as he was informed of their coming, he went suddenly to meet them, to the country of Hamath: for he resolved to give them no opportunity of coming into Judea. So he pitched his camp at fifty furlongs' distance from the enemy; and sent out spies to take a view of their camp, and after what manner they were encamped. When his spies had given him full information, and had seized upon some of them by night, who told him the enemy would soon attack him; he provided for his security, and placed watchmen beyond his camp, and kept all his forces armed all night. And he gave them a charge to be of good courage, and to have their minds prepared to fight in the night time, if they should be obliged so to do; lest their enemies' designs should seem concealed from them. But when Demetrius's commanders were informed that Jonathan knew what they intended, their counsels were disordered; and it alarmed them to find that the enemy had discovered their intentions. Nor did they expect to overcome them any other way, now they had failed in the snares they had laid for them. For should they hazard an open battle, they did not think they should be a match for Jonathan's army. So they resolved to flee: and having lighted many fires, that when the enemy saw them, they might suppose they were there still, they retired. But when Jonathan came to give them battle in the morning, and found their camp deserted, and understood they were fled, he pursued them. Yet could not he overtake them, for they had already passed over the river Eleutherus; and were out of danger. So when Jonathan returned thence, he went into Arabia, and fought against the Nabateans;* and drove away a great deal of their prey, and took many captives, and came to Damascus and there sold off that he had taken. About the same time it was that Simon, his brother, went over all Judea, and Palestine, as far as Ascalon; and fortified the strong holds; and when he had made them very strong both in the edifices erected, and

• Since the Nabatean Arabians were now in amity with the Jews; ch. 1. perhaps the reading in 1 Macc. sii. 31 may be the truer : where these people are called Zabadeans. Otherwise Grotius's conjecture, set down by Dr. Hudson, must be allowed, that the Nabateans not now following Antiochus, the son of Alexander Balas; but bis and Jonathan's enemy Demetrius Nicator, Jonathan endeavoured by force to oblige them to come into his measures, and to acknowledge his friend Antiochus as king of Syria.

in the garrisons placed in them, he came to Joppa: and when he had taken it, he brought a great garrison into it. For he heard that the people of Joppa were disposed to deliver city to Demetrius's generals.

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When Simon and Jonathan had finished these affairs, they returned to Jerusalem. There Jonathan gathered all the people together, and took counsel to restore the walls of Jerusalem, and to rebuild the wall that encompassed the temple, which had been thrown down; and to make the places adjoining stronger by very high towers: and besides that to build another wall in the midst of the city, in order to exclude the marketplace from the garrison which was in the citadel; and by that means to hinder them from any plenty of provisions: and moreover to make the fortresses that were in the country much stronger and more defensible than they were before. And when these things were approved of by the multitude, as rightly proposed, Jonathan himself took care of the building that belonged to the city; and sent Simon to make the fortresses in the country more secure than formerly. But Demetrius passed over the Euphrates, and came into Mesopotamia; as desirous to contain that country still, as well as Babylon: and when he should have obtained the dominion of the upper provinces, to lay a foundation for recovering his entire kingdom. For those Greeks and Macedonians who dwelt there, frequently sent ambassadors to him, and promised, that if he would come to them, they would deliver themselves up to him, and assist him in fighting against Arsaces,* the king of the Parthians. So he was elevated with these hopes, and came hastily to them; as having resolved that, if he had once overthrown the Parthians, an gotten an army of his own, he would make war against Trypho, and eject him out of Syria. And the people of that country received him with great alacrity. So he raised forces, with which he fought against Arsaces; but he lost all his army, and was himself taken prisoner.

*This king, who was of the famous race of Arsaces, is both here, and 1 Macc. xiv. 2. called by the family name Arsaces: but Appian says, his proper name was Phraates He is here also called by Josephus the king of the Parthians, as the Greeks used to call them; but by the elder author of the first book of Maccabees, the king of the Persians and Medes; according to the language of the eastern nations. See Authent. Rec. Pt. II. page 1108.

CHAP. VI.

OF THE TREACHEROUS ASSASSINATION OF JONATHAN; THE SUCCESSION OF SIMON AS GENERAL AND HIGH-PRIEST OF THE JEWS; AND THE COURAGEOUS ACTIONS HE PERFORMED AGAINST TRYPHO.

WHEN Trypho knew what had befallen Demetrius, he was no longer firm to Antiochus; but contrived by subtilty to kill him, and then take posession of his kingdom. But the fear that he was in of Jonathan was an obstacle to his design; for Jonathan was a friend to Antiochus. For which cause he resolved first to take Jonathan out of the way; and then to set about his design relating to Antiochus. But he, judging it best to take him off by deceit and treachery, came from Antioch to Bethshan;* which by the Greeks is called Scythopolis; at which place Jonathan met him, with forty thousand chosen men; for he thought that he came to fight him. But when he perceived that Jonathan was ready to fight, he attempted to gain him by presents, and kind treatment; and gave order to his captains to obey him; and by these means was desirous to give him assurance of his good will, and to take away all suspicions out of his mind; that so he might make him careless, and inconsiderate; and might take him when he was unguarded. He also advised him to dismiss his army, because there was no occasion for bringing it with him; when there was no war, but all was in peace. However he desired him to retain a few about him, and go with him to Ptolemais; for that he would deliver the city up to him; and would bring all the fortresses that were in the country under his dominion; and he told him that he came with those very designs.

