 chapters 11 through 16 of the apocryphal book of First Maccabees, Dewey Reem's version. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information and to find out how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Sam Stinson. Chapter 11. And the king of Egypt gathered together an army, like the sand that lieth upon the sea shore, and many ships, and he sought to get the kingdom of Alexander by deceit, and join it to his own kingdom. And he went out into Syria with peaceable words, and they opened to him the cities, and met him, for King Alexander had ordered them to go forth to meet him, because he was his father-in-law. Now, when Ptolemy entered into the cities, he put garrisons of soldiers in every city, and when he came near to Azotus, they showed him the temple of Dagon that was burnt with fire, and Azotus and the suburbs thereof that were destroyed, and the bodies that were cast abroad, and the graves of them that were slain in the battle, which they had made near the way. And they told the king that Jonathan had done these things to make him odious, but the king held his peace. And Jonathan came to meet the king at Joppa with glory, and they saluted one another, and they lodged there. And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river, called Eluthorus, and he returned into Jerusalem. And King Ptolemy got the dominion of the cities by the seaside, even to Seleucia, and he devised evil designs against Alexander, and he sent ambassadors to Demetrius saying, Come, let us make a league between us, and I will give thee my daughter whom Alexander hath, and thou shalt reign in the kingdom of thy father, for I repent that I have given him my daughter, for he hath sought to kill me. And he slandered him, because he coveted his kingdom. And he took away his daughter, and gave her to Demetrius, and alienated himself from Alexander, and his enmities were made manifest. And Ptolemy entered into Antioch, and set two crowns upon his head, that of Egypt, and that of Asia. Now King Alexander was in Seleucia at that time, because they that were in those places had rebelled. And when Alexander heard of it, he came to give him battle. And King Ptolemy brought forth his army, and met him with a strong power, and put him to flight. And Alexander fled into Arabia, there to be protected. And King Ptolemy was exalted. And Zabdiel the Arabian took off Alexander's head, and sent it to Ptolemy. And King Ptolemy died the third day after. And they that were in the strongholds were destroyed by them that were within the camp. And Demetrius reigned in the 167th year. In those days Jonathan gathered together them that were in Judea, to take the castle that was in Jerusalem. And they made many engines of war against it. Then some wicked men that hated their own nation went away to King Demetrius, and told him that Jonathan was besieging the castle. And when he heard it, he was angry. And forthwith he came to Ptolemaus, and wrote to Jonathan that he should not besiege the castle, but should come to him in haste and speak to him. But when Jonathan heard this, he bathed them besieged still, and he chose some of the ancients of Israel, and of the priests, and put himself in danger. And he took gold and silver, and raiment, and many other presents, and went to the king to Ptolemaus, and he found favor in his sight. And certain wicked men of his nation made complaints against him. And the king treated him as his predecessors had done before, and he exalted him in the sight of all his friends. And he confirmed him in the high priesthood, and all the honors he had before, and he made him the chief of his friends. And Jonathan requested of the king that he would make Judea free from tribute, and the three governments in Samaria, and the confines thereof. And he promised him three hundred talents. And the king consented, and he wrote letters to Jonathan of all these things to this effect. King Demetrius, to his brother Jonathan, and to the nation of the Jews, greeting. We send you here a copy of the letter which we have written to Lassthenes, our parent, concerning you, that you might know it. King Demetrius, to Lassthenes, his parent, greetings. We have determined to do good to the nation of the Jews, who are our friends, and keep the things that are just with us, for their good will which they bear towards us. We have ratified, therefore, unto them all the borders of Judea and the three cities, Ephorama, Lidda, and Ramatha, which are added to Judea out of Samaria, and all their confines, to be set apart to all them that sacrifice in Jerusalem, instead of the payments which the king received of them every year, and for the fruits of the land, and of the trees, and as for other things that belonged to us of the tithes and of the tributes, from this time we discharge them of them, the salt pans also, and the crowns that were presented to us. We give all to them, and nothing hereof shall be revoked from this time forth and forever. Now, therefore, see that thou make a copy of these things, and let it be given to Jonathan, and set upon the holy mountain in a conspicuous place. And King Demetrius seeing that the land was quiet before him, and nothing resisted him, sent away all his forces, every man to his own place, except the foreign army which he had drawn together from the islands of the nations, so all the troops of his fathers hated him. Now, there was one triphon who had been of Alexander's party before, who, seeing that all the army murmured against Demetrius, went to Amal Kuel, the Arabian, who brought up Antiochus, the son of Alexander, and he pressed him much to deliver him to him, that he might be king in his father's place. And he told him all that Demetrius had done, and how his soldiers