Antiquities of the Jews — Book 13, Chapter 5

1. Now there was a certain commander of Alexander's forces, an Apanemian
by birth, whose name was Diodotus, and was also called Trypho, took
notice the ill-will of the soldiers bare to Demetrius, and went to
Malchus the Arabian, who brought up Antiochus, the son of Alexander, and
told him what ill-will the army bare Demetrius, and persuaded him to
give him Antiochus, because he would make him king, and recover to him
the kingdom of his father. Malchus at the first opposed him in this
attempt, because he could not believe him; but when Trypho lay hard at
him for a long time, he over-persuaded him to comply with Trypho's
intentions and entreaties. And this was the state Trypho was now in.

2. But Jonathan the high priest, being desirous to get clear of those
that were in the citadel of Jerusalem, and of the Jewish deserters, and
wicked men, as well as of those in all the garrisons in the country,
sent presents and ambassadors to Demetrius, and entreated him to take
away his soldiers out of the strong holds of Judea. Demetrius made
answer, that after the war, which he was now deeply engaged in, was
over, he would not only grant him that, but greater things than that
also; and he desired he would send him some assistance, and informed him
that his army had deserted him. So Jonathan chose out three thousand of
his soldiers, and sent them to Demetrius.

3. Now the people of Antioch hated Demetrius, both on account of what
mischief he had himself done them, and because they were his enemies
also on account of his father Demetrius, who had greatly abused them; so
they watched some opportunity which they might lay hold on to fall upon
him. And when they were informed of the assistance that was coming to
Demetrius from Jonathan, and considered at the same time that he would
raise a numerous army, unless they prevented him, and seized upon him,
they took their weapons immediately, and encompassed his palace in the
way of a siege, and seizing upon all the ways of getting out, they
sought to subdue their king. And when he saw that the people of Antioch
were become his bitter enemies and that they were thus in arms, he took
the mercenary soldiers which he had with them, and those Jews who were
sent by Jonathan, and assaulted the Antiochians; but he was overpowered
by them, for they were many ten thousands, and was beaten. But when the
Jews saw that the Antiochians were superior, they went up to the top of
the palace, and shot at them from thence; and because they were so
remote from them by their height, that they suffered nothing on their
side, but did great execution on the others, as fighting from such an
elevation, they drove them out of the adjoining houses, and immediately
set them on fire, whereupon the flame spread itself over the whole city,
and burnt it all down. This happened by reason of the closeness of the
houses, and because they were generally built of wood. So the
Antiochians, when they were not able to help themselves, nor to stop the
fire, were put to flight. And as the Jews leaped from the top of one
house to the top of another, and pursued them after that manner, it
thence happened that the pursuit was so very surprising. But when the
king saw that the Antiochians were were busy in saving their children
and their wives, and so did not fight any longer, he fell upon them in
the narrow passages, and fought them, and slew a great many of them,
till at last they were forced to throw down their arms, and to deliver
themselves up to Demetrius. So he forgave them this their insolent
behavior, and put an end to the sedition; and when he had given rewards
to the Jews out of the rich spoils he had gotten, and had returned them
thanks, as the cause of his victory, he sent them away to Jerusalem to
Jonathan, with an ample testimony of the assistance they had afforded
him. Yet did he prove an ill man to Jonathan afterward, and broke the
promises he had made; and he threatened that he would make war upon him,
unless he would pay all that tribute which the Jewish nation owed to the
first kings [of Syria]. And this he had done, if Trypho had not hindered
him, and diverted his preparations against Jonathan to a concern for his
own preservation; for he now returned out of Arabia into Syria, with the
child Antiochus, for he was yet in age but a youth, and put the diadem
on his head; and as the whole forces that had left Demetrius, because
they had no pay, came to his assistance, he made war upon Demetrius, and
joining battle with him, overcame him in the fight, and took from him
both his elephants and the city Antioch.

4. Demetrius, upon this defeat, retired into Cilicia; but the child
Antiochus sent ambassadors and an epistle to Jonathan, and made him his
friend and confederate, and confirmed to him the high priesthood, and
yielded up to him the four prefectures which had been added to Judea.
Moreover, he sent him vessels and cups of gold, and a purple garment,
and gave him leave to use them. He also presented him with a golden
button, and styled him one of his principal friends, and appointed his
brother Simon to be the general over the forces, from the Ladder of Tyre
unto Egypt. So Jonathan was so pleased with these grants made him by
Antiochus, that he sent ambassadors to him and to Trypho, and professed
himself to be their friend and confederate, and said he would join with
him in a war against Demetrius, informing him that he had made no proper
returns for the kindness he had done him; for that when he had received
many marks of kindness from him, when he stood in great need of them,
he, for such good turns, had requited him with further injuries.

