire, and Azotus and its suburbs had been demolished, and bodies had been abandoned, and that, for those who had been cut to pieces in the war, they had made a tomb along the way⁵And they told the king that Jonathan had done these things, so as to make him hated. But the king remained silent⁶And Jonathan went to meet the king at Joppa with glory, and they greeted one another, and they stayed there⁷And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river, which is called Eleutherus. And he returned to Jerusalem⁸But king Ptolemy obtained the dominion of the coastal cities, as far as Seleucia, and he devised evil plans against Alexander⁹And he sent ambassadors to Demetrius, saying: "Come, let us compose a pact between us, and I will give you my daughter, whom Alexander had, and you will reign in the kingdom of your father¹⁰For I regret that I have given him my daughter. For he has sought to kill me.¹¹And he slandered him, because he coveted his kingdom¹²And he took away his daughter, and he gave her to Demetrius, and he alienated himself from Alexander, and his hostilities were made manifest¹³And Ptolemy entered Antioch, and he placed two diadems upon his head, that of Egypt, and that of Asia¹⁴Now king Alexander was in Cilicia at that time, because the people of those places were rebelling¹⁵And when Alexander heard of it, he came against him in warfare. And king Ptolemy led forth his army, and he met him with a strong hand, and he put him to flight¹⁶And Alexander fled into Arabia, so as to be protected there. And king Ptolemy was exalted¹⁷And Zabdiel the Arab took off the head of Alexander, and he sent it to Ptolemy¹⁸And king Ptolemy died on the third day, and those who were in the strongholds were destroyed by those who were in the camp¹⁹And Demetrius reigned in the one hundred and sixty-seventh year²⁰In those days, Jonathan gathered together those who were in Judea, in order to fight against the stronghold that was in Jerusalem. And they made many machines of war against it²¹And so, certain men of iniquity, who hated their own people, went forth to king Demetrius, and they reported to him that Jonathan was besieging the stronghold²²And when he heard it, he became angry. And immediately he came to Ptolemais, and he wrote to Jonathan that he should not besiege the stronghold, but that he should meet with him promptly, for a discussion²³But when Jonathan heard this, he ordered them to besiege it. And he chose some from the elders of Israel and from the priests, and he put himself in danger²⁴And he took gold, and silver, and vestments, and many other presents, and he went to the king at Ptolemais, and he found favor in his sight²⁵And some of the iniquitous from his nation came forward with objections against him²⁶And the king treated him just as those who were before him had treated him. And he exalted him in the sight of all his friends²⁷And he confirmed him in the high priesthood and in all the other honors that he held before, and he made him the leader of his friends²⁸And Jonathan requested of the king that he would make Judea free from tribute, along with the three districts, and Samaria, and its confines. And he promised him three hundred talents²⁹And the king consented. And he wrote letters to Jonathan about all these things, continuing in this way³⁰"King Demetrius to his brother Jonathan, and to the nation of the Jews: greetings³¹We are sending you a copy of the letter that we wrote to Lasthenes, our parent, about you, so that you will know³²‘King Demetrius to Lasthenes, his parent: greetings³³We have determined to do good to the people of the Jews, who are our friends and who keep to what is just with us, because of their good will, which they hold toward us³⁴Therefore, we have assigned to them all the parts of Judea, and the three cities, Lydda and Ramatha, which were added to Judea from Samaria, and all their confines, to be set apart for all those sacrificing in Jerusalem, in place of that which the king previously received from them each year, and in place of the fruits of the land and of the fruit trees³⁵And, as for the rest of that which pertains to us from tithes and tributes, from this time forward, we release them from these, as well as from the drying areas of salt and the crowns that were presented to us³⁶All these, we concede to them, and nothing of these shall be revoked, from this time forward and for all time³⁷Now, therefore, take care to make a copy of these things, and let it be given to Jonathan and set upon the holy mountain, in an honorable place.’ ³⁸And king Demetrius, seeing that the land was quieted in his sight and that nothing resisted him, sent all his forces away, each one to his own place, except the foreign army, which he had drawn together from the islands of the nations. And so all the troops of his fathers were hostile to him³⁹But there was a certain one, Trypho, who was previously on Alexander’s side. And he saw that all the army murmured against Demetrius, and so he went to Imalkue the Arab, who raised Antiochus, the son of Alexander⁴⁰And he persuaded him to deliver him to him, so that he would reign in his father’s place. And he reported to him what Demetrius had done, and that his army was hostile to him. And he remained there for many days⁴¹And Jonathan sent to king Demetrius, so that he would cast out those who were in the stronghold in Jerusalem and those who were with the garrisons, because they fought against Israel⁴²And Demetrius sent to Jonathan, saying: "I will not only do this for you and your people, but I will elevate your glory and your nation, when opportunity shall serve⁴³Now, therefore, you will do well if you send men as auxiliaries to me. For all my army has withdrawn from me.⁴⁴And Jonathan sent three thousand strong men to him at Antioch. And they came to the king, and the king was delighted at their arrival⁴⁵And those who were of the city gathered together, one hundred and twenty thousand men, and they wanted to execute the king⁴⁶And the king fled into the royal court. And those who were of the city, occupied the passageways of the city, and they began to fight⁴⁷And the king called the Jews to his assistance. And they came together before him at the same time, and then they all dispersed themselves throughout the city⁴⁸And they killed, in that day, one hundred thousand men, and they set fire to the city, and they seized many spoils in that day, and they freed the king⁴⁹And those who were of the city saw that the Jews had taken the city, just as they wanted, and they were weakened in their resolve, and they cried out to the king with supplication, saying⁵⁰And they threw down their arms, and they made peace. And the Jews were glorified in the sight of the king and in the sight of all who were in his realm. And they became renowned in the kingdom, and they returned to Jerusalem, holding many spoils⁵¹And so king Demetrius sat on the throne of his kingdom. And the land was quieted in his sight⁵²And he falsified everything whatsoever that he had said. And he alienated himself from Jonathan, and he did not repay him according to the benefits that he had received in tribute from him. And he vexed him greatly⁵³But after this, Trypho returned, and with him was Antiochus, the adolescent boy, and he reigned, and he put a diadem on himself⁵⁴And there assembled before him all the troops, which Demetrius had dispersed, and they fought against him. And he turned his back and fled⁵⁵And Trypho took the elephants, and he obtained Antioch⁵⁶And young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan, saying: "I confirm you in the priesthood, and I appoint you over the four cities, so as to be among the king’s friends.⁵⁷And he sent him vessels of gold for his ministry, and he gave him the authority to drink from gold, and to be clothed in purple, and to have a golden clasp⁵⁸And he appointed his brother Simon as governor, from the borders of Tyre, all the way to the borders of Egypt⁵⁹Then Jonathan went out, and he passed through the cities across the river. And all the armies of Syria were gathered together in assistance to him, and he came to Askalon, and those from the city met him honorably⁶⁰And he went from there to Gaza. And those who were in Gaza closed themselves in. And so he besieged it, and he burned all that was around the city, and he plundered it⁶¹And those of Gaza petitioned Jonathan, and he pledged to them with his right hand, and he accepted their sons as hostages and sent them to Jerusalem. And he traveled through the country, as far as Damascus⁶²And Jonathan heard that the leaders of Demetrius were acting treacherously at Kadesh, which is in Galilee, with a great army, intending to remove him from the affairs of the kingdom⁶³And he went to meet them. But he left his brother Simon behind in the countryside⁶⁴And Simon took a position against Bethzur, and he assailed it for many days, and he closed them in⁶⁵And they asked him to accept a pledge, and he granted this to them. And he cast them out of there, and he seized the city, and he placed a garrison in it⁶⁶And Jonathan and his camp took a position by the water of Gennesaret, and, before first light, they were standing watch in the plains of Hazor⁶⁷And behold, an army of foreigners met him in the plains. And they set up an ambush against him in the mountains. But he met them from the opposite direction⁶⁸Yet those lying in ambush then rose up from their places and joined them in combat⁶⁹And all those who were from Jonathan’s side fled, and not one of them was left, except Mattathias, the son of Absalom, and Judas, the son of Chalphi, the leader of military training⁷⁰And so Jonathan tore his garments, and he placed dirt on his head, and he prayed⁷¹And Jonathan turned back toward them in battle, and he put them to flight, and they fought⁷²And when those from his side, who had fled, saw this, they returned to him, and with him they all pursued them, even to Kadesh, to their camp, and they even passed beyond there⁷³And there fell from the foreigners on that day three thousand men. And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem

