The Death of Jonathan and the Rise of Simon

Trypho Plots and Captures Jonathan

Now when Trypho learned what had befallen Demetrius [that he had lost his entire army and been captured by the Parthians], he no longer supported Antiochus but began plotting to kill him and to then himself take possession of his kingdom. He, however, feared Jonathan, who as a friend of Antiochus was an obstacle to this plan. He thus resolved first to kill Jonathan and then Antiochus. Deciding it best to put an end to Jonathan by deceit and treachery, he came from Antioch to Beth Shean, which the Greeks called Scythopolis, at which place Jonathan met him with forty thousand handpicked men, for he thought that he had come to fight him. When he perceived that Jonathan was ready to fight, he attempted to entrap him by presents and kind treatment and gave order to his captains to obey him and by these means was desirous to give assurance of his goodwill and to take away all suspicion. He also advised Jonathan to dismiss his army for the time being, since there was no war. Rather he should bring a few men with him to go to Ptolemais, where he would deliver that city to Jonathan, for this was the reason he went there. Jonathan did not suspect anything but believed that Trypho gave him this advice out of kindness and with sincerity. Accordingly, he dismissed his army and retained no more than three thousand men with him and left two thousand in Galilee. He himself came with Trypho to Ptolemais with one thousand. But when the people of Ptolemais had shut their gates, as Trypho commanded, he took Jonathan alive and slew all who were with him. He also sent soldiers against those two thousand who were left in Galilee in order to destroy them, but those men, having heard the report of what happened to Jonathan, protected themselves with their armor and fled the country before Trypho’s men arrived.

But when the people of Jerusalem heard that Jonathan was taken and that the soldiers who were with him were destroyed, they lamented his sad fate. A great fear fell upon them and saddened them, for now they were deprived of the courage and conduct of Jonathan and worried that the nations about them should bear them ill will. They [the nations] were before quiet on account of Jonathan, but now they might rise up against them [the people of Jerusalem] and war with them, thus putting them in a precarious situation. 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, since they assumed they were leaderless. And Trypho himself got an army together, intending to go up to Judaea and make war against its inhabitants.

Simon’s Speech

When Simon saw that the people of Jerusalem were terrified at the circumstances they were in, he gave a speech, hoping to make the people more resolute and courageous in opposing Trypho. He then called the people together into the Temple and began to encourage them: “Fellow countrymen, you are aware that it was on behalf of your freedom that I and my brothers, along with our father, gladly dared to die. Abounding with such examples before me, and believing that those from our household were born to die for the sake of our laws and form of worship, no fear shall be able to cast out this purpose from our souls and replace it with a love for life and contempt for glory. Wherefore, since you are not in want of a leader capable of both suffering and accomplishing the greatest things on your behalf, follow me with zeal wherever I lead. Neither am I better than my brothers that I should spare my own life, nor so far worse than they as to avoid and refuse what they thought the most honorable of all things—to undergo death for your laws and for that worship of God which is peculiar to you. I will therefore show that I am their true brother in whatever way, 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 the Temple from destruction by them. For I see that these nations have you in contempt, as being without a leader, and that they are therefore encouraged to make war against you.”

Simon Becomes Leader

By this speech, Simon restored courage to the multitude, and as they had been before dispirited through fear, they were now hopeful of better things, so much so that the whole multitude of people cried out in unison that Simon should be their leader and that, instead of Judah and Jonathan his brothers, he should have authority over them. They promised that they would readily obey him in whatever he should command them. So he immediately assembled his own soldiers who were fit for war and made haste in rebuilding the walls of the city and fortifying them with very high and strong towers. He sent his own friend, Jonathan, the son of Absalom, to Jaffa, ordering him to banish the inhabitants from the city, for he was afraid lest they should deliver up the city to Trypho. But he himself stayed to secure Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Trypho set out from Ptolemais with a great army and came into Judaea. He brought Jonathan with him, in shackles. Simon also met him with his own army at the city Adida, which is upon a hill, and beneath it lie the plains of Judaea. And when Trypho learned that the Jews appointed Simon as their leader—with the intention of getting the better of him by deceit and treachery—he sent and told him that if he wished to have his brother Jonathan released, to send him one hundred talents of silver and two of Jonathan’s sons as hostages, to ensure that when he was released, he would not cause Judaea to revolt from the king. At that moment, Jonathan was kept in bonds, on account of the money he had borrowed from the king and still owed him. But Simon was aware of Trypho’s deviousness. He knew that if he gave him the money, he should lose it and that Trypho would not set his brother free and along with him would deliver the sons of Jonathan to the enemy. Yet because he was afraid that he would be blamed for the cause of his brother’s death, if he neither gave the money nor sent Jonathan’s sons, he gathered his army together and told them what offers Trypho had made. He also added that the offers were ensnaring and treacherous, and yet that it was preferable to send the money and Jonathan’s sons than to be liable to the accusation of not complying with Trypho’s offers and thereby refusing to save his brother. Accordingly, Simon sent the sons of Jonathan and the money, but when Trypho received them, he did not keep his promise nor set Jonathan free, but took his army, went all about the country, and resolved to go afterward to Jerusalem by way of Idumaea, while Simon marched his army in the same direction, encamping opposite him.

The Death of Jonathan

But when those in the citadel sent to Trypho, requesting that he make haste and come to them, and to send them provisions, he prepared his cavalry as though he would be at Jerusalem that very night. However, a heavy snow fell that night. It covered the roads and lay so deep that there was no passing, especially for the cavalry. This hindered him from coming to Jerusalem. Trypho therefore set out from there and came into Coele-Syria. Hurriedly invading Gilead, he slew Jonathan there, ordered that he be buried, and returned to Antioch. However, Simon sent some to the city Basca to bring away his brother’s bones and buried them in their own city of Modiin, and all the people lamented greatly over him. Simon also erected a very large monument of white polished stone for his father and his brothers and raised it high, so it could be seen from a distance. He made porticos around it and set up monolithic pillars, a wonderful work to behold. Moreover, he also built seven pyramids for his parents and his brothers, one for each of them, which were spectacular in size and beauty and which have been preserved to this day. Simon showed such zeal in burying Jonathan and building these monuments for his family. Now Jonathan died when he had been high priest four years and had also been the leader of his nation. And these were the circumstances that concerned his death.

Translated byWilliam Whiston, adapted byCarol Bakhos, in consultation withRalph Marcus.