The First Book of Maccabees

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- Chapter 10 -

Alexander Bales sets himself up for king: both he and Demetrius seek to make Jonathan their friend. Alexander kills Demetrius in battle, and honours Jonathan. His victory over Apollonius.

And 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 there.

And king Demetrius heard of it, and he gathered together an exceedingly great army, and he went forth to meet him in battle.

And Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan, with peaceful words, to magnify him.

For he said, “Let us first make a peace with him, before he makes one with Alexander against us.

For he will remember all the evils that we have done to him, and to his brother, and to his nation.”

And 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 him.

And Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and he read the letters in the hearing of all the people and of those who were in the stronghold.

And they were struck with a great fear, because they heard that the king gave him the authority to gather together an army.

And the hostages were handed over to Jonathan, and he restored them to their parents.

And Jonathan lived in Jerusalem, and he began to rebuild and repair the city.

And 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 so.

Then the foreigners, who were in the fortifications that Bacchides had built, fled away.

And each one abandoned his place and departed into his own land.

Only 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 them.

And 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 endured.

And he said: “Would we ever find another such man? And so now, let us make him our friend and our associate.”

And so, he wrote a letter, and he sent it to him, according to these words, saying:

“King Alexander to his brother, Jonathan: greetings.

We have heard of you, that you are a man of power and strength, and that you are fit to be our friend.

And 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.”

Then 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 weapons.

And Demetrius heard these words, and he was exceedingly sorrowful, and he said:

“What have we done in this, that Alexander has gone before us to obtain the friendship of the Jews to strengthen himself?

I also will write to them words of petition, and offer positions of rank and gifts, so that they may act in assistance to me.”

And he wrote to them in these words: “King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews: greetings.

Since 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 glad.

And so now, persevere still to remain faithful to us, and we will reward you with good things for what you have done for us.

And we will repay you for your many expenses, and we will give you gifts.

And 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 seed.

And 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 time.

And let Jerusalem be holy and free within its borders, and let the tenths and tributes be for itself.

And 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 it.

And 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 cattle.

And 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 kingdom.

And no one will have the authority to do anything, or to incite any plots, against any of them, in all cases.

And 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 king.

And 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 Judah.

And 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 priest.

Ptolemais and its confines, I give as a free gift to the holy places that are in Jerusalem, for the necessary expenses of the holy things.

And I give, every year, fifteen thousand shekels of silver from the allotment of the king, from what belongs to me.

And 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 house.

And 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 ministry.

And 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 freely.

And as to the works of rebuilding and repairing the holy places, the expenses shall be given from the king’s revenues.

And 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.”

So 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 greatly.

And 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 day.

And so king Alexander gathered together a great army, and he moved his camp against Demetrius.

And the two kings joined together in battle, and the army of Demetrius fled away, and Alexander followed after him, and he closed in on them.

And the battle was hard fought, until the sun went down. And Demetrius was slain on that day.

And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, according to these words, saying:(a)

“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 country,

and 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 kingdom.

And 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.”

And 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 kingdom.

And 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.”

And so Ptolemy departed from Egypt, both he and his daughter Cleopatra, and he arrived at Ptolemais in the one hundred and sixty-second year.

And king Alexander met him, and he gave him Cleopatra, his daughter. And he celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais with great glory, just as befits kings.

And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come to meet him.

And 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 sight.

And 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 them.

And 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 him.

And 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.”

And so it happened that, when his accusers saw his glory being proclaimed, and him clothed in purple, they all fled away.

And 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 dominion.

And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with peace and joy.

In the one hundred and sixty-fifth year, Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, came from Crete into the land of his fathers.

And king Alexander heard of it, and he was very sorrowful, and he returned to Antioch.

And 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 priest,

saying: “You alone resist us, and so I have been brought to derision and disgrace, because you exercise your power against us in the mountains.

Now, 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 me.

Inquire, 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 land.

And 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?”

But 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 him.

And 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 it.

And those who were in the city, being terrified, opened to him. And so Jonathan obtained Joppa.

And Apollonius heard of it, and he moved three thousand horsemen, and a great army.

And 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 battle.

And Apollonius secretly left behind them in the camp a thousand horsemen.

And Jonathan realized that there was an ambush behind him, and they surrounded his camp, and they cast darts at the people from morning until evening.

But the people stood firm, just as Jonathan had instructed them, and their horses suffered hardships.

Then 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 fled.

And 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 themselves.

But 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 it.

And so it was that those who fell by the sword, with those who were burned, were nearly eight thousand men.

And 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 glory.

And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with his own, having many spoils.

And it happened that, when king Alexander heard these words, he added still more glory to Jonathan.

And 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.

Footnotes

(a)10:51 Ptolemee:Surnamed Philometer.(Challoner)

Alexander Bales sets himself up for king: both he and Demetrius seek to make Jonathan their friend. Alexander kills Demetrius in battle, and honours Jonathan. His victory over Apollonius.

In the one hundred sixtieth year,(a) Alexander Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus, went up and took possession of Ptolemais. They received him, and he reigned there.