Chapter 12

¹And Jonathan saw that time was on his side, and he chose men, and he sent them to Rome, to confirm and renew the peace agreement with them²And he sent letters to the Spartans, and to other places, according to the same form³And they went to Rome and entered into the senate house, and they said, "Jonathan, the high priest, and the nation of the Jews, have sent us to renew the peace and alliance, as it was before.⁴And they gave letters to them, to those in each place, so that they would lead them into the land of Judah with peace⁵And this is a copy of the letters that Jonathan wrote to the Spartans⁶"Jonathan, the high priest, and the elders of the people, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, to the Spartans, their brothers: greetings⁷Now, some time ago, letters were sent to Onias, the high priest from Arius, who reigned then among you, so that you would be our brothers, just as the copy that is written below states⁸And Onias received the man whom you had sent with honor. And he received the letters, in which was conveyed the alliance and peace treaty⁹We, though, have no need of these things, having for our solace the sacred books, which are in our hands¹⁰We prefer to send to you, so as to renew the brotherhood and friendship, lest we should, in effect, become a stranger to you, for much time has passed since you sent to us¹¹Therefore, we will remember you, at all times without ceasing, in our solemnities and other days, when it is fitting, in the sacrifices that we offer, and in our observances, just as it is fitting and right to remember brothers¹²And so, we rejoice at your glory¹³But many tribulations and many wars have surrounded us, and the kings who are around us have fought against us¹⁴But we are not willing to trouble you, nor the rest of our allies and friends, about these battles¹⁵For we have assistance from heaven, and we have been delivered, and our enemies have been humbled¹⁶And 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 the former peace treaty and alliance with them¹⁷And so, we have commanded them to also come to you, and to greet you, and to deliver our letters to you, about the renewal of our brotherhood¹⁸And now, you would do well to respond to us about these things.¹⁹And this is a copy of the letters that he sent to Onias²⁰"Arius, king of the Spartans, to Onias, the great priest: greetings²¹It is found in scripture, about the Spartans and the Jews, that they are brothers, and that they are of the family of Abraham²²And since we know these things, you would do well to write to us about your peace²³But we also have written back to you that our cattle and our possessions are yours, and yours are ours. And so, we have commanded that these things should be announced to you.²⁴And Jonathan heard that the leaders from Demetrius had returned again with a greater army than before, so as to fight against him²⁵And so, he departed from Jerusalem, and he met them in the region of Hamath. For he did not give them time to enter into his own region²⁶And he sent spies into their camp, and, returning, they reported that they planned to come upon them in the night²⁷And when the sun had set, Jonathan instructed his men to stand watch, and to be in arms, ready to fight, all night long, and he stationed guards around the camp²⁸And the adversaries heard that Jonathan was prepared, with his own, for warfare. And they were struck with fear and dread in their heart. And they kindled fires in their camp²⁹But Jonathan, and those who were with him, did not know about it until morning. For they saw the lights burning³⁰And Jonathan pursued them, but did not overtake them. For they had crossed the river Eleutherus³¹And Jonathan diverted toward the Arabians, who are called Zabadeans. And he struck them and took their spoils³²And he regrouped and came to Damascus, and he passed through all that region³³But Simon went forth and came as far as Askalon, and the nearby fortresses, but he turned aside to Joppa and occupied it³⁴(for he had heard that they intended to hand over the fortress that was on the side of Demetrius) and he stationed a guard there to keep it³⁵And Jonathan returned, and he called together the elders of the people, and he decided with them to build fortresses in Judea³⁶and to build up the walls in Jerusalem, and to raise a great height between the stronghold and the city, in order to separate it from the city, so that it would stand alone and would have neither buying, nor