Capture of Demetrius.

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

                            Glory of Simon*

       The land was at peace all the days of Simon,

          who sought the good of his people.

       They were pleased at his rule

          and with his magnificence throughout his life.

       The crowning point of his glory was his capture of the port of Joppa,

          affording him a gateway to the isles of the sea.

       He enlarged the frontiers of his nation

          and gained complete control of the country.

       He took many captives

          and conquered Gazara, Beth-zur, and the citadel.

       He cleansed the citadel of its defilement;

          no one was able to withstand him.

       The people farmed their land in peace;

          the ground yielded its produce

          and the trees of the plain their fruit.

       Old men sat in the squares;

          all their conversation revolved around their prosperity,

          while the young men were arrayed in splendid armor.

       He supplied the towns with food

          and equipped them with fortifications

          until his renown resounded to the ends of the earth.

       He established peace in the land,

          and Israel was filled with great joy.

       All the people sat under their own vines and fig trees,

          and there was no one to make them afraid.

       No one was left in the land to attack them;

          the kings in those days had been crushed.

       He gave help to the lowly among his people

          and was zealous for the law,

          suppressing all the lawless and the wicked.

       He enhanced the splendor of the temple

          and enriched it with many sacred vessels.

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 14, VERSES 1 - 15

Renewal of the Alliance with Rome and Sparta.

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

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

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

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 14, VERSES 16 - 24

Homage Rendered to Simon.

When the people heard an account of these events, they said, "How can we possibly thank Simon and his sons? He and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm and repulsed the enemies of Israel, ensuring the nation's freedom." Therefore, they engraved an inscription on bronze tablets and affixed them to pillars on Mount Zion.

The following is a copy of the inscription:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 14, VERSES 25 - 49

Antiochus VII Recognizes Simon's Titles.

Antiochus, the son of King Demetrius, sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to the entire nation. It read as follows:

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

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

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 15, VERSES 1 - 9

Antiochus VII Besieges Trypho at Dor.

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

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 15, VERSES 10 - 14

Rome Issues an Edict in Favor of the Jews.

In the meantime, Numenius and his companions arrived from Rome with letters such as this addressed to the various kings and nations:

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

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

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 15, VERSES 15 - 24

Antiochus Gives Simon an Ultimatum.

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

       Antiochus sent Athenobius, one of his Friends, to confer with Simon and say: "You are occupying Joppa and Gazara and the citadel in Jerusalem, cities that are part of my kingdom. You have laid waste their territories, done immense damage to the country, and seized control of many places in my kingdom. Therefore, either hand over the cities you have seized and relinquish the tribute money you have exacted from the places you have conquered beyond the frontier of Judea, or else pay me five hundred talents of silver for the devastation you have caused and another five hundred talents to compensate for the tribute money of the cities. If you refuse to do this, we will come and make war on you."

       So Anthenobius, the king's Friend, came to Jerusalem and was astounded upon observing the magnificence of Simon's court, the gold and silver vessels on his sideboard, and the rich display of his wealth. When he delivered the king's message to him, Simon said to him in reply:

       "We have neither taken foreign land nor seized possession of the property of others. We have merely reclaimed our ancestral heritage that for a period of time had been unjustly seized by our enemies. Now that we have the opportunity, we fully intend to maintain possession of the heritage of our ancestors. As regards Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, these towns were causing great damage among our people and in our land. However, we are willing to pay you one hundred talents for these cities."

       Athenobius offered no response, but he returned to the king filled with wrath. When he reported to him what Simon had said and described the splendor of Simon and of everything he had seen, the king was enraged.

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 15, VERSES 25 - 36

The Syrian Army Invades Judea.

Meanwhile Trypho boarded a ship and escaped to Orthosia. Then the king appointed Cendebeus as commander-in-chief of the coastal region and gave him infantry and calvary forces. He ordered him to deploy his troops against Judea, to rebuild Kedron and fortify its gates, and to make war on the Jewish people while the king himself continued his pursuit of Trypho. When Cendebeus arrived in Jamnia, he began to harass the people and to invade Judea, taking prisoners and slaying them. He rebuilt Kedron and stationed cavalry and infantry there so that they could go forth and patrol the roads of Judea, as the king had ordered.

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 15, VERSES 37 - 41

Simon's Sons Repulse the Invader.

John then went up from Gazara and reported to Simon his father what Cendebeus was doing. Simon summoned his two oldest sons, Judas and John, and said to them, "My brothers and I and my father's house have fought the battles of Israel from our youth until today, and on many occasions we were successful in saving Israel. Now I am old, but by the mercy of Heaven you have achieved maturity. Take my place and my brother's, and go out and fight for our nation. And may the help of Heaven be with you."

       John then selected twenty thousand of the country's infantry and calvary, and they marched against Cendebeus. After spending the night at Modein, they marched into the plain early in the morning, where a large force of infantry and cavalry was waiting to attack them, with a stream lying between the two armies. John and his troops lined up in position facing them. When he realized that his soldiers were afraid to cross the stream, John himself crossed over first. On seeing this, his men followed him across. Then he divided his army into two sections, with the cavalry centered between them, for the cavalry of the enemy were very numerous. They sounded the trumpets, and Cendebeus and his army were put to flight. Many of them fell wounded, and the rest fled to the refuge in the stronghold. Judas, the brother of John, fell wounded, but John pursued them until Cendebeus reached Kedron, which he had rebuilt. When some of the enemy fled to the towers on the plain of Azotus, John set fire to these towers, and about two thousand of the enemy perished. He then returned safely to Judea.

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 16, VERSES 1 - 10

Simon Assassinated by His Son-in-Law.

Ptolemy, the son of Abubus, had been appointed governor of the plain of Jericho, and he possessed a great amount of silver and gold, for he was the son-in-law of the high priest. However, he became ambitious, determining to gain control of the country, and he therefore made treacherous plans to do away with Simon and his sons.

       Simon, who was inspecting the towns of the country and attending to their needs, went down to Jericho with his sons Mattathias and Judas in the year one hundred and seventy-seven, in the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat. The son of Abubus received them treacherously at the small fortress called Dok, which he had built. He entertained them at a sumptuous banquet, while his men were concealed in nearby hiding places. When Simon and his sons were drunk, Ptolemy and his men rose up and seized their weapons. Rushing against Simon in the banquet hall, they killed him and his two sons and some of his servants. By this act of vicious treachery he returned evil for good.

       Then Ptolemy wrote a report about his deed and forwarded it to the king, asking that troops be sent to aid him and that the country and its towns be placed under his rule. He sent some troops to Gazara to do away with John, and he wrote letters to his military commanders inviting them to come to him so that he might reward them with silver, gold, and gifts. He also sent other troops to seize control of Jerusalem and the temple mount. However, someone ran ahead and reported to John at Gazara that his father and his brothers had been murdered and that Ptolemy was sending men to kill him too. On hearing this, John was greatly shocked. When the men came to kill him, he had them arrested and put to death, for he had been forewarned of their mission to destroy him.

       The rest of the history of John and his wars and the brave deeds that he performed, the walls he built, and the rest of his achievements are recorded in the annals of his high priesthood from the time when he succeeded his father as high priest.

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 16, VERSES 11 - 24