5. So Antiochus gave Jonathan leave to raise himself a numerous army out
of Syria and Phoenicia and to make war against Demetrius's generals;
whereupon he went in haste to the several cities which received him
splendidly indeed, but put no forces into his hands. And when he was
come from thence to Askelon, the inhabitants of Askelon came and brought
him presents, and met him in a splendid manner. He exhorted them, and
every one of the cities of Celesyria, to forsake Demetrius, and to join
with Antiochus; and, in assisting him, to endeavor to punish Demetrius
for what offenses he had been guilty of against themselves; and told
them there were many reasons for that their procedure, if they had a
mind so to do. And when he had persuaded those cities to promise their
assistance to Antiochus, he came to Gaza, in order to induce them also
to be friends to Antiochus; but he found the inhabitants of Gaza much
more alienated from him than he expected, for they had shut their gates
against him; and although they had deserted Demetrius, they had not
resolved to join themselves to Antiochus. This provoked Jonathan to
besiege them, and to harass their country; for as he set a part of his
army round about Gaza itself, so with the rest he overran their land,
and spoiled it, and burnt what was in it. When the people of Gaza saw
themselves in this state of affliction, and that no assistance came to
them from Demetrius, that what distressed them was at hand, but what
should profit them was still at a great distance, and it was uncertain
whether it would come at all or not, they thought it would be prudent
conduct to leave off any longer continuance with them, and to cultivate
friendship with the other; so they sent to Jonathan, and professed they
would be his friends, and afford him assistance: for such is the temper
of men, that before they have had the trial of great afflictions, they
do not understand what is for their advantage; but when they find
themselves under such afflictions, they then change their minds, and
what it had been better for them to have done before they had been at
all damaged, they choose to do, but not till after they have suffered
such damages. However, he made a league of friendship with them, and
took from them hostages for their performance of it, and sent these
hostages to Jerusalem, while he went himself over all the country, as
far as Damascus.

6. But when he heard that the generals of Demetrius's forces were come
to the city Cadesh with a numerous army, [the place lies between the
land of the Tyrians and Galilee,]for they supposed they should hereby
draw him out of Syria, in order to preserve Galilee, and that he would
not overlook the Galileans, who were his own people, when war was made
upon them, he went to meet them, having left Simon in Judea, who raised
as great an army as he was able out of the country, and then sat down
before Bethsura, and besieged it, that being the strongest place in all
Judea; and a garrison of Demetrius's kept it, as we have already
related. But as Simon was raising banks, and bringing his engines of war
against Bethsura, and was very earnest about the siege of it, the
garrison was afraid lest the place should be taken of Simon by force,
and they put to the sword; so they sent to Simon, and desired the
security of his oath, that they should come to no harm from him, and
that they would leave the place, and go away to Demetrius. Accordingly
he gave them his oath, and ejected them out of the city, and he put
therein a garrison of his own.

7. But Jonathan removed out of Galilee, and from the waters which are
called Gennesar, for there he was before encamped, and came into the
plain that is called Asor, without knowing that the enemy was there.
When therefore Demetrius's men knew a day beforehand that Jonathan was
coming against them, they laid an ambush in the mountain, who were to
assault him on the sudden, while they themselves met him with an army in
the plain; which army, when Jonathan saw ready to engage him, he also
got ready his own soldiers for the battle as well as he was able; but
those that were laid in ambush by Demetrius's generals being behind
them, the Jews were afraid lest they should be caught in the midst
between two bodies, and perish; so they ran away in haste, and indeed
all the rest left Jonathan; but a few there were, in number about fifty,
who staid with him, and with them Mattathias, the son of Absalom, and
Judas, the son of Chapseus, who were commanders of the whole army. These
marched boldly, and like men desperate, against the enemy, and so pushed
them, that by their courage they daunted them, and with their weapons in
their hands they put them to flight. And when those soldiers of Jonathan
that had retired saw the enemy giving way, they got together after their
flight, and pursued them with great violence; and this did they as far
as Cadesh, where the camp of the enemy lay.

8. Jonathan having thus gotten a glorious victory, and slain two
thousand of the enemy, returned to Jerusalem. So when he saw that all
his affairs prospered according to his mind, by the providence of God,
he sent ambassadors to the Romans, being desirous of renewing that
friendship which their nation had with them formerly. He enjoined the
same ambassadors, that, as they came back, they should go to the
Spartans, and put them in mind of their friendship and kindred. So when
the ambassadors came to Rome, they went into their senate, and said what
they were commanded by Jonathan the high priest to say, how he had sent
them to confirm their friendship. The senate then confirmed what had
been formerly decreed concerning their friendship with the Jews, and
gave them letters to carry to all the kings of Asia and Europe, and to
the governors of the cities, that they might safely conduct them to
their own country. Accordingly, as they returned, they came to Sparta,
and delivered the epistle which they had received of Jonathan to them; a
copy of which here follows: "Jonathan the high priest of the Jewish
nation, and the senate, and body of the people of the Jews, to the
ephori, and senate, and people of the Lacedemonians, send greeting. If
you be well, and both your public and private affairs be agreeable to
your mind, it is according to our wishes. We are well also. When in
former times an epistle was brought to Onias, who was then our high
priest, from Areus, who at that time was your king, by Demoteles,
concerning the kindred that was between us and you, a copy of which is
here subjoined, we both joyfully received the epistle, and were well
pleased with Demoteles and Areus, although we did not need such a
demonstration, because we were satisfied about it from the sacred
writings 10 yet did not we think fit first to begin the claim of this
relation to you, lest we should seem too early in taking to ourselves
the glory which is now given us by you. It is a long time since this
relation of ours to you hath been renewed; and when we, upon holy and
festival days, offer sacrifices to God, we pray to him for your
preservation and victory. As to ourselves, although we have had many
wars that have compassed us around, by reason of the covetousness of our
neighbors, yet did not we determine to be troublesome either to you, or
to others that were related to us; but since we have now overcome our
enemies, and have occasion to send Numenius the son of Antiochus, and
Antipater the son of Jason, who are both honorable men belonging to our
senate, to the Romans, we gave them this epistle to you also, that they
might renew that friendship which is between us. You will therefore do
well yourselves to write to us, and send us an account of what you stand
in need of from us, since we are in all things disposed to act according
to your desires." So the Lacedemonians received the ambassadors kindly,
and made a decree for friendship and mutual assistance, and sent it to
them.

