1 Maccabees 10

In the one hundred and sixtieth year, Alexander son of Antiochus, who was surnamed the Noble, went up and took Ptolemais. They received him, and he reigned there.

King Demetrius heard of it and gathered a very large army, marching out to meet him in battle.

Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan with peaceable words, to gain his favor.

For he said: 'Let us be first to make peace with him, before he makes peace with Alexander against us.'

'For he will remember all the evil we have done to him, to his brother, and to his nation.'

He gave him authority to gather an army and manufacture weapons, and to be his ally. He also ordered that the hostages in the citadel be handed over to him.

Jonathan came to Jerusalem and read the letters in the hearing of all the people and of those in the citadel.

They were struck with great fear when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather an army.

The hostages were handed over to Jonathan, and he returned them to their parents.

Jonathan took up residence in Jerusalem and began to rebuild and restore the city.

He directed the workmen to build the walls and surround Mount Zion with squared stones for defense, and they did so.

The foreigners who were in the fortresses that Bacchides had built fled.

Each one left his post and went back to his own land.

Only in Beth-zur did some remain — those who had forsaken the Law and the commandments of God — for it served as their refuge.

King Alexander heard of the promises Demetrius had made to Jonathan. They also told him about the battles and heroic deeds that Jonathan and his brothers had performed, and the hardships they had endured.

He said: 'Shall we find another man like him? Let us make him our friend and ally.'

He wrote a letter and sent it to him in these terms:

'King Alexander to his brother Jonathan — greetings!'

'We have heard that you are a man mighty in strength and fit to be our friend.'

'Therefore we have appointed you today as high priest of your nation. You shall be called the King's Friend.' He sent him a purple robe and a golden crown. 'May you take our side and maintain friendship with us.'

Jonathan put on the holy vestments in the seventh month of the one hundred and sixtieth year, at the feast of Tabernacles. He gathered an army and prepared abundant weapons.

When Demetrius heard these things, he was deeply distressed and said:

'What have we done? Alexander has gotten ahead of us in winning the friendship of the Jews to strengthen himself.'

'I too will write them appealing words, offering honors and gifts, so that they will support me.'

He wrote to them in these words: 'King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews — greetings!'

'Since you have kept your agreement with us and have remained in our friendship and have not gone over to our enemies, we have heard of it and are glad.'

'Now continue to keep faith with us, and we will repay you with good things in return for what you do for us.'

'We will grant you many tax exemptions and give you gifts.'

'I now release you and all the Jews from tribute. I cancel the salt tax, remit the crown levies, and the third of the grain harvest.'

'The half of the fruit harvest that is my due — I release it to you from this day forward, never again to be collected from the land of Judah or from the three districts annexed to it from Samaria and Galilee, from this day onward for all time.'

'Jerusalem shall be holy and free, along with its territories, and its tithes and revenues shall be its own.'

'I also relinquish authority over the citadel in Jerusalem and give it to the high priest, that he may station in it men of his own choosing to guard it.'

'Every Jewish person taken captive from the land of Judah throughout my kingdom I set free without ransom. Let all be released from taxes, even on their livestock.'

'All feast days, Sabbaths, new moons, appointed days — and the three days before and three days after a festival — shall all be days of exemption and release for all Jews in my kingdom.'

'No one shall have authority to take action or bring charges against any of them in any matter.'

'Let up to thirty thousand Jews be enrolled in the king's army, and let them receive pay as is due to all the king's forces. Some of them shall be stationed in the great fortresses of the king.'

'Some of them shall be appointed over the affairs of the kingdom that require trust. Their officers shall be from among them, and they shall live according to their own laws, as the king has commanded in the land of Judah.'

'The three districts that have been added to Judea from the region of Samaria shall be annexed to Judea, under the sole authority of the high priest.'

'Ptolemais and its surrounding territory I have given as a gift to the Temple in Jerusalem for the necessary expenses of the sanctuary.'

'I also give fifteen thousand shekels of silver annually from the royal revenues for my personal account.'

'Whatever surplus remains from prior years that the officials have not yet paid — from now on they shall give it for the work of the Temple.'

'Moreover, the five thousand shekels of silver that were collected each year from the Temple revenues — these also are released, because they belong to the priests who serve in the ministry.'

'Whoever takes refuge in the Temple in Jerusalem or in any of its precincts, being indebted to the king in any matter — let them be released, and all their property throughout my kingdom shall be secure.'

'For the building and restoration of the sanctuary, expenses shall be given from the royal treasury.'

'For the building of the walls of Jerusalem and its fortification all around, expenses shall be given from the royal treasury, and for the construction of walls throughout Judea.'

