Antiquities of the Jews — Book 13, Chapter 2

Of Demetrius.

1. Now in the hundred and sixtieth year, it fell out that Alexander, the
son of Antiochus Epiphanes, 1 came up into Syria, and took Ptolemais the
soldiers within having betrayed it to him; for they were at enmity with
Demetrius, on account of his insolence and difficulty of access; for he
shut himself up in a palace of his that had four towers which he had
built himself, not far from Antioch and admitted nobody. He was withal
slothful and negligent about the public affairs, whereby the hatred of
his subjects was the more kindled against him, as we have elsewhere
already related. When therefore Demetrius heard that Alexander was in
Ptolemais, he took his whole army, and led it against him; he also sent
ambassadors to Jonathan about a league of mutual assistance and
friendship, for he resolved to be beforehand with Alexander, lest the
other should treat with him first, and gain assistance from him; and
this he did out of the fear he had lest Jonathan should remember how ill
Demetrius had formerly treated him, and should join with him in this war
against him. He therefore gave orders that Jonathan should be allowed to
raise an army, and should get armor made, and should receive back those
hostages of the Jewish nation whom Baechides had shut up in the citadel
of Jerusalem. When this good fortune had befallen Jonathan, by the
concession of Demetrius, he came to Jerusalem, and read the king's
letter in the audience of the people, and of those that kept the
citadel. When these were read, these wicked men and deserters, who were
in the citadel, were greatly afraid, upon the king's permission to
Jonathan to raise an army, and to receive back the hostages. So he
delivered every one of them to his own parents. And thus did Jonathan
make his abode at Jerusalem, renewing the city to a better state, and
reforming the buildings as he pleased; for he gave orders that the walls
of the city should be rebuilt with square stones, that it might be more
secure from their enemies. And when those that kept the garrisons that
were in Judea saw this, they all left them, and fled to Antioch,
excepting those that were in the city Bethsura, and those that were in
the citadel of Jerusalem, for the greater part of these was of the
wicked Jews and deserters, and on that account these did not deliver up
their garrisons.

2. When Alexander knew what promises Demetrius had made Jonathan, and
withal knew his courage, and what great things he had done when he
fought the Macedonians, and besides what hardships he had undergone by
the means of Demetrius, and of Bacchides, the general of Demetrius's
army, he told his friends that he could not at present find any one else
that might afford him better assistance than Jonathan, who was both
courageous against his enemies, and had a particular hatred against
Demetrius, as having both suffered many hard things from him, and acted
many hard things against him. If therefore they were of opinion that
they should make him their friend against Demetrius, it was more for
their advantage to invite him to assist them now than at another time.
It being therefore determined by him and his friends to send to
Jonathan, he wrote to him this epistle: "King Alexander to his brother
Jonathan, sendeth greeting. We have long ago heard of thy courage and
thy fidelity, and for that reason have sent to thee, to make with thee a
league of friendship and mutual assistance. We therefore do ordain thee
this day the high priest of the Jews, and that thou beest called my
friend. I have also sent thee, as presents, a purple robe and a golden
crown, and desire that, now thou art by us honored, thou wilt in like
manner respect us also."

3. When Jonathan had received this letter, he put on the pontifical robe
at the time of the feast of tabernacles, 2 four years after the death of
his brother Judas, for at that time no high priest had been made. So he
raised great forces, and had abundance of armor got ready. This greatly
grieved Demetrius when he heard of it, and made him blame himself for
his slowness, that he had not prevented Alexander, and got the good-will
of Jonathan, but had given him time so to do. However, he also himself
wrote a letter to Jonathan, and to the people, the contents whereof are
these: "King Demetrius to Jonathan, and to the nation of the Jews,
sendeth greeting. Since you have preserved your friendship for us, and
when you have been tempted by our enemies, you have not joined
yourselves to them, I both commend you for this your fidelity, and
exhort you to continue in the same disposition, for which you shall be
repaid, and receive rewards from us; for I will free you from the
greatest part of the tributes and taxes which you formerly paid to the
kings my predecessors, and to myself; and I do now set you free from
those tributes which you have ever paid; and besides, I forgive you the
tax upon salt, and the value of the crowns which you used to offer to me
3 and instead of the third part of the fruits [of the field], and the
half of the fruits of the trees, I relinquish my part of them from this
day: and as to the poll-money, which ought to be given me for every head
of the inhabitants of Judea, and of the three toparchies that adjoin to
Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, and Peres, that I relinquish to you for
this time, and for all time to come. I will also that the city of
Jerusalem be holy and inviolable, and free from the tithe, and from the
taxes, unto its utmost bounds. And I so far recede from my title to the
citadel, as to permit Jonathan your high priest to possess it, that he
may place such a garrison in it as he approves of for fidelity and good-
will to himself, that they may keep it for us. I also make free all
those Jews who have been made captives and slaves in my kingdom. I also
give order that the beasts of the Jews be not pressed for our service;
and let their sabbaths, and all their festivals, and three days before
each of them, be free from any imposition. In the same manner, I set
free the Jews that are inhabitants of my kingdom, and order that no
injury be done them. I also give leave to such of them as are willing to
list themselves in my army, that they may do it, and those as far as
thirty thousand; which Jewish soldiers, wheresoever they go, shall have
the same pay that my own army hath; and some of them I will place in my
garrisons, and some as guards about mine own body, and as rulers over
those that are in my court. I give them leave also to use the laws of
their forefathers, and to observe them; and I will that they have power
over the three toparchies that are added to Judea; and it shall be in
the power of the high priest to take care that no one Jew shall have any
other temple for worship but only that at Jerusalem. I bequeath also,
out of my own revenues, yearly, for the expenses about the sacrifices,
one hundred and fifty thousand [drachmae]; and what money is to spare, I
will that it shall be your own. I also release to you those ten thousand
drachmae which the kings received from the temple, because they
appertain to the priests that minister in that temple. And whosoever
shall fly to the temple at Jerusalem, or to the places thereto
belonging, or who owe the king money, or are there on any other account,
let them be set free, and let their goods be in safety. I also give you
leave to repair and rebuild your temple, and that all be done at my
expenses. I also allow you to build the walls of your city, and to erect
high towers, and that they be erected at my charge. And if there be any
fortified town that would be convenient for the Jewish country to have
very strong, let it be so built at my expenses."

4. This was what Demetrius promised and granted to the Jews by this
letter. But king Alexander raised a great army of mercenary soldiers,
and of those that deserted to him out of Syria, and made an expedition
against Demetrius. And when it was come to a battle, the left wing of
Demetrius put those who opposed them to flight, and pursued them a great
way, and slew many of them, and spoiled their camp; but the right wing,
where Demetrius happened to be, was beaten; and as for all the rest,
they ran away. But Demetrius fought courageously, and slew a great many
of the enemy; but as he was in the pursuit of the rest, his horse
carried him into a deep bog, where it was hard to get out, and there it
happened, that upon his horse's falling down, he could not escape being
killed; for when his enemies saw what had befallen him, they returned
back, and encompassed Demetrius round, and they all threw their darts at
him; but he, being now on foot, fought bravely. But at length he
received so many wounds, that he was not able to bear up any longer, but
fell. And this is the end that Demetrius came to, when he had reigned
eleven years, 4 as we have elsewhere related.