9. At this time there were three sects among the Jews, who had different
opinions concerning human actions; the one was called the sect of the
Pharisees, another the sect of the Sadducees, and the other the sect of
the Essens. Now for the Pharisees, 11 they say that some actions, but
not all, are the work of fate, and some of them are in our own power,
and that they are liable to fate, but are not caused by fate. But the
sect of the Essens affirm, that fate governs all things, and that
nothing befalls men but what is according to its determination. And for
the Sadducees, they take away fate, and say there is no such thing, and
that the events of human affairs are not at its disposal; but they
suppose that all our actions are in our own power, so that we are
ourselves the causes of what is good, and receive what is evil from our
own folly. However, I have given a more exact account of these opinions
in the second book of the Jewish War.

10. But now the generals of Demetrius being willing to recover the
defeat they had had, gathered a greater army together than they had
before, and came against Jonathan; but as soon as he was informed of
their coming, he went suddenly to meet them, to the country of Hamoth,
for he resolved to give them no opportunity of coming into Judea; so he
pitched his camp at fifty furlongs' distance from the enemy, and sent
out spies to take a view of their camp, and after what manner they were
encamped. When his spies had given him full information, and had seized
upon some of them by night, who told him the enemy would soon attack
him, he, thus apprized beforehand, provided for his security, and placed
watchmen beyond his camp, and kept all his forces armed all night; and
he gave them a charge to be of good courage, and to have their minds
prepared to fight in the night time, if they should be obliged so to do,
lest their enemy's designs should seem concealed from them. But when
Demetrius's commanders were informed that Jonathan knew what they
intended, their counsels were disordered, and it alarmed them to find
that the enemy had discovered those their intentions; nor did they
expect to overcome them any other way, now they had failed in the snares
they had laid for them; for should they hazard an open battle, they did
not think they should be a match for Jonathan's army, so they resolved
to fly; and having lighted many fires, that when the enemy saw them they
might suppose they were there still, they retired. When Jonathan came to
give them battle in the morning in their camp, and found it deserted,
and understood they were fled, he pursued them; yet he could not
overtake them, for they had already passed over the river Eleutherus,
and were out of danger. So when Jonathan was returned thence, he went
into Arabia, and fought against the Nabateans, and drove away a great
deal of their prey, and took [many] captives, and came to Damascus, and
there sold off what he had taken. About the same time it was that Simon
his brother went over all Judea and Palestine, as far as Askelon, and
fortified the strong holds; and when he had made them very strong, both
in the edifices erected, and in the garrisons placed in them, he came to
Joppa; and when he had taken it, he brought a great garrison into it,
for he heard that the people of Joppa were disposed to deliver up the
city to Demetrius's generals.

11. When Simon and Jonathan had finished these affairs, they returned to
Jerusalem, where Jonathan gathered all the people together, and took
counsel to restore the walls of Jerusalem, and to rebuild the wall that
encompassed the temple, which had been thrown down, and to make the
places adjoining stronger by very high towers; and besides that, to
build another wall in the midst of the city, in order to exclude the
market-place from the garrison, which was in the citadel, and by that
means to hinder them from any plenty of provisions; and moreover, to
make the fortresses that were in the country much stronger and more
defensible than they were before. And when these things were approved of
by the multitude, as rightly proposed, Jonathan himself took care of the
building that belonged to the city, and sent Simon away to make the
fortresses in the country more secure than formerly. But Demetrius
passed over [Euphrates], and came into Mesopotamia, as desirous to
retain that country still, as well as Babylon; and when he should have
obtained the dominion of the upper provinces, to lay a foundation for
recovering his entire kingdom; for those Greeks and Macedonians who
dwelt there frequently sent ambassadors to him, and promised, that if he
would come to them, they would deliver themselves up to him, and assist
him in fighting against Arsaces, 12 the king of the Parthians. So he was
elevated with these hopes, and came hastily to them, as having resolved,
that if he had once overthrown the Parthians, and gotten an army of his
own, he would make war against Trypho, and eject him out of Syria; and
the people of that country received him with great alacrity. So he
raised forces, with which he fought against Arsaces, and lost all his
army, and was himself taken alive, as we have elsewhere related.