When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they did not believe or accept them, because they remembered the great evil Demetrius had done in Israel and how severely he had oppressed them.

They preferred Alexander, because he had been the first to offer them terms of peace, and they supported him at all times.

King Alexander gathered a great army and encamped opposite Demetrius.

The two kings joined battle, and the army of Demetrius fled. Alexander pursued him and prevailed over them.

He pressed the battle fiercely until the sun set, and Demetrius fell that day.

Alexander sent envoys to Ptolemy king of Egypt with this message:

'Since I have returned to the land of my kingdom, taken my seat on the throne of my fathers, gained dominion, crushed Demetrius, and taken possession of our territory —

I joined battle with him, and he and his army were crushed by us, and we have taken the seat of his kingdom —

now let us establish friendship with one another. Give me your daughter in marriage, and I will be your son-in-law and will give gifts worthy of you.'

King Ptolemy replied: 'Happy is the day on which you returned to the land of your fathers and took your seat on the throne of their kingdom!'

'Now I will do as you have written. Meet me at Ptolemais, so that we may see each other, and I will give you my daughter as you have said.'

Ptolemy set out from Egypt — he and his daughter Cleopatra — and came to Ptolemais in the one hundred and sixty-second year.

King Alexander met him, and Ptolemy gave him his daughter Cleopatra. He celebrated her wedding at Ptolemais with great royal splendor.

King Alexander wrote to Jonathan to come and meet him.

He went in splendor to Ptolemais and met the two kings. He gave them silver and gold, and their friends many gifts, and he found favor in their sight.

Certain worthless men of Israel, lawless men, gathered against him to bring charges, but the king paid no attention to them.

The king ordered Jonathan's garments to be taken off and to have him clothed in purple. And so they did. The king seated him beside himself.

He said to his officers: 'Go out with him into the center of the city and proclaim that no one is to bring any complaint against him for any reason, and no one is to trouble him on any account.'

When his accusers saw the honor proclaimed for him and saw him clothed in purple, they all fled.

The king honored him greatly. He enrolled him among the First Friends and appointed him both general and governor.

Jonathan returned to Jerusalem in peace and gladness.

In the one hundred and sixty-fifth year, Demetrius son of Demetrius came from Crete to the land of his fathers.

King Alexander heard of it and was greatly distressed, and he returned to Antioch.

Demetrius appointed Apollonius, who was governor of Coele-Syria. He gathered a large army and encamped at Jamnia, and sent this message to Jonathan the high priest:

'You alone resist us. I have become a laughingstock and a reproach because of you — because you exercise your power against us in the mountains.'

'Now then, if you have confidence in your forces, come down to us on the plain and let us test each other there, for I have with me the power of war.'

'Ask and learn who I am and who the others are that support me. They will tell you that your feet cannot stand before us, for your fathers were twice put to flight in their own land.'

'Now you will not be able to withstand cavalry and so great an army on the plain, where there is no stone or rock or place to flee.'

When Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, his spirit was stirred. He chose ten thousand men and marched out from Jerusalem, and his brother Simon met him to support him.

He encamped before Joppa, but the city shut its gates against him, for there was a garrison of Apollonius in Joppa. So he attacked it.

Those inside the city, terrified, opened the gates to him, and Jonathan gained control of Joppa.

Apollonius heard of this and moved three thousand cavalry and a large army.

He went toward Azotus as if passing through, but then suddenly moved out to the plain, because he had a large cavalry force and was confident in it. Jonathan pursued him to Azotus, and they joined battle.

Apollonius had left a thousand cavalry behind them in hiding.

Jonathan learned that there was an ambush behind him. The enemy surrounded his camp and shot arrows at the people from morning until evening.

But the people stood firm as Jonathan had commanded, and the enemy horses grew weary.

Then Simon led his force forward and engaged the legion — for the cavalry was exhausted — and they were crushed by him and fled.

Those scattered across the plain fled to Azotus and entered the temple of Beth-dagon, their idol, to find safety there.

Jonathan burned Azotus and the surrounding cities, and took their spoils. He burned the temple of Dagon with fire, along with all who had taken refuge in it.

Those who fell by the sword, together with those who were burned, numbered about eight thousand men.

Jonathan moved camp from there and pitched before Ashkelon. The people of the city came out to meet him with great ceremony.

Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with his men, carrying much spoil.

When King Alexander heard of these things, he honored Jonathan still further.

He sent him a golden buckle, as is the custom to give to the kinsmen of kings, and he gave him Ekron and all its territory as a possession.