Alexander Epiphanes Makes Jonathan High Priest

1In the year 160,10.1 the year 160: This corresponds to 152 bc. Alexander Epiphanes,10.1 alexander epiphanes: Alexander Epiphanes is more widely known as Alexander Balas. son of Antiochus the Fourth, landed at Ptolemais and captured it. The people welcomed him as their king. 2When King Demetrius heard of it, he gathered a large army and went out to meet him in battle. 3At that time Demetrius sent Jonathan a friendly letter full of flattery, 4in the hope of winning Jonathan over to his side and making peace with the Jews before Alexander made a treaty with them against him. 5Demetrius thought that Jonathan would certainly remember all the wrongs he had done to him, his brothers, and the entire Jewish nation. 6And so Demetrius made Jonathan his ally and gave him authority to raise an army and equip it. He also ordered that the hostages held in the fort at Jerusalem should be handed over to Jonathan. 7So Jonathan went to Jerusalem and read the letter to all the people and to the men in the fort. 8These men were terrified when they learnt that the king had given Jonathan authority to raise an army. 9They handed the hostages over to him, and he returned them to their parents.

10Jonathan set up his headquarters in Jerusalem and began to rebuild and restore the city. 11He ordered the builders to use squared stones for the city walls and for the protecting wall round Mount Zion. This was done. 12The foreigners deserted the fortresses that Bacchides had built; 13each man left his post and returned to his own country. 14But some of the Jews who had abandoned the Law of Moses and its commands were still left in Bethzur, which served as their last place of refuge.

15King Alexander learnt of the promises Demetrius had made to Jonathan and he also learnt about Jonathan himself, about the battles he had fought, his courageous deeds, and the troubles he and his brothers had endured. 16He was certain that he would never find another man like Jonathan and so decided to make him his friend and ally. 17He wrote Jonathan a letter:

18“King Alexander to his friend Jonathan, greetings. 19I have heard that you are a brave man who has earned the right to be a friend of the king. 20I have this day appointed you as High Priest of your nation and conferred upon you the title of ‘Friend of the King.’ You are to be our ally and give us your support.”

He also sent him a royal robe and a gold crown. 21Jonathan put on the robes of the High Priest in the seventh month of the year 16010.21 the year 160: This corresponds to 152 bc. at the Festival of Shelters. He raised an army and stored up a large supply of weapons.

Jonathan Supports Alexander Epiphanes

22When Demetrius heard this, he was distressed and said, 23“How did we manage to let Alexander get ahead of us? He has strengthened his position by making an alliance with the Jews. 24I also will write them a friendly letter offering high positions and gifts, so that they will support me.”

25He wrote:

“King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greetings. 26We are delighted to learn that you have kept your obligations under our treaty, remained loyal to us, and have not gone over to the side of our enemies. 27Now if you continue to remain loyal to us, we will reward you well. 28We will grant you exemptions from many taxes and allow you other privileges. 29I hereby grant all the Jewish people release and exemption from payment of regular taxes, salt taxes, and other special taxes. 3010.30: 1 Macc 11.34Furthermore, from this day I release you from your obligation to pay me one-third of the grain-harvest and half of the fruit-harvest. From now on I will not demand these payments from Judea or from the three districts that have been added to Judea from Samaria and Galilee. 31Jerusalem and its surrounding territory is to be recognized as a holy city and to be exempt from the payment of all taxes. 32I also give up my authority over the fort in Jerusalem and place it under the High Priest, who may station there anyone he wishes to guard it. 33I freely grant release to all Jews who are prisoners of war anywhere in my kingdom. All of them will be exempt from taxes, even on their livestock.10.33 This sentence in Greek is unclear. 34No taxes shall be collected from any Jew anywhere in my kingdom on Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals, and other holy days. Furthermore, no taxes shall be collected three days before or after the major holy days. 35No one has the right on any of these days to demand payment or to trouble you in any way.

36“Jews may be enlisted in the royal army up to a total of 30,000 men, and they will receive the same pay as other royal troops. 37Some of them may be stationed in the great royal fortresses, and others assigned to responsible positions in the government. They shall have Jews as their leaders and officers, and they shall be allowed to follow their own laws and customs, just as the king has permitted for the people of Judea.

38“The three districts added to Judea from the territory of Samaria will be completely incorporated into Judea and placed under the authority of the High Priest alone. 39I give to the Temple in Jerusalem for its operating expenses the revenues from the city of Ptolemais and the lands belonging to it. 40I also promise to make an annual gift of 15,000 silver coins from appropriate accounts within the royal treasury. 41The total accumulated state subsidy, which we have failed to pay in recent years, shall be paid, and the payments continued from now on for the work of the Temple. 42In addition to this, we will no longer require the 5,000 silver coins annually from the Temple income. This money belongs to the priests serving in the Temple. 43Whoever owes a debt to the king or any other debt and takes refuge in the Temple in Jerusalem or in any area that belongs to it may not be arrested, nor may his property anywhere in my kingdom be confiscated. 44The expenses for rebuilding and renovating the Temple shall be provided from the royal treasury. 45Likewise, the expenses for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and its surrounding fortifications, as well as the walls of designated towns in Judea, shall be provided from the royal treasury.”

46When Jonathan and the people heard the proposals made by King Demetrius, they refused to believe them or accept them, because they remembered how harshly he had treated them and what terrible troubles he had caused them. 47They preferred to give their allegiance to Alexander because he had been the first to open peace negotiations, and they remained his allies as long as he lived.