selling there³⁷And they came together to build up the city. And the wall that was over the brook, toward the rising of the sun, was fallen. And he repaired that which is called Chaphenatha³⁸And Simon rebuilt Adida in Shephelah, and he fortified it, and he set up gates and bars³⁹And so, when Trypho had decided to reign over Asia, and to assume the diadem, and to extend his hand against king Antiochus⁴⁰he was afraid, lest Jonathan might not permit him, but might fight against him. So he sought to seize him and to kill him. And he rose up and went to Bethshan⁴¹And Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand men chosen for battle, and he came to Bethshan⁴²And when Trypho saw that Jonathan came with a great army to extend his hand against him, he was afraid⁴³And so he received him with honor, and he commended him to all his friends, and he gave him gifts. And he instructed his troops to obey him, just as himself⁴⁴And he said to Jonathan: "Why have you troubled all the people, when there is no war between us⁴⁵And now, send them back to their houses, but choose for yourself a few men, who may remain with you, and come with me to Ptolemais, and I will deliver it to you, and the rest of the fortresses, and the army, and all who are in charge of governing, and I will turn and go away. For this is the reason that I came.⁴⁶And Jonathan believed him, and he did as he said. And he sent away his army, and they departed into the land of Judah⁴⁷But he retained with him three thousand men, of whom he sent two thousand into Galilee, and one thousand came with him⁴⁸But when Jonathan entered into Ptolemais, those of Ptolemais closed the gates of the city, and they captured him. And all those who entered with him, they executed with the sword⁴⁹And Trypho sent an army and horsemen into Galilee, and into the great plain, to destroy all the associates of Jonathan⁵⁰But, when they had thought that Jonathan had been captured and slain, along with all who were with him, they encouraged one another, and they went out prepared for battle⁵¹Then those who had pursued them, seeing that they stood for their lives, were turned back⁵²And so, they all came into the land of Judah with peace. And they bewailed Jonathan, and those who had been with him, exceedingly. And Israel mourned with great lamentation⁵³Then all the nations that were all around them sought to crush them. For they said⁵⁴"They have no leader or helper. Now therefore, let us fight against them and take away the memory of them from among men.

Chapter 13

¹And Simon heard that Trypho had gathered together an immense army to come to the land of Judah and to lay waste to it²Seeing that the people were fearful and trembling, he went up to Jerusalem, and he gathered together the people³And exhorting them, he said: "You know what great battles I, and my brothers, and the house of my father, have fought for the laws and for the holy places, and the anguish that we have seen⁴As a result these things, all my brothers have perished for the sake of Israel, and I have been left alone⁵And now, it is not necessary for me to spare my life in any time of tribulation. For I am not better than my brothers⁶And so, I will vindicate my people and the sanctuary, and likewise our children and wives. For all the Gentiles have gathered together to crush us, solely out of malice.⁷And the spirit of the people was immediately enkindled, when they heard these words⁸And they responded with a loud voice, saying: "You are our leader in place of Judas and of Jonathan, your brother⁹Fight our battles, and we will do whatever you tell us to do.¹⁰And so, gathering together all the men of war, he accelerated the completion of all the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it all around¹¹And he sent Jonathan, the son of Absalom, and with him a new army, into Joppa, and he cast out those who were in it, and he himself remained there¹²And Trypho moved from Ptolemais, with a great army, to come into the land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him in custody¹³But Simon took up a position at Addus, opposite the face of the plains¹⁴And when Trypho realized that Simon rose up in the place of his brother, Jonathan, and that he would be joining in battle with him, he sent messengers to him¹⁵saying: "We have detained your brother, Jonathan, because of the money that he owed to the king’s account, because of the matters for which he was responsible¹⁶And now, send a hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons for hostages, so that when he is dismissed, he may not flee from us. And then we will release him.¹⁷And Simon knew that he was speaking deceitfully to him. Yet he ordered the money and the boys to be given, lest he should bring upon himself a great hostility from the people of Israel, who might have said¹⁸"It is because he did not send the money and the boys that he perished.