hated him, and he remained there many days. And Jonathan sent to King Demetrius, desiring that he would cast out them that were in the castle in Jerusalem, and those that were in the strongholds, because they fought against Israel. And Demetrius sent to Jonathan, saying, I will not only do this for thee and for thy people, but I will greatly honor thee and thy nation when opportunity shall serve. Now, therefore, thou shalt do well if thou send me men to help me, for all my army is gone from me. And Jonathan sent him three thousand valiant men to Antioch, and they came to the king, and the king was very glad of their coming. And they that were of the city assembled themselves together to the number of a hundred and twenty thousand men, and would have killed the king. And the king fled into the palace, and they of the city kept the passages of the city, and began to fight. And the king called the Jews to his assistance, and they came to him all at once, and they all dispersed themselves through the city. And they slew in that day a hundred thousand men, and they set fire to the city, and got many spoils that day, and delivered the king. And they that were of the city saw that the Jews had got the city as they would, and they were discouraged in their mind, and cried to the king, making supplication and saying, Grant us peace, and let the Jews cease from assaulting us in the city. And they threw down their arms and made peace, and the Jews were glorified in the side of the king, and in the side of all that were in his realm, and were renowned throughout the kingdom, and returned to Jerusalem with many spoils. So King Demetrius sat in the throne of his kingdom, and the land was quiet before him. And he falsified all whatsoever he had said, and alienated himself from Jonathan, and did not reward him according to the benefits he had received from him, but gave him great trouble. And after this, Trifon returned, and with him Antiochus the young boy who was made king, and put on the diadem. And there assembled unto him all the hands which Demetrius had sent away, and they fought against Demetrius who turned his back and fled. And Trifon took the elephants, and made himself master of Antioch. And young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan, saying, I confirm thee in the high priesthood, and I appoint thee ruler over the four cities, and to be one of the king's friends. And he sent him vessels of gold for his service, and he gave him leaf to drink in gold, and to be clothed in purple, and to wear a golden buckle. And he made his brother Simon, governor, from the borders of Tyre, even to the confines of Egypt. Then Jonathan went forth, and passed through the cities beyond the river, and all the forces of Syria gathered themselves to him to help him. And he came to Ascalon, and they met him honorably out of the city. And he went from thence to Gaza, and they that were in Gaza shut him out. And he besieged it, and burnt all the suburbs round about, and took the spoils. And the men of Gaza made supplication to Jonathan, and he gave them the right hand. And he took their sons for hostages, and sent them to Jerusalem. And he went through the country as far as Damascus. And Jonathan heard that the generals of Demetrius were come treacherously to Cetus, which is in Galilee, with a great army, purposing to remove him from the affairs of the kingdom. And he went against them, but left his brother Simon in the country. And Simon encamped against Bethsura, and assaulted it many days, and shut them up. And they desired him to make peace, and he granted it them. And he cast them out from thence, and took the city, and placed a garrison in it. And Jonathan and his army encamped by the water of Genesar, and before it was light, they were ready in the plain of Asor. And behold, the army of the strangers met him in the plain, and they laid an ambush for him in the mountains. But he went out against them. And they that lay in ambush rose out of their places in joint battle. And all that were on Jonathan's side fled, and none was left of them. But Mathathias, the son of Absalom, and Judas, the son of Calphi, chief captain of the army. And Jonathan rent his garments, and cast earth upon his head and prayed. And Jonathan turned again to them to battle. And he put them to flight, and they fought. And they of his part that fled saw this. And they turned again to him. And they all with him pursued the enemies, even to Cetus, to their own camp. And they came even thither. And there fell of the aliens in, that day, three thousand men. And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem. End of Chapter 11 Chapter 12 And Jonathan saw that the time served him. And he chose certain men and sent them to Rome to confirm and to renew the amity with them. And he sent letters to the Spartans and to other places according to the same form. And they went to Rome and entered into the Senate House and said, Jonathan the High Priest and the Nation of the Jews have sent us to renew the amity and alliance, as it was before. And they gave them letters to their governors in every place to conduct them into the land of Judah with peace. And this is a copy of the letters which Jonathan wrote to the Spartans. Jonathan the High Priest and the Ancients of the Nation and the priests and the rest of the people of the Jews to the Spartans their brethren greeting. There were letters sent long ago to Onias the High Priest from Arius who reigned then among you to signify that you are our brethren as the copy here under written death specify. And Anias received the ambassador with honor and received the letters wherein there was mentioned made of the alliance and amity. We, though, we needed none of these things having