King Demetrius heard about this, and he gathered together exceedingly great forces, and went out to meet him in battle.

Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan with words of peace, so as to honor him.

For he said, “Let’s go beforehand to make peace with them, before he makes peace with Alexander against us;

for he will remember all the evils that we have done against him, and to his kindred and to his nation.”

So he gave him authority to gather together forces, and to provide weapons, and that he should be his ally. He also commanded that they should release the hostages that were in the citadel to him.

Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and read the letter in the hearing of all the people, and of those who were in the citadel.

They were very afraid when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather together an army.

Those in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he restored them to their parents.

Jonathan lived in Jerusalem and began to build and renew the city.

He commanded those who did the work to build the walls and encircle Mount Zion with(b) square stones for defense; and they did so.

The foreigners who were in the strongholds which Bacchides had built fled away.

Each man left his place and departed into his own land.

Only at Bethsura, there were left some of those who had forsaken the law and the commandments, for it was a place of refuge to them.

King Alexander heard all the promises which Demetrius had sent to Jonathan. They told him of the battles and the valiant deeds which he and his kindred had done, and of the troubles which they had endured.

So he said, “Could we find another man like him? Now we will make him our(c) friend and ally.”

He wrote a letter and sent it to him, in these words, saying,

“King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greetings.

We have heard of you, that you are a mighty man of valour, and worthy to be our(d) friend.

Now we have appointed you this day to be high priest of your nation, and to be called the king’s(e) friend, and to take our side, and to keep friendship with us.” He also sent to him a purple robe and a golden crown.

And Jonathan put on the holy garments in the seventh month of the one hundred sixtieth year,(f) at the feast of tabernacles; and he gathered together forces and provided weapons in abundance.

When Demetrius heard these things, he was grieved and said,

“What is this that we have done, that Alexander has gotten ahead of us in establishing friendship with the Jews to strengthen himself?

I also will write to them words of encouragement and of honor and of gifts, that they may be with me to aid me.”

So he sent to them this message: “King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greetings.

Since as you have kept your covenants with us, and continued in our friendship, and have not joined yourselves to our enemies, we have heard of this, and are glad.

Now continue still to keep faith with us, and we will repay you with good in return for your dealings with us.

We will grant you many immunities and give you gifts.

“Now I free you and release all the Jews from the tributes, from the salt tax, and from the crown levies.

Instead of the third part of the seed, and instead of half of the fruit of the trees, which falls to me to receive, I release it from this day and henceforth, so that I will not take it from the land of Judah, and from the three districts which are added to it from the country of Samaria and Galilee, from this day forth and for all time.

Let Jerusalem be holy and free, with her borders, tithes, and taxes.

I yield up also my authority over the citadel which is at Jerusalem, and give it to the high priest, that he may appoint in it men whom he chooses to keep it.

Every soul of the Jews who has been carried captive from the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom, I set at liberty without payment. Let all officials also cancel the taxes on their livestock.

“All the feasts, the Sabbaths, new moons, appointed days, three days before a feast, and three days after a feast, let them all be days of immunity and release for all the Jews who are in my kingdom.

No man shall have authority to exact anything from any of them, or to trouble them concerning any matter.

“Let there be enrolled among the king’s forces about thirty thousand men of the Jews, and pay shall be given to them, as is due to all the king’s forces.

Of them, some shall be placed in the king’s great strongholds, and some of them shall be placed over the affairs of the kingdom, which are positions of trust. Let those who are over them and their rulers be of themselves, and let them walk after their own laws, even as the king has commanded in the land of Judah.

“The three districts that have been added to Judea from the country of Samaria, let them be annexed to Judea, that they may be reckoned to be under one ruler, that they may not obey any other authority than the high priest’s.

As for Ptolemais and its land, I have given it as a gift to the sanctuary that is at Jerusalem, for the expenses of the sanctuary.

I also give every year fifteen thousand shekels of silver from the king’s revenues from the places that are appropriate.

And all the additional funds which those who manage the king’s affairs didn’t pay as in the first years, they shall give from now on toward the works of the temple.

Besides this, the five thousand shekels of silver which they received from the uses of the sanctuary from the revenue year by year is also released, because it belongs to the priests who minister there.

Whoever flees to the temple that is at Jerusalem, and within all of its borders, whether one owe money to the king, or any other matter, let them go free, along with all that they have in my kingdom.

For the building and renewing of the structures of the sanctuary, the expense shall also be given out of the king’s revenue.

For the building of the walls of Jerusalem and fortifying it all around, the expense shall also be given out of the king’s revenue, also for the building of the walls in Judea.”

Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they gave no credence to them, and didn’t accept them, because they remembered the great evil which he had done in Israel, and that he had afflicted them very severely.

They were well pleased with Alexander, because he was the first who spoke words of peace to them, and they were allies with him always.

King Alexander gathered together great forces and encamped near Demetrius.

The two kings joined battle, and the army of Alexander fled; and Demetrius followed after him, and prevailed against them.

