towers thereof, and the repairs of the sanctuary; but Jonathan and the
people gave no credit to these words because they remembered the great
evil Demetrius had done in Israel. Jonathan made peace with Alexander,
and joined him in battle against Demetrius, whose host fled, and he
himself was slain.

After that Demetrius the younger came out of Crete, and sent a great
host to Azotus. Here Jonathan attacked him, and with the help of Simon,
his brother, defeated the enemy and set fire to Azotus, and the temple
of Dagon therein. There were burned and slain with the sword eight
thousand men. Now, King Alexander honoured Jonathan and sent him a
buckle of gold such as is given to those of the king's blood. After
these days, Jonathan did many wonderful exploits in Galilee and
Damascus, and then returned to Jerusalem. Now, when Jonathan saw that
the time served him, he renewed his league with the Romans and
Lacedemonians, and pursued the Arabians unto Damascus. He strengthened
the cities of Juda, but he was captured by fraud by Tryphon at
Ptolemais. Simon was made captain in his brother Jonathan's room, and
prepared to attack Tryphon and, rescue his brother, but Tryphon slew
Jonathan, and returned into his own country.

The land of Juda was quiet all the days of Simon, and every man sat
under his own vine and fig-tree. When Simon was visiting the cities that
were in the country, Ptolemeus, son of Abubus, the captain of Jerico,
invited Simon and his two sons into his castle, called Docus. There a
great banquet was given, at which Simon and his sons drank largely, and
Ptolemeus and his men came into the banqueting place and slew them.


THE SECOND BOOK OF THE MACCABEES