for our comfort the holy books that are in our hands chose rather to send to you to renew the brotherhood and friendship lest we should become stranger to you altogether for there is a long time past since you sent to us we therefore at all times without ceasing both in our festivals and other days wherein it is convenient remember you in the sacrifices that we offer and in our observances as it is meat and becoming to remember brethren and we rejoice at your glory but we have had many troubles and wars on every side and the kings that are around about us have fought against us but we would not be troublesome to you nor to the rest of our allies and friends in these wars for we have had help from heaven and we have been delivered and our enemies are humbled we have chosen therefore Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipater the son of Jason and have sent them to the Romans to renew with them the former amity and alliance and we have commanded them to go also to you and salute you and to deliver you our letters concerning the renewing of our brotherhood and now you shall do well to give us an answer here too and this is the copy of the letter which he had sent to Annius arias king of the Spartans to Annius the high priest greeting it is found in writing concerning the Spartans and the Jews that they are brethren and that they are of the stock of Abraham and now since this is come to our knowledge you do well to write to us of your prosperity and we also have written back to you that our cattle and our possessions are yours and yours ours we therefore have commanded that these things should be told to you now Jonathan heard that the generals of Demetrius were come again with a greater army than before to fight against him so he went out from Jerusalem and met them in the land of Amoth for he gave them no time to enter into his country and he sent spies into their camp and they came back and brought him word that they designed to come upon them in the night and when the sun was set Jonathan commanded his men to watch and to be in arms all night long ready to fight and he set sentinels round about the camp and the enemies heard that Jonathan and his men were ready for battle and they were struck with fear and dread in their heart and they kindled fires in their camp but Jonathan and they that were with him knew it not till the morning for they saw the lights burning and Jonathan pursued after them but overtook them not for they had passed the river Eleutherus and Jonathan turned upon the Arabians that are called Zabadians and he defeated them and took the spoils of them and he went forward and came to Damascus and passed through all that country Simon also went forth and came as far as Ascalon and the neighboring fortresses and he turned aside to Joppa and took possession of it for he heard that they designed to deliver the whole to them that took part with Demetrius and he put a garrison there to keep it and Jonathan came back and called together the ancients of the people and he took a resolution with them to build fortresses in Judea and to build up walls in Jerusalem and raise a mount between the castle and the city to separate it from the city that so it might have no communication and that they might neither buy nor sell and they came together to build up the city for the wall that was upon the brook towards the east was broken down and he repaired that which is called Cafetitha and Simon built Adiata and Saphila and fortified it and set up gates and bars now when Trifon had conceived a design to make himself king of Asia and to take the crown and to stretch out his hand against King Antiochus fearing less Jonathan would not suffer him but would fight against him he sought to seize upon him and to kill him so he rose up and came to Bethsan and Jonathan went out to meet him with 40,000 men chosen for battle and came to Bethsan now when Trifon saw that Jonathan came with a great army he durst not stretch forth his hand against him but received him with honor and commended him to all his friends and gave him presence and he commanded his troops to obey him as himself and he said to Jonathan why has thou troubled all the people whereas we have no war now therefore send them back to their own houses and choose the a few men that may be with thee and come with me to Ptolemaus and I will deliver it to thee and the rest of the strongholds and the army and all that have any charge and I will return and go away but this is the cause of my coming and Jonathan believed him and did as he said and sent away his army and they departed into the land of Judah but he kept with him 3000 men of whom he sent 2000 into Galilee and 1000 went with him now as soon as Jonathan entered into Ptolemaus they of Ptolemaus shut the gates of the city and took him and all them that came in with him they slew with the sword then Trifon sent an army and horsemen into Galilee and into the great plane to destroy all Jonathan's company but they when they understood that Jonathan and all that were with him were taken in slain encouraged one another and went out ready for battle then they that had come after them seeing that they stood for their lives returned back whereupon they all came peaceably into the land of Judah and they bewailed Jonathan and them that had been with him exceedingly in Israel mourned with great lamentation then all the heathens that were round about them sought to destroy them for they said they have no prince nor any to help them now therefore let us make war upon them and take away the memory of them from amongst men end of chapter 12 chapter 13 now Simon heard that Trifon was gathering together a very great army to invade the land of Judah and to destroy it and seeing that