and raiments. By prudence and discretion he succeeded in gaining the king's entire confidence and favour; he was confirmed in the High-priesthood and in all his other honours, and treated with the utmost regard. Thus encouraged, he requested Demetrius to release Judea and Samaria from the obligation of the tribute, in return for which he promised three hundred talents. Demetrius granted the request, and ratified the privileges by a decree, which he sent to the governor Lasthenes, to be made known by public proclamation.

Demetrius deemed it proper to dismiss all native soldiers, and to retain only the foreign hirelings. This step caused the greatest discontent among the Syrians. Alexander Bala had left a son Antiochus, who was educated under the care of the Arabian Imalkua. Tryphon, an old friend of Alexander, hoping to turn the murmurs of the Syrian army to the advantage of his son, requested Imalkua to entrust him with the young Antiochus, as he desired to declare him king. The public indignation against Demetrius had now reached a most dangerous pitch, and when Jonathan sent messengers to him with the request to withdraw the Syrian garrison from the citadel of Zion, Demetrius promised this and many other advantages, on condition that Jonathan would send troops to Antiochia to afford him personal protection. The High-priest at once despatched 3,000 Jewish soldiers to the Syrian capital. Here, at the instigation of Tryphon, a furious revolt had broken out. The Jews fought with marvellous courage against the rebels, of whom they killed an enormous number-it is stated 100,000and regardless of their own peril, they saved the life of Demetrius. They were sent back to Jerusalem highly honoured and laden with costly spoil. But when Demetrius saw himself again safely established on the throne, he refused to keep the promises he had given to Jonathan;

he even assumed a position of hostility, and bitterly oppressed him.

Unsupported by the Jews, Demetrius could not long maintain his position. Tryphon returned with the prince Antiochus, boldly raised the standard of revolt, and by the aid of the dismissed Syrian soldiers, he defeated Demetrius, compelled him to flee, and took possession of Antiochia (138). The young king Antiochus VI. solicited the friendship of Jonathan, confirmed him in the High-priesthood and in all his other rights, presented him with purple robes and precious ornaments, gave him permission to drink out of golden vessels, and appointed his brother Simon governor over the whole coast-land, from Tyre down to the river of Egypt. Jonathan, reinforced by Syrian soldiers, who joined his army in large numbers, traversed the whole land from Ashkelon to Damascus. He was received everywhere with enthusiasm; a few towns only, such as Gaza, opposed him, but were forced into subjection. Simon in the meantime besieged and took Beth-zur, which he garrisoned with Jewish troops; but the generals of Demetrius encamped at Kadesh, in Galilee, with a large host, intending to cut off the return of Jonathan. The latter, on his way home, passed the sea of Gennezareth, and thence marched into the plain of Asor. Here his enemies laid an ambush for him; the Jewish soldiers, perceiving the danger, fled in alarm; a few captains only remained. With these Jonathan bravely attacked the Syrians, and put them to flight. Now the scattered troops returned to their leader, 3,000 of the enemy were killed, and Jonathan re-entered Jerusalem in safety.

He then sent messengers to Rome and Sparta to renew the old treaties which had been concluded by Judas and the High-priest Onias.

However, the expelled Demetrius did not give up the

hope of recovering the throne of Syria. His generals called together a large army; but Jonathan, justly foreseeing danger to himself, advanced rapidly to Hamath to meet them. When they saw him well armed and prepared for battle, they secretly retreated over the river Eleutheris, so that Jonathan could not pursue them; but he attacked and defeated the Arab tribe of the Zabadeans who had harassed him, and marched to Damascus. Meanwhile Simon had not been inactive. He carried on a successful war in Philistia, especially in Ashkelon, and took Joppa, which was on the point of joining Demetrius. Jonathan now returned to Jerusalem, fortified the town with new walls, and strengthened the old ones; while Simon built Adida in the plain, and made it a strong fortress.