He strengthened the battle exceedingly until the sun went down; and Demetrius fell that day.

Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy king of Egypt with this message:

“Since I have returned to my kingdom, and am seated on the throne of my fathers, and have established my dominion, and have overthrown Demetrius, and have taken possession of our country—

yes, I joined the battle with him, and he and his army were defeated by us, and we sat on the throne of his kingdom—

now also let’s make friends with one another. Give me now your daughter as my wife. I will be joined with you, and will give both you and her gifts worthy of you.”

Ptolemy the king answered, saying, “Happy is the day you returned to the land of your ancestors and sat on the throne of their kingdom.

Now I will do to you as you have written, but meet me at Ptolemais, that we may see one another; and I will join with you, even as you have said.”

So Ptolemy went out of Egypt, himself and Cleopatra his daughter, and came to Ptolemais in the one hundred sixty-second year.(g)

King Alexander met him, and he gave him his daughter Cleopatra, and celebrated her wedding at Ptolemais with great pomp, as kings do.

King Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come to meet him.

He went with pomp to Ptolemais, and met the two kings. He gave them and their friends(h) silver and gold, and many gifts, and found favor in their sight.

Some malcontents out of Israel, men who were transgressors of the law, gathered together against him to complain against him; but the king paid no attention to them.

The king commanded that they take off Jonathan’s garments and clothe him in purple, and they did so.

The king made him sit with him, and said to his princes, “Go out with him into the midst of the city, and proclaim that no man may complain against him of any matter, and let no man trouble him for any reason.”

It came to pass, when those who complained against him saw his honor according to the proclamation, and saw him clothed in purple, they all fled away.

The king gave him honor, and enrolled him among his chief friends,(i) and made him a captain and governor of a province.

Then Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with peace and gladness.

In the one hundred sixty-fifth year,(j) Demetrius, son of Demetrius, came out of Crete into the land of his ancestors.

When King Alexander heard of it, he grieved exceedingly and returned to Antioch.

Demetrius appointed Apollonius, who was over Coelesyria, and he gathered together a great army, and encamped against Jamnia, and sent to Jonathan the high priest, saying,

“You alone lift up yourself against us, but I am ridiculed and in reproach because of you. Why do you assume authority against us in the mountains?

Now therefore, if you trust in your forces, come down to us into the plain, and let’s match strength with each other there; for the power of the cities is with me.

Ask and learn who I am, and the rest who help us. They say, ‘Your foot can’t stand before our face; for your ancestors have been put to flight twice in their own land.’

Now you won’t be able to withstand the cavalry and such an army as this in the plain, where is there is no stone or pebble, or place to flee.”

Now when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in his mind, and he chose ten thousand men, and went out from Jerusalem; and Simon his brother met him to help him.

Then he encamped against Joppa. The people of the city shut him out, because Apollonius had a garrison in Joppa.

So they fought against it. The people of the city were afraid, and opened to him; and Jonathan became master of Joppa.

Apollonius heard about that, and he gathered an army of three thousand cavalry, and a great army, and went to Azotus as though he were on a journey, and at the same time advanced onward into the plain, because he had a multitude of cavalry which he trusted.

He pursued him to Azotus, and the armies joined battle.(k)

Apollonius had secretly left a thousand cavalry behind them.

Jonathan learned that there was an ambush behind him. They surrounded his army, and shot their arrows at the people, from morning until evening;

but the people stood fast, as Jonathan commanded them; and the enemy’s horses grew tired.

Then Simon brought forward his army and joined battle with the phalanx (for the cavalry were exhausted), and they were defeated by him and fled.

The cavalry were scattered in the plain. They fled to Azotus and entered into Beth-dagon, their idol’s temple, to save themselves.

Jonathan burned Azotus and the cities around it and took their spoils. He burned the temple of Dagon and those who fled into it with fire.

Those who had fallen by the sword plus those who were burned were about eight thousand men.

From there, Jonathan left and encamped against Ascalon. The people of the city came out to meet him with great pomp.

Jonathan, with those who were on his side, returned to Jerusalem, having many spoils.

It came to pass, when King Alexander heard these things, he honored Jonathan even more.

He sent him a gold buckle, as the custom is to give to the king’s kindred. He gave him Ekron and all its land for a possession.

Footnotes

(a)10:1 circa B.C. 153.

(b)10:11 So the versions and Josephus. Gr. four-foot stones.

(d)10:19 See 1 Maccabees 2:18 . Compare 1 Maccabees 10:65 .

(e)10:20 See 1 Maccabees 2:18 . Compare 1 Maccabees 10:65 .

(f)10:21 circa B.C. 153.

(g)10:57 circa B.C. 151.

(h)10:60 See 1 Maccabees 2:18 . Compare 1 Maccabees 10:65 .

(i)10:65 See 1 Maccabees 11:27 ; 2 Maccabees 8:9 . Compare 1 Maccabees 2:18 ; 1 Maccabees 10:16 etc.

(j)10:67 circa B.C. 148.

(k)10:78 Most of the authorities here repeat after him.