the people were in dread and in fear he went up to Jerusalem and assembled the people and exhorted them saying you know what great battles I and my brethren and the house of my father have fought for the laws and the sanctuary and the distresses that we have seen by reason whereof all my brethren have lost their lives for Israel's sake and I am left alone and now far be it from me to spare my life in any time of trouble for I am not better than my brethren I will avenge then my nation and the sanctuary and our children and wives for all the heathens are gathered together to destroy us out of mere malice and the spirit of the people was incandled as soon as they heard these words and they answered with a loud voice saying thou art our leader in the place of Judas and Jonathan my brother fight thou our battles and we will do what so ever thou shalt say to us so gathering together all the men of war he made haste to finish all the walls of Jerusalem and he fortified it round about and he sent Jonathan the son of Absalom and with him a new army into Joppa and he cast out them that were in it and himself remained there and Trifon removed from Ptolemaus with a great army to invade the land of Judah and Jonathan was with him in custody but Simon pitched in Addis over against the plane and when Trifon understood that Simon was risen up in the place of his brother Jonathan and that he meant to join battle with him he sent messengers to him saying we have detained thy brother Jonathan for the money that he owed in the king's account by reason of the affairs which he had the management of but now send a hundred talents of silver and his two sons for hostages that when he is set at liberty he may not revolt from us and we will release him now Simon knew that he spoke deceitfully to him nevertheless he ordered the money in the children to be sent lest he should bring upon himself a great hatred of the people of Israel who might have said because he sent not the money in the children therefore is he lost so he sent the children and the hundred talents and he lied and did not let Jonathan go and after this Trifon entered within the country to destroy it and they went about by the way that leadeth to Ador and Simon and his army marched to every place with or so ever they went and they that were in the castle sent messengers to Trifon that he should make haste to come through the desert and send them victuals and Trifon made ready all his horsemen to come that night but there fell a very great snow and he came not into the country of Galad and when he approached to Baskama he slew Jonathan and his sons there and Trifon returned and went into his own country and Simon sent and took the bones of Jonathan his brother and buried them in Maudine the city of his fathers and all Israel bewailed him with great lamentation and they mourned for him many days and Simon built over the sepulchre of his father and of his brethren a building lofty to the site of polished stone behind and before and he set up seven pyramids one against another for his father and his mother and his four brethren and round about these he set great pillars and upon the pillars arms for a perpetual memory and by the arms ships carved which might be seen by all that sailed on the sea this is the sepulchre that he made in Maudine even unto this day but Trifon when he was upon a journey with the young king Antiochus treacherously slew him and he reigned in his place and put on the crown of Asia and brought great evils upon the land and Simon built up the strongholds of Judea fortifying them with high towers and great walls and gates and bars and he stored up victuals in the fortresses and Simon chose men and sent to King Demetrius to the end that he should grant an immunity to the land for all that Trifon did was to spoil and King Demetrius in answer to this request wrote a letter in this manner king Demetrius to Simon the high priest and friend of kings and to the ancients into the nation of the Jews greeting the golden crown and the palm which you sent we have received and we are ready to make a firm peace with you and to write to the king's chief officers to release you the things that we have released for all that we have decreed in your favor shall stand in force the strongholds that you have built shall be your own and as for any oversight or fault committed unto this day we forgive it and the crown which you owed and if any other thing were taxed in Jerusalem now let it not be taxed and if any of you be fit to be enrolled among ours let them be enrolled and let there be peace between us in the year 170 the yoke of the Gentiles was taken off from Israel and the people of Israel began to write in the instruments and public records the first year under Simon the high priest the great captain and prince of the Jews in those days Simon besieged Gaza and camped round about it and he made engines and set them to the city and he struck one tower and took it and they that were within the engine leapt into the city and there was a great uproar in the city and they that were in the city went up with their wives and children upon the wall with their garments rent and they cried with a loud voice beseeching Simon to grant them peace and they said deal not with us according to our evil deeds but according to thy mercy and Simon being moved did not destroy them but yet he cast them out of the city and cleansed the houses wherein there had been idols and then he entered into it with hymns blessing the Lord and having cast out of it all uncleanness he placed in it men that should observe the law and he fortified it and made it his habitation but they that were in the castle of Jerusalem were hindered from going out and coming into the country