Yet did not Jonathan suspect any thing at all by this management; but believed that Trypho gave him this advice out of kindness, and with a sincere design. Accordingly he dismissed his army, and retained no more than three thousand of

* 1 Macc. xii. 39-45.

them with him; and left two thousand in Galilee, and be himself with one thousand came with Trypho to Ptolemais. But when the people of Ptolemais had shut their gates, as it had been commanded them by Trypho to do; he took Jonathan alive, and slew all that were with him. He also sent soldiers against those two thousand that were left in Galilee, in order to destroy them. But those men, having heard the report of what had happened to Jonathan, prevented the execution; and before those that were sent by Trypho came, they covered themselves with their armour, and went away out of the country. Now when those that were sent against them saw that they were ready to fight for their lives, they gave them no disturbance; but returned back to Trypho.

When the people of Jerusalem heard that Jonathan was taken, and that the soldiers who were with him were destroyed; they deplored his sad fate;* and there was earnest inquiry made about him by every body; and a great fear fell upon them, and made them sad, lest now they were deprived of the courage and conduct of Jonathan, the nations about them should bear them ill will; and as they were before quite on account of Jonathan, they should now rise up against them; and by making war with them should force them into the utmost dangers. And indeed what they suspected really befell them. For when those nations heard of the death of Jonathan, they began to make war with the Jews, as now destitute of a governor. And Trypho himself assembled an army, and had an intention to go up to Judea, and make war against its inhabitants. But when Simon saw that the people of Jerusalem were terrified at the circumstances they were in, he desired to make a speech to them;†

* 1 Macc. xii. 52.

The commendation which the author of the first book of the Maccabees, chap. xiv. 4. &c. bestows upon Simon, is worth our observation; for he therein tells us, that he sought the good of the nation in every thing, so that his authority always pleased them well; that during his administration, whilst Syria, and other neighbouring kingdoms were almost destroyed by wars, the Jews lived quietly, every man under his own vine and fig-tree, enjoying without fear, the fruits of their labours, and beholding with pleasure the flourishing state of their country; their trade increased by the reduction of Joppa, and other maritime places; their territories enlarged; their armies well disciplined; their towns and fortresses well garrisoned; their religion and liberties secured; their land freed from Heathen enemies, and Jewish apostates; and their friendship courted by all the nations

and thereby to render them more resolute in opposing Trypho, when he should come against them. He then called the people together into the temple; and thence began thus to encourage them:

"O my countrymen, you are not ignorant that our father, myself, and my brethren, bave ventured to hazard our lives, and that willingly, for the recovery of your liberty. Since I have therefore such plenty of examples before me, and we of our family have determined with ourselves to die for our laws, and our divine worship; there shall no terror be so great as to banish this resolution from our souls; nor to introduce in its place a love of life, and a contempt of glory. Do you therefore follow me with alacrity, whithersoever I shall lead you; as not destitute of such a captain as is willing to suffer, and to do the greatest thing for you. For neither am I better than my brethren, that I should be sparing of my own life; nor so far worse than they, as to avoid and refuse what they thought the most honourable of all things; I mean, to undergo death for your laws, and for that worship of God which is peculiar to you. I will therefore give such proper demonstrations as will shew that I am their own brother. And I am so bold as to expect that I shall avenge their blood upon our enemies; and deliver you all, with your wives and children, from the injuries they intend against you: and, with God's assistance, to preserve your temple from destruction by them. For I see that these nations have you in contempt, as being without a governor; and that they hence are encouraged to make war against you.'

By this speech Simon inspired the multitude with courage; and as they had been before dispirited through fear, they were now raised to a good hope of better things; insomuch, that the whole multitude cried out all at once, that Simon should be their leader; and that instead of Judas and Jonathan, his brethren, he

about them, even by the Romans, and the Lacedæmonians. He observes, farther, that this Simon was no less zealous for the service of God, in exterminating apostacy, superstition, idolatry, and every thing else that was contrary to his laws; that he was a great protector of the true Israelites, and a friend to the poor; that he restored the service of the temple to its ancient splendour, and repaired the number of its sacred vessels: so that we need not wonder, if the Jewish Sanhedrim thought no dignity of honour, while he lived, and when he was so basely and barbarously cut off, no grief and lamentation too great for a man of his uncom mon merit. Universal History, lib. 2. c. 11. B.