¹⁹So he sent the boys and one hundred talents. And he was lying and did not dismiss Jonathan²⁰And after this, Trypho came into the country, to crush it. And they circled around by the way that leads to Adora. And Simon and his camp marched into every place, wherever they went²¹But those who were in the stronghold sent messengers to Trypho, so that he would hurry to come through the desert, and to send them provisions²²And Trypho prepared all his horsemen to arrive on that night. But there was a very great snowfall, and he did not come into Gilead²³And when he approached toward Baskama, he killed Jonathan and his sons there²⁴And Trypho turned back and went into his own land²⁵And Simon sent and took the bones of Jonathan, his brother, and he buried them in Modin, the city of his fathers²⁶And all Israel bewailed him with great lamentation. And they mourned him for many days²⁷And Simon built, over the sepulcher of his father and of his brothers, a building, lofty to see, of polished stone, front and back²⁸And he set up seven pyramids, one against another, for his father, and his mother, and his four brothers²⁹And around these he placed great columns; and upon the columns, weapons, as a continual memorial; and beside the weapons, carvings of ships, which might be seen by all those who sail the sea³⁰This is the sepulcher that he made in Modin, even to this day³¹But Trypho, when he was on a journey with the young king, Antiochus, killed him by deceit³²And he reigned in his place, and he put on the diadem of Asia, and he caused great scourges upon the land³³And Simon built up the strongholds of Judea, fortifying them with high towers, and great walls, and gates and bars. And he placed provisions in the fortresses³⁴And Simon chose men, and he sent to king Demetrius, so that he would grant a remission to the region, for all that Trypho did was to carry out plundering³⁵And king Demetrius responded to this word, and he wrote a letter in this manner³⁶"King Demetrius to Simon, the high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders, and to the people of the Jews: greetings³⁷The golden crown and the bahem that you sent, we have received. And we are prepared to make a great peace with you, and to write to the officers of the king to remit to you the things that we have released³⁸For whatever we have established remains in force for you. The strongholds that you have built, let them be yours³⁹Likewise, any oversight or fault, even to this day, we forgive it, along with the crown that you owed. And if anything else was taxed in Jerusalem, now let it not be taxed⁴⁰And if any of you is fit to be enrolled among our own, let them be enrolled. And let there be peace between us.⁴¹In the one hundred and seventieth year, the yoke of the Gentiles was taken away from Israel⁴²And the people of Israel began to write in the tablets and the public records, in the first year under Simon: high priest, great commander, and leader of the Jews⁴³In those days, Simon took up a position at Gaza, and he encamped around it, and he made machines of war, and he applied them to the city, and he struck one tower and captured it⁴⁴And those who were within the machine broke forth into the city. And a great commotion occurred in the city⁴⁵And those who were in the city ascended upon the wall, with their wives and children, having torn their tunics. And they cried out with a loud voice, asking Simon to grant them a pledge⁴⁶And they said, "Do not repay us according to our malice, but according to your mercy.⁴⁷And weeping, Simon did not destroy them. Yet he cast them out of the city, and he cleansed the buildings, in which there had been idols. And then he entered into it with hymns, blessing the Lord⁴⁸And, having cast out of it all uncleanness, he placed in it men who would observe the law. And he fortified it and made it his dwelling place⁴⁹But those who were in the stronghold of Jerusalem were prohibited from going out and entering the region, and from buying and selling. And they were very hungry, and many of them perished through famine⁵⁰And they cried out to Simon, that they might receive a pledge, and he granted it to them. And he cast them out of there, and he cleansed the stronghold from contaminations⁵¹And they entered into it on the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, with thanksgiving, and palm branches, and lyres, and cymbals, and psalteries, and hymns, and canticles, because a great enemy had been crushed out of Israel⁵²And he established that these days should be kept every year with rejoicing⁵³And he fortified the mountain of the temple, which was near the stronghold, and he lived there himself, along with those who were with him⁵⁴And Simon saw that John, his son, was a valiant man in battle. And so he appointed him as commander of all the forces. And he lived in Gazara