and from buying and selling and they were straightened with hunger and many of them perished through famine and they cried to Simon for peace and he granted it to them and he cast them out from dense and cleansed the castle from uncleanness and they entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month in the year 171 with thanksgiving and branches of palm trees and harps and symbols and salteries and hymns and canticles because the great enemy was destroyed out of Israel and he ordained that these days should be kept every year with gladness and he fortified the mountain of the temple that was near the castle and he dwelt there himself and they that were with him and Simon saw that John his son was a valiant man for war and he made him captain of all the forces and he dwelt in gazara and of chapter 13 chapter 14 in the year 172 king Demetrius assembled his army and went into media to get him sacours to fight against triphon and our sackies the king of persia and media heard that Demetrius was entered within his borders and he sent one of his princes to take him alive and bring him to him and he went and defeated the army of Demetrius and took him and brought him to our sackies and he put him into custody and all the land of Judah was at rest all the days of Simon and he sought the good of his nation and his power and his glory pleased them well all his days and with all his glory he took japa for a haven and made an entrance to the aisles of the sea and he enlarged the bounds of his nation and made himself master of the country and he gathered together a great number of captives and had the dominion of gazara and of bath sura and of the castle and took away all uncleanness out of it and there was none that resisted him and every man tilled his land with peace and the land of Judah yielded her increase and the trees of the fields their fruit the ancient men sat all in the streets and treated together of the good things of the land and the young men put on them glory in the robes of war and he provided victuals for the cities and he appointed that they should be furnished with ammunition so that the fame of his glory was renowned even to the end of the earth he made peace in the land and Israel rejoiced with great joy and every man sat under his vine and under his fig tree and there was none to make them afraid there was none left in the land to fight against them kings were discomfited in those days and he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low and he sought the law and took away every unjust and wicked man he glorified the sanctuary and multiplied the vessels of the holy places and it was heard at Rome and as far as Sparta that Jonathan was dead and they were very sorry but when they heard that Simon his brother was made high priest in his place and was possessed of all the country and the cities therein they wrote to him in tables of brass to renew the friendship and alliance which they had made with Judas and with Jonathan his brethren and they were read before the assembly in Jerusalem and this is the copy of the letters that the Spartans sent the princes and the cities of the Spartans to Simon the high priest and to the ancients and the priests and the rest of the people of the Jews their brethren greeting the ambassadors that were sent to our people have told us of your glory and honor and joy and we rejoiced at their coming and we registered what was said by them in the councils of the people in this manner Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipatter the son of Jason ambassadors of the Jews came to us to renew the former friendship with us and it pleased the people to receive the men honorably and to put a copy of their words in the public records to be a memorial to the people of the Spartans and we have written a copy of them to Simon the high priest and after this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold of the weight of a thousand pounds to confirm the league with them and when the people of Rome had heard these words they said what thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons for he hath restored his brethren and hath driven away in fight the enemies of Israel from them and they decreed him liberty and registered it in tables of brass and set it upon pillars and Mount Zion and this is a copy of the writing the 18th day of the month Elul in the year 172 being the third year under Simon the high priest at Azar Amel and a great assembly of the priests and of the people and the princes of the nation and the ancients of the country these things were notified for as much as there have often been wars in our country and Simon the son of Mathathias of the children of Jerob and his brethren have put themselves in danger and resisted the enemies of their nation for the maintenance of their holy places and the law and have raised their nation to great glory and Jonathan gathered together his nation and was made their high priest and he was laid to his people and their enemies desire to tread down and destroy their country and to stretch forth their hands against their holy places then Simon resisted and fought for his nation and laid out much of his money and armed the valiant men of his nation and gave them wages and he fortified the cities of Judea and Bethsura that lieth in the borders of Judea where the armor of the enemies was before and he placed there a garrison of Jews and he fortified Joppa which lieth by the sea and Gazzara which bordered upon Azotus wherein the enemies dwelt before and he placed Jews here and furnished them with all things convenient for their reparation and the people seeing the acts of Simon and to what glory he meant to bring his nation made him their prince and high priest because