But the Syrian general Tryphon, ambitious and unscrupulous, was scheming to overthrow the young Antiochus, whom he had helped to place on the throne, and to seize the crown for himself. He knew well that Jonathan was too honourable a man and too faithful an ally to aid him in his treacherous projects, and he was, therefore, anxious to remove him. He invited him to come to Bethshan, where he had prepared everything for his assassination. But Jonathan's suspicions were roused, and he advanced with 40,000 men. Yet Tryphon, deceiving him by hypocritical protestations of friendship, induced him to send his army away, and to keep only 3,000 men, of whom he was to leave 2,000 in Galilee; with the remaining 1,000 men he was to accompany Tryphon to Ptolemais, which was to be delivered up into his hands. When Jonathan had entered Ptolemais, the gates of the town were at once closed; he was taken prisoner and his thousand men were slain. Then Tryphon sent without delay a large host of foot and horsemen to Galilee to destroy the bulk of Jonathan's army. But the Jewish soldiers boldly

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opposed the Syrians, who, seeing no hope of success, desisted from their attack. The Hebrew troops then returned unmolested to Jerusalem, which rang with mournful wailings at the capture of their beloved leader Jonathan. The Jews were justly alarmed, because the surrounding nations prepared for war, saying, 'They have no captain, nor have they any help; now, therefore, let us make war upon them, and take away their memorial from among them.' Tryphon himself gathered a large army, ready to march upon Jerusalem.

166. SIMON (143-136).

[1 MACC. XIII. 30.-XVI. 17.]

But the noble qualities of Judas and Jonathan survived in their younger brother Simon, a man equally remarkable for wisdom and valour. He encouraged the people and allayed their fears, saying: 'You yourselves know what great things I and my brothers and my father's house have done for the laws and the Sanctuary, the battles also and troubles which we have seen.' Roused to enthusiasm by Simon's exhortations, all promised to fight boldly for their country, and the walls of Jerusalem were rapidly completed and manned. Tryphon marched out from Ptolemais into Judea, and took with him the captive Jonathan. Sending messengers to Simon, he demanded 100 talents of silver and two of his children as hostages; if these demands were complied with, he promised to restore Jonathan to liberty. Although Simon well knew that the proposal was made deceitfully, he yet sent the money and his children, lest the people should accuse him of having selfishly frustrated his brother's rescue. However, Tryphon did not give up Jonathan, and at once marched out to reach Jerusalem by a circuitous road;

but his advance was stopped by a heavy snow-fall, and he proceeded into Gilead. When he arrived near the town of Bascama, he basely murdered Jonathan, and then returned to Syria. The body of Jonathan was, however, recovered by Simon, and was, amidst deep and bitter lamentations, deposited in Modin, the city of his fathers. Simon then built a splendid mausoleum over the sepulchre of his father and mother and of his four brothers. Seven pillars of hewn stone-one of them intended for his own memorial-covered with skilful designs, and surrounded by columns adorned with the representations of armour, weapons, and ships, rose so high that they could be seen by the mariners sailing in the Mediterranean sea; this monument was long preserved with grateful care, and remains of it have quite recently been discovered on the site of the ancient Modin.

The faithless Tryphon soon afterwards killed Antiochus, and mercilessly massacring all the adherents of the latter, he proclaimed himself king of Syria. In this critical state of affairs, when the pretensions of two rival kings-Demetrius and Tryphon were to be decided upon, Simon gave signal proofs of wisdom and prudence. He strengthened all the fortresses of Judah, and supplied them with ample provisions. Then he sent messengers to Demetrius with suitable presents, requesting a remission of taxes, since Tryphon had seriously weakened and recklessly pillaged the country. Demetrius, to secure so powerful an ally, readily granted all that Simon demanded, confirmed him in the possession of the fortresses he had built, and declared himself ready to receive Jews as officers at his court and in his army.

Thus, then, in the year 143, the Jews became independent, and Simon was a sovereign prince, so that from that year the public documents and private contracts, and the inscriptions on coins, were dated in this manner: 'In