Chapter 1
CHAPTER XI. And the king of Egypt gathered together an army, like the sand that lieth upon the sea-shore, and many ships, and he sought to get the kingdom of Alexander by deceit, and join it to his own kingdom. And he went out into Syria with peaceable words, and they opened to him the cities, and met him, for king Alexander had ordered them to go forth to meet him, because he was his father-in-law.
Now when Ptolemy entered into the cities, he put garrisons of soldiers in every city, and when he came near to Azotus, they showed him the temple of Dagon that was burnt with fire, and Azotus and the suburbs thereof that were destroyed, and the bodies that were cast abroad, and the graves of them that were slain in the battle, which they had made near the way. And they told the king that Jonathan had done these things, to make him odious, but the king held his
peace. And Jonathan came to meet the king at Joppa with glory, and they saluted one another, and they lodged there. And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river, called Eleutherus, and he returned into Jerusalem. And king Ptolemy got the dominion of the cities by the seaside, even to Seleucia, and he devised evil designs against Alexander. And he sent ambassadors to Demetrius, saying, Come, let us make a league between us, and I will give thee my daughter whom Alexander hath, and thou shalt reign in the
kingdom of thy father. For I repent that I have given him my daughter, for he hath sought to kill me. And he slandered him, because he coveted his kingdom. And he took away his daughter, and gave her to Demetrius, and alienated himself from Alexander, and his enmities were made manifest. And Ptolemy entered into Antioch, and set two crowns upon his head, that of Egypt, and that of Asia. Now king Alexander was in Cilicia at that time, because they that were in those places had rebelled. And when Alexander
heard of it, he came to give him battle. And king Ptolemy brought forth his army, and met him with a strong power, and put him to flight. And Alexander fled into Arabia, there to be protected. And king Ptolemy was exalted. And Zabdiel the Arabian took off Alexander's head, and sent it to Ptolemy. And king Ptolemy died the third day after. And they that were in the strongholds were destroyed by them that were within the camp. And Demetrius reigned in the hundred and sixty-seventh year. In those days
Jonathan gathered together them that were in Judea, to take the castle that was in Jerusalem. And they made many engines of war against it. Then some wicked men that hated their own nation went away to king Demetrius, and told him that Jonathan was besieging the castle. And when he heard it, he was angry, and forthwith he came to Ptolemy, and wrote to Jonathan, that he should not besiege the castle, but should come to him in haste, and speak to him. But when Jonathan heard this, he bade them
besiege it still. And he chose some of the ancients of Israel, and of the priests, and put himself in danger. And he took gold, and silver, and raiment, and many other presents, and went to the king to Ptolemy, and he found favor in his sight. And certain wicked men of his nation made complaints against him. And the king treated him as his predecessors had done before, and he exalted him in the sight of all his friends. And he confirmed him in the high priesthood, and all the honors he had before,
and he made him the chief of his friends. And Jonathan requested of the king that he would make Judea free from tribute, and the three governments in Samaria, and the confines thereof. And he promised him three hundred talents. And the king consented, and he wrote letters to Jonathan of all these things, to this effect. King Demetrius, to his brother Jonathan, and to the nation of the Jews, greeting. We send you here a copy of the letter which we have written to Lasthenes, our parent,
concerning you, that you might know it. King Demetrius, to Lasthenes, his parent, greetings. We have determined to do good to the nation of the Jews, who are our friends, and keep the things that are just with us, for their good will which they bear towards us. We have ratified therefore unto them all the borders of Judea, and the three cities, Ephoramah, Lydda, and Ramatha, which are added to Judea out of Samaria, and all their confines, to be set apart to all them that sacrifice
in Jerusalem, instead of the payments which the king received of them every year, and for the fruits of the land, and of the trees. And as for other things that belonged to us of the tithes, and of the tributes, from this time we discharge them of them, the salt pans also, and the crowns that were presented to us. We give all to them, and nothing hereof shall be revoked from this time forth, and for ever. Now therefore see that thou make a copy of these things, and let it be given to Jonathan,
and set upon the holy mountain, and a conspicuous place. And King Demetrius, seeing that the land was quiet before him, and nothing resisted him, sent away all his forces, every man to his own place, except the foreign army which he had drawn together from the islands of the nations. So all the troops of his fathers hated him. Now there was one Triphon, who had been of Alexander's party before, who, seeing that all the army murmured against Demetrius, went to Amal-Kuel, the Arabian,