he had done all these things and for the justice and faith which he kept to his nation and for that he sought by all means to advance his people and in his days things prospered in his hands so that the heathens were taken away out of their country and they also that were in the city of David in Jerusalem in the castle out of which they issued forth and profane all places round about the sanctuary and did much evil to purity and he placed there in Jews for the defense of the country and of the city and he raised up the walls of Jerusalem and King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood according to these things he made him his friend and glorified him with great glory for he had heard that the Romans had called the Jews their friends and confederates and brethren and that they had received Simon's ambassadors with honor and that the Jews and their priests had consented that he should be their prince and high priest forever till there should arise a faithful prophet and that he should be chief over them and that he should have the charge of the sanctuary and that he should appoint rulers over their works and over their country and over the armor and over the strongholds and that he should have care of the holy places and that he should be obeyed by all and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name and that he should be clothed with purple and gold and that it should not be lawful for any of the people or of the priests to disannual any of these things or to gain say his words or to call together an assembly in the country without him or to be clothed with purple or to wear a buckle of gold and whosoever shall do otherwise or shall make void any of these things shall be punished and it pleased all the people to establish Simon and to do according to these words and Simon accepted thereof and was well pleased to execute the office of the high priesthood and to be captain and prince of the nation of the Jews and of the priests and to be chief over all and they commanded that this writing should be put in tables of brass and that they should be set up within the compass of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place and that a copy thereof should be put in the treasury that Simon and his sons may have it and of chapter 14 chapter 15 and King Antiochus the son of Demetrius sent letters from the aisles of the sea to Simon the priest and prince of the nation of the Jews and to all the people and the contents were these King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and to the nation of the Jews reading for as much as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers and my purpose is to challenge the kingdom and to restore it to its former estate and I have chosen a great army and have built ships of war and I designed to go through the country that I may take revenge of them that have destroyed our country and that have made many cities desolate in my realm now therefore I confirm unto thee all the oblations which all the kings before me remitted to thee and what other gifts so ever they remitted to thee and I give thee leave to coin thy own money in thy country and let Jerusalem be holy and free and all the armor that hath been made and the fortresses which thou hast built and which thou keepest in thy hands let them remain to thee and all that is due to the king and what should be the kings hereafter from this present and for ever is forgiven thee and when we shall have recovered our kingdom we will glorify thee and thy nation in the temple with great glory so that your glory shall be made manifest in all the earth in the year 174 Antiochus entered into the land of his fathers and all the forces assembled to him so that few were left with triphon and King Antiochus pursued after him and he fled along by the sea coast and came to Dora for he perceived that evils were gathered together upon him and his troops had forsaken him and Antiochus camped above Dora with a hundred and twenty thousand men of war and eight thousand horsemen and he invested the city and the ships drew nearby sea and they annoyed the city by land and by sea and suffered none to come in or to go out and Numenius and they that had been with him came from the city of Rome having letters written to the kings and countries the contents were off were these Lucius the consul of the Romans to King Ptolemy greeting the ambassadors of the Jews our friends came to us to renew the former friendship and alliance being sent from Simon the high priest and the people of the Jews and they brought also a shield of gold of a thousand pounds it has seemed good therefore to us to write to the kings and countries that they should do them no harm nor fight against them their cities or countries and that they should give no aid to them that fight against them and it has seemed good to us to receive the shield of them if therefore any pestilent men are fled out of their country to you deliver them to Simon the high priest that he may punish them according to their law these same things were written to King Demetrius and to Attalus and to Aeryar thes and to Arsakis and to all the countries and to Lamp Sackus and to the Spartans and to Delas and Mindus and Scythian and Charia and Samus and Pamphlia and Lycia and Alecarnus and Kos and Psyde and Aratus and Rhodes and Fas Elyse and Gortina and Nidus and Cyprus and Cyrene and they wrote a copy there off to Simon the high priest and to the people of the Jews but King Antiochus moved his camp to Dora the second time assaulting it continually and making engines and he shut up Trifon that he could not go out and Simon sent to him 2000 chosen men to aid him silver also in gold and abundance of furniture and he would not receive them but