1 Maccabees, Chapter 13

¹Now when Simon heard that Tryphon had gathered together a great host to invade the land of Judea, and destroy it, ²And saw that the people was in great trembling and fear, he went up to Jerusalem, and gathered the people together, ³And gave them exhortation, saying, Ye yourselves know what great things I, and my brethren, and my father’s house, have done for the laws and the sanctuary, the battles also and troubles which we have seen. ⁴By reason whereof all my brethren are slain for Israel’s sake, and I am left alone. ⁵Now therefore be it far from me, that I should spare mine own life in any time of trouble: for I am no better than my brethren. ⁶Doubtless I will avenge my nation, and the sanctuary, and our wives, and our children: for all the heathen are gathered to destroy us of very malice. ⁷Now as soon as the people heard these words, their spirit revived. ⁸And they answered with a loud voice, saying, Thou shalt be our leader instead of Judas and Jonathan thy brother. ⁹Fight thou our battles, and whatsoever, thou commandest us, that will we do. ¹⁰So then he gathered together all the men of war, and made haste to finish the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it round about.

¹¹Also he sent Jonathan the son of Absolom, and with him a great power, to Joppa: who casting out them that were therein remained there in it. ¹²So Tryphon removed from Ptolemaus with a great power to invade the land of Judea, and Jonathan was with him in ward. ¹³But Simon pitched his tents at Adida, over against the plain. ¹⁴Now when Tryphon knew that Simon was risen up instead of his brother Jonathan, and meant to join battle with him, he sent messengers unto him, saying, ¹⁵Whereas we have Jonathan thy brother in hold, it is for money that he is owing unto the king’s treasure, concerning the business that was committed unto him. ¹⁶Wherefore now send an hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons for hostages, that when he is at liberty he may not revolt from us, and we will let him go. ¹⁷Hereupon Simon, albeit he perceived that they spake deceitfully unto him yet sent he the money and the children, lest peradventure he should procure to himself great hatred of the people: ¹⁸Who might have said, Because I sent him not the money and the children, therefore is Jonathan dead. ¹⁹So he sent them the children and the hundred talents: howbeit Tryphon dissembled neither would he let Jonathan go. ²⁰And after this came Tryphon to invade the land, and destroy it, going round about by the way that leadeth unto Adora: but Simon and his host marched against him in every place, wheresoever he went.

²¹Now they that were in the tower sent messengers unto Tryphon, to the end that he should hasten his coming unto them by the wilderness, and send them victuals. ²²Wherefore Tryphon made ready all his horsemen to come that night: but there fell a very great snow, by reason whereof he came not. So he departed, and came into the country of Galaad. ²³And when he came near to Bascama he slew Jonathan, who was buried there. ²⁴Afterward Tryphon returned and went into his own land. ²⁵Then sent Simon, and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried them in Modin, the city of his fathers. ²⁶And all Israel made great lamentation for him, and bewailed him many days. ²⁷Simon also built a monument upon the sepulchre of his father and his brethren, and raised it aloft to the sight, with hewn stone behind and before. ²⁸Moreover he set up seven pyramids, one against another, for his father, and his mother, and his four brethren. ²⁹And in these he made cunning devices, about the which he set great pillars, and upon the pillars he made all their armour for a perpetual memory, and by the armour ships carved, that they might be seen of all that sail on the sea. ³⁰This is the sepulchre which he made at Modin, and it standeth yet unto this day.

³¹Now Tryphon dealt deceitfully with the young king Antiochus, and slew him. ³²And he reigned in his stead, and crowned himself king of Asia, and brought a great calamity upon the land. ³³Then Simon built up the strong holds in Judea, and fenced them about with high towers, and great walls, and gates, and bars, and laid up victuals therein. ³⁴Moreover Simon chose men, and sent to king Demetrius, to the end he should give the land an immunity, because all that Tryphon did was to spoil. ³⁵Unto whom king Demetrius answered and wrote after this manner: ³⁶King Demetrius unto Simon the high priest, and friend of kings, as also unto the elders and nation of the Jews, sendeth greeting: ³⁷The golden crown, and the scarlet robe, which ye sent unto us, we have received: and we are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, yea, and to write unto our officers, to confirm the immunities which we have granted. ³⁸And whatsoever covenants we have made with you shall stand; and the strong holds, which ye have builded, shall be your own. ³⁹As for any oversight or fault committed unto this day, we forgive it, and the crown tax also, which ye owe us: and if there were any other tribute paid in Jerusalem, it shall no more be paid. ⁴⁰And look who are meet among you to be in our court, let then be enrolled, and let there be peace betwixt us.

⁴¹Thus the yoke of the heathen was taken away from Israel in the hundred and seventieth year. ⁴²Then the people of Israel began to write in their instruments and contracts, In the first year of Simon the high priest, the governor and leader of the Jews. ⁴³In those days Simon camped against Gaza and besieged it round about; he made also an engine of war, and set it by the city, and battered a certain tower, and took it. ⁴⁴And they that were in the engine leaped into the city; whereupon there was a great uproar in the city: ⁴⁵Insomuch as the people of the city rent their clothes, and climbed upon the walls with their wives and children, and cried with a loud voice, beseeching Simon to grant them peace. ⁴⁶And they said, Deal not with us according to our wickedness, but according to thy mercy. ⁴⁷So Simon was appeased toward them, and fought no more against them, but put them out of the city, and cleansed the houses wherein the idols were, and so entered into it with songs and thanksgiving. ⁴⁸Yea, he put all uncleanness out of it, and placed such men there as would keep the law, and made it stronger than it was before, and built therein a dwellingplace for himself. ⁴⁹They also of the tower in Jerusalem were kept so strait, that they could neither come forth, nor go into the country, nor buy, nor sell: wherefore they were in great distress for want of victuals, and a great number of them perished through famine. ⁵⁰Then cried they to Simon, beseeching him to be at one with them: which thing he granted them; and when he had put them out from thence, he cleansed the tower from pollutions:

⁵¹And entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month in the hundred seventy and first year, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel. ⁵²He ordained also that that day should be kept every year with gladness. Moreover the hill of the temple that was by the tower he made stronger than it was, and there he dwelt himself with his company. ⁵³And when Simon saw that John his son was a valiant man, he made him captain of all the hosts; and he dwelt in Gazera.