CHAPTER TEN OF THE SECOND BOOK OF MACCABAEES

CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT FROM

Alfred C. Barnes

The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029308503

CONTAINING THE HISTORY OF ABOUT FORTY YEARS, VIZ. FROM 175 TO 135 BEFORE CHRIST.

WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, BY

HENRY COTTON, D.C.L.

ARCHDEACON OF CASHEL,

AND DECEASED STUDENT AT CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD

OXFORD, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. MDCCCXXXII.

THE PROVOST, FELLOWS AND SCHOLARS, VAN TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, TO WHOSE VALUABLE LIBRARY I HAD THE MOST GENEROUS ACCESS, THE PRESENT PUBLICATION IS ENGRAVED, IN TESTIMONY OF RESPECT AND REGARD.

THE

SECOND BOOK

MACCABEES:

CONTAINING

THE HISTORY OF ABOUT FORTY YEARS, VIZ. FROM 175 TO 135 BEFORE CHRIST

CHAPTER X.

B.C.153

The negotiations of Alexander and Demetrius with Jonathan. The death of Demetrius.

In the hundred and sixtieth year, Alexander ^athe son of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, went up and took Ptolemais: for the people had received him, by means whereof he

reigned there. Now when king Demetrius heard thereof, he gathered together an exceeding great host, and went forth against him to fight. Moreover, Demetrius sent letters unto Jonathan with loving words, so that he magnified him. For said he, let us first make peace with him, before he joins with Alexander against us; else he will remember all the evils which we have done against him, an^dagainst his brethren, and his people. Wherefore he gave him authority to gather together a host, and to provide weapons, that he might aid him in battle: he commanded also that the hostages which were in the tower should be delivered to him.
Then came Jonathan to Jerusalem and read the letters in the audience of all the people, and of them which were in the tower: who were sore afraid, when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather together a host. Whereupon they of the tower delivered their hostages unto Jonathan, and he delivered them unto their parents. And Jonathan settled himself in Jerusalem and began to build and repair the city. And U he commanded the workmen to build the walls, and the mount Sion roundabout with square stones, for fortification: and they did so. Then the strangers who were in the fortresses which Bacchides had built, fled away: insomuch that every man left his place, and went into his own country. Only at Bethsura certain of those who had forsaken the law and the commandments, remained still: for it was their place of refuge. Now when king Alexander had heard what promises Demetrius had sent unto Jonathan: when also it had told him of the battles and noble acts which he and his brethren had done, and of the pains which they had endured, he said. Shall we find such another man? now therefore we will make him our friend and confederate. Upon this he wrote a letter, and sent it unto him, according to these words, saying, ” King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, sendeth greeting: We have heard of thee, that thou art a man of great power, and meet to be our friend. Wherefore ” now this day we ordain thee to be the high priest^b of thy nation, and to be called the king’s ” friend, (and therewithal he sent him a purple robe ^c, and a crown of gold,) and require thee to take our part, and keep friendship with us.” So in the seventh month of the hundred and sixtieth year, at the feast of the tabernacles, Jona than put on the holy robe, and gathered together forces, and provided much armour. Whereof when Demetrius heard, he was very sorry, and said; What have we done, that Alexander hath anticipated us, in making amity with the Jews to strengthen himself? I also will write unto them words of encouragement and promise them dignities ^d and gifts, that they may be with me to aid me. He sent unto them therefore to this effect: ” King Demetrius unto the people of the Jews, sendeth greeting: Whereas ye have ” kept covenants with us, and continued in our’

friendship, not joining yourselves with our enemies, we have heard thereof, and are glad. Wherefore now continue ye still to be faithful unto us, and we will well recompense you for the things ye do in our behalf; and will grant you many immunities, and give you rewards. And now do I free you, and for your sake I release all the Jews from tributes, and from the customs of salt, and from crown-taxes ^eand from that which appertained unto me to receive for the third part of the grain, and the half of the fruit of the trees, I release it from this day forth; so that they shall not be taken from the land of Judah, nor from the three governments which are added thereunto out of the country of Samaria, and Galilee^f, from this day forth for evermore. Let Jerusalem also be holy and free, with the borders thereof, both from tenths and tributes. I also yield up my authority over the tower, which is in Jerusalem, and give it to the high priest, that he may set in it

such men as he shall choose to keep it. Moreover, I freely set at liberty every one of the Jews who were carried captives out of the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom; and I will, that all my officers remit their tributes, even of their cattle. Furthermore, I will that all the feasts, and sabbaths, and new moons, and solemn days, and the three days before the feast, and the three days after the feast, shall be all days of immunity and freedom for all the Jews in my realm. Also, no man shall have authority to meddle with them, or to molest any of them in any matter. I will further, that there be enrolled amongst the king’s forces about thirty thousand men of the Jews, unto whom pay shall be given, as belongeth to all the king’s forces. And of them some shall be placed in the king’s strong holds, of whom also some shall be set over the affairs of the kingdom, which areof trust: and I will, that their overseers and governors be of themselves, and that they walk after their own laws, even as the king hath commanded in the land of Judah. And concerning the three governments which are added to Judea from the country of Samaria^g, let them be joined with Judea, that they may be reckoned to be under one, and may not obey other authority than the high priests. As for Ptolemais and the land pertaining thereto, I give it as a free gift to the sanctuary at Jerusalem, for the necessary expenses of the sanctuary. Moreover, I give every year fifteen thousand shekels of silver out of the king’s accounts, from the

places appertaining. And all the overplus, which the officers payed not in, as in former times, from henceforth they shall give towards the works of the temple. And besides this, the five thousand shekels of silver, which they took from the uses of the temple out of the accounts year by year, even those things are released, because they appertain to the priests who minister. And whosoever they be which flee unto the temple at Jerusalem, or be within the liberties thereof, being indebted unto the king, or for any other matter, let them be at liberty, and all which they have in my realm. For the building also and repairing of the works of the sanctuary, expenses shall be given out of the king’s accounts: yea, and for the building of the walls of Jerusalem, and the fortifying thereof round about, expenses shall be given out of the king’s accounts, as also for the building of the walls in Judea.^h

Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they gave no credit unto them, nor received them, because they remembered the great evil which he had done in Israel; for he had afflicted them very sore. But with Alexander they were well pleased, because he was the first who entreated of peaceable words with them, and they were confederate with him always. Then gathered king Alexander great forces, and camped over against Demetrius. And after the two kings had joined battle, Demetrius’s host fled: but Alexander followed after

him, and prevailed against them. And he continued the battle very sore until the sun went down: and that day was Demetrius slain. Afterward Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy ⁱ, king of Egypt, with a message to this effect: ” Forasmuch as I am come again to my realm, and am set on the throne of my fathers, and have gotten the dominion, and overthrown Demetrius, and recovered our country: (For after I had joined battle with him, both he and his host was discomfited by us, so that we sit in the throne of his kingdom.) Now therefore let us make a league of amity together and give me now thy daughter to wife: and I will be thy son-in-law, and will give both thee and her 55 gifts, according to thy dignity.” Then Ptolemy the king gave answer, saying, happy be the day written: wherein thou didst return into the land of thy fathers, and sattest in the throne of their king dom. And now will I do to thee, as thou hast meet me therefore at Ptolemais, that we may see one another; and I will marry my daughter to thee, as thou hast said. So, Ptolemy went out of Egypt himself and his daughter Cleopatra, and they came unto Ptolemais in the hundred threescore and second year: where king Alexander meeting him, he gave unto him his daughter Cleopatra, and celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais with great glory, as the manner of kings is. Now king Alexander had written unto Jonathan, that he should come and meet him. Who thereupon went honourably to Ptolemais, where

he met the two kings, and gave them and their friends silver and gold, and many presents, and found favour in their sight. At that time certain pestilent fellows of Israel, men of a wicked life, as him: assembled themselves against him, to complain of him: but the king did not attend to them. And the king commanded, and they stripped Jonathan of his garments, and put on him a purple robe and they did so. Also, he made him sit near himself and said unto his princes. Go with him into the midst of the city, and make proclamation, that no man complains against him of any matter, and that no man trouble him for any manner of cause. Now when those who complained of him saw his glory, according to the proclamation, and himself clothed with a purple robe, they fled all away. So, the king honoured him, and wrote him amongst his chief friends, and made him a general, and governor of a province ^k. Afterward Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with peace and gladness. Furthermore, in the hundred threescore and fith year, came Demetrius^l, son of Demetrius, out of Crete into the land of his fathers. Whereof when king Alexander heard tell, he was right sorry and returned into Antioch. Then Demetrius made Apollonius ^m the governor

of Coelosyria his general, who gathered together a great host, and camped in Jamnia ⁿ, and sent unto Jonathan the high priest, saying, Thou alone liftest up thyself against us, and I am laughed to scorn for thy sake, and reproached: and why dost thou vaunt thy power against us in the mountains? Now therefore, if thou trustest in thine own strength, come down to us into the plain field, and there let us try the matter together: for with me is the power of the cities. Ask, and learn who I am, and the rest who take our part, and they shall tell thee, that thy foot is not able to stand before our face; for thy fathers have been twice ^o put to flight in their own land. Wherefore now thou shalt not be able to abide the horsemen, and so great a power in the plain, where is neither stone nor flint ^p, nor place to flee unto. So, when Jonathan heard these words of Apollonius, he was moved in his mind; and choosing ten thousand men, he went out of Jerusalem, and Simon his brother met him to help him. And he pitched his tents against Joppe: but they of Joppe shut him out of the city, because Apollonius had a garrison there. Then Jonathan laid siege unto it: whereupon they of the city let him in for fear: and so Jonathan

won Joppe. Whereof when Apollonius heard, he took three thousand horsemen, with a great host of footmen, and went to Azotus as one who was journeying through it; and there withal marched forth into the plain, because he had a great number of horsemen, in whom he put his trust. Then Jonathan followed after him to Azotus, where the armies joined battle. Now Apollonius had left a thousand horsemen in ambush behind them. And Jonathan perceived that there was an ambush behind him; for they had compassed in his host, and cast darts at the people, from morning till evening. But the people stood still, as Jonathan had commanded them: and so, the enemies’ horses were tired ^q .Then brought Simon forth his host, and set them against the footmen ^r, (for the horsemen were spent;) who were discomfited by him and fled; the horsemen also, being scattered in the field, fled to Azotus, and went into Bethdagon^s their idol’s temple, for safety. But Jonathan set fire on Azotus, and the cities ^t round about it, and took their spoils; and the temple of Dagon, with them which had fled together into it, he burnt with fire. And they which fell by the sword, those who were burnt, were about eight thousand men. And from thence Jonathan removed his host, and camped against Escalon, where the men of the city came forth, and met him with

great pomp. After this returned Jonathan and his host unto Jerusalem, having many spoils. Now it came to pass when king Alexander heard these things, he honoured Jonathan yet more; and sent him a buckle ^uof gold, as the use is to be given to such as are of the king’s blood: he gave him also Accaron ^x, and all the borders thereof, in possession.