broke all the covenant that he had made with him before and alienated himself from him and he sent to him Athenobius one of his friends to treat with him saying you hold Joppa and Gazzara and the castle that is in Jerusalem which are cities of my kingdom their borders you have wasted and you have made great havoc in the land and have got the dominion of many places in my kingdom now therefore deliver up the cities that you have taken and the tributes of the places whereof you have gotten the dominion without the borders of Judea but if not give me for them 500 talents of silver and for the havoc that you have made and the tributes of the cities other 500 talents or else we will come and fight against you so Athenobius the king's friend came to Jerusalem and saw the glory of Simon and his magnificence in gold and silver and his great equipage and he was astonished and told him the king's words and Simon answered him and said to him we have neither taken other men's land neither do we hold that which is other men's but the inheritance of our fathers which was for some time unjustly possessed by our enemies but we having opportunity claimed the inheritance of our fathers and as to thy complaints concerning Joppa and Gazzara they did great harm to the people and to our country yet for these we will give a hundred talents and Athenobius answered him not a word but returning in a rage to the king made report to him of these words and of the glory of Simon and of all that he had seen and the king was exceeding angry and triphon fled away by ship to Orthosius and the king appointed Sen Debius captain of the sea coast and gave him an army of footmen and horsemen and he commanded him to march with his army towards Judea and he commanded him to build up Ghidor and to fortify the gates of the city and to war against the people but the king himself pursued after triphon and Sen Debius came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and to ravage Judea and to take the people prisoners and to kill and to build Ghidor and he placed their horsemen and an army that they might issue forth and make incursions upon the ways of Judea as the king had commanded him and of chapter 15 chapter 16 then John came up from Ghazara and told Simon his father what Sen Debius had done against their people and Simon called his two eldest sons Judas and John and said to them I and my brethren in my father's house have fought against the enemies of Israel from our youth even to this day and things have prospered so well in our hands that we have delivered Israel often times and now I am old but be you instead of me and my brethren and go out and fight for our nation and the help from heaven be with you then he chose out of the country 20,000 fighting men and horsemen and they went forth against Sen Debius and they rested in Maudine and they arose in the morning and went into the plain and behold a very great army of footmen and horsemen came against them and there was a running river between them and he and his people pitched their camp over against them and he saw that the people were afraid to go over the river so he went over first then the men seeing him passed over after him and he divided the people and set the horsemen in the midst of the footmen but the horsemen of the enemies were very numerous and they sounded the holy trumpets and Sen Debius and his army were put to flight and there fell many of them wounded and the rest fled into the stronghold at that time Judas John's brother was wounded but John pursued after them till he came to Cedron which he had built and they fled even to the towers that were in the fields of Azotus and he burned them with fire and there fell of them two thousand men and he returned into Judea in peace now Ptolemy the son of Abobus was appointed captain in the plain of Jericho and he had abundance of silver and gold for he was son-in-law of the high priest and his heart was lifted up and he designed to make himself master of the country and he purposed treachery against Simon and his sons to destroy them now Simon as he was going through the cities that were in the country of Judea and taking care for the good ordering of them went down to Jericho he and Mathathias and Judas his sons in the year 177 the 11th month the same is the month Sabbath and the son of Abobus received them deceitfully into a little fortress that is called Doke which he had built and he made them a great feast and hid men there and when Simon and his sons had drunk plentifully Ptolemy and his men rose up and took their weapons and entered into the banqueting place and slew him and his two sons and some of his servants and he committed a great treachery in Israel and rendered evil for good and Ptolemy wrote these things and sent to the king that he should send him an army to aid him and he would deliver him the country and their cities and tributes and he sent others to Gazzara to kill John and to the tribunes he sent letters to come to him and that he would give them silver and gold and gifts and he sent others to take Jerusalem and the mountain of the temple now one running before told John in Gazzara that his father and his brethren were slain and that he had sent men to kill thee also but when he heard it he was exceedingly afraid and he apprehended the men that came to kill him and he put them to death for he knew that they sought to make him away and as concerning the rest of the acts of John and his wars and the worthy deeds which he bravely achieved and the building of the walls which he made and the things that he did behold these are written in the book of the days of his priesthood from the time that he was made high priest after his father end of chapter 16 and also the end of first Maccabees