48King Alexander raised a large army and took up battle positions facing Demetrius. 49But when the armies of the two kings met in battle, the army of Alexander10.49; 10.50 Alexander; some manuscripts have Demetrius. turned and ran. Demetrius10.49 Demetrius; some manuscripts have Alexander. pursued them and won the battle. 50Alexander10.50; 10.49 Alexander; some manuscripts have Demetrius. fought bitterly until sundown, but Demetrius was killed that day.

51Then Alexander sent ambassadors to King Ptolemy the Sixth of Egypt with this message:

52“I have returned to my kingdom and taken my seat on the throne of my ancestors. I have taken over the government, and I am now in control of the country. 53I made war on Demetrius, defeated him and his army, and I have taken over his kingdom. 54Now I am ready to make an alliance. Give me your daughter in marriage, and I will give both of you such gifts as you deserve.”

55King Ptolemy replied, “It was a great day when you returned to your country and took the throne of your ancestors. 56I agree to your proposals, but first meet me at Ptolemais. We can get acquainted there, and I will give you my daughter in marriage.”

57So in the year 16210.57 the year 162: This corresponds to 150 bc. Ptolemy and his daughter Cleopatra10.57 Cleopatra: this was Cleopatra Thea, also known as Cleopatra the Third, and not to be confused with Cleopatra the Seventh (69–30 bc), who was involved in the history of Caesar and Mark Antony. left Egypt and arrived at Ptolemais. 58King Alexander met them, and Ptolemy gave him his daughter in marriage. The wedding was celebrated there in Ptolemais with royal splendour.

59King Alexander wrote asking Jonathan to come to meet him. 60So Jonathan, in a show of splendour, went to Ptolemais and met the two kings. He presented them with gifts of silver and gold, and he also gave many gifts to the high officials who had accompanied them. Everyone was favourably impressed with him. 61At the same time some traitorous Jews who wanted to make trouble for Jonathan made accusations against him, but King Alexander paid no attention to them. 62He gave orders that Jonathan should be given royal robes to wear, 63and he honoured him by letting him sit at his side. Alexander told his officers to take Jonathan into the centre of the city and to announce that no one was to bring charges against him for any reason and no one was to cause him any kind of trouble. 64When his accusers saw the honours given to him, heard the announcement, and saw him clothed in royal robes, they all fled. 65The king further honoured Jonathan by enrolling him in the First Order of the “Friends of the King” and by making him a general and governor of his province. 66Jonathan returned to Jerusalem pleased and successful.

Jonathan's Victory over Apollonius

67In the year 16510.67 the year 165: This corresponds to 147 bc. Demetrius the Second, the son of Demetrius the First, left Crete and arrived in Syria, the land of his ancestors. 68When King Alexander heard about this, he was worried and returned to Antioch, the capital of Syria. 69Demetrius reappointed Apollonius governor of Greater Syria. Apollonius raised a large army, set up camp near Jamnia, and sent the following message to Jonathan the High Priest:

70“Because of you I am being ridiculed, but why do you, there in your mountains, continue this rebellion when no one supports you? 71If you really have any confidence in your army, come down here on the plain and fight, where we can test each other's strength. Study the situation, and you will find that I have the support of the forces from the cities. 72You will learn who I am and who our allies are, and you will discover that you have no chance of standing against us. Your predecessors have already been beaten twice on their own ground; 73so how do you expect to defeat my cavalry and the kind of army I have here on the plain? Down here there is not so much as a pebble to hide behind and no way to escape.”

74When Jonathan received this message from Apollonius, he became angry. He took 10,000 picked troops from Jerusalem; his brother Simon also brought troops, and their two forces 75set up camp outside Joppa. The men of the city refused to let them in because there was a detachment of Apollonius' troops there, but Jonathan attacked, 76and the men in the city became so frightened that they opened the gates, allowing Jonathan to capture Joppa. 77When Apollonius heard what had happened, he took 3,000 cavalry and a large army of infantry and pretended to retreat south towards Azotus. However, relying upon the strength of his cavalry, he marched into the plain with his main force, 78-79positioning a thousand cavalry where they could attack Jonathan's forces from the rear. Jonathan continued his pursuit as far as Azotus, where the two armies met in battle. 80Not until then did Jonathan realize that he was caught in an ambush. His army was surrounded, and enemy arrows rained down on them from morning until evening. 81But Jonathan's men stood firm, as he had ordered, and the attacking cavalry grew tired. 82Then, when the cavalry was exhausted, Simon appeared on the scene with his forces and attacked and overwhelmed the enemy infantry, who broke ranks and fled. 83The cavalry, which by now was scattered all over the battlefield, fled to Azotus, where they took refuge in the temple of Dagon, their god. 84But Jonathan set fire to the city and to the temple of Dagon, burning to death all those who had taken refuge there. Then he set fire to the surrounding towns and looted them. 85That day about 8,000 were either killed in the battle or burnt to death. 86Jonathan left and set up camp at Ashkelon, where the people of the city came out to welcome him with great honours. 87Jonathan and his men returned to Jerusalem with large quantities of loot.

88When King Alexander heard what Jonathan had done, he gave him even greater honours. 89He sent him a gold shoulder buckle, which is given only to those honoured with the title “Relative of the King.” He also gave him the city of Ekron and its surrounding territory.