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And having driven away much booty from there and taken captives, he returned. And having gathered the people, he advised them to renew the walls of Jerusalem and to rebuild as much of the sanctuary's enclosure as had been demolished. And since the counsel pleased everyone, he himself took hold of the work, and sent his brother Simon to secure the country. Demetrius, however, came into Mesopotamia to take over Babylon and the upper satrapies. For the Greeks and Macedonians inhabiting these areas promised to surrender themselves to him and to fight alongside him against Arsaces, the king of the Parthians. And so they received him. And engaging in battle with Arsaces, he lost his entire army and he himself was captured. But Tryphon, learning these things about Demetrius, plotted against Antiochus, planning to kill him and 1.332 to usurp the rule. He feared, however, Jonathan, who was a friend to Antiochus. And he hastened first to capture him by deceit and then to proceed against Antiochus. Therefore he went away to Scythopolis, where Jonathan also met him with forty thousand fighting men. But he deceitfully came up to him, welcoming him with gifts and honors, wishing to remove all suspicion, so that he might take him off his guard. And he advised him to dismiss the army, and for him to come with him with a few men to Ptolemais, to take possession of the city and all the strongholds there. And Jonathan, suspecting nothing, turned the army back, and went away with only a thousand men. But having been shut up in Ptolemais, he himself was taken alive, and those with him were killed. When those in Jerusalem learned these things, they fell into fear on account of the surrounding nations, which, having learned of Jonathan's capture, had been set in motion against the Jews. But Simon, having spoken to the multitude and encouraged it, was chosen leader by it, and having gathered the fighting men of the people, he took care of the walls of the city, and was concerned with everything for the security of their affairs. Tryphon, however, came into Judea, bringing Jonathan as a prisoner. And Simon met him with a force; but he sent to him, declaring that he should give one hundred talents of silver and two of Jonathan's sons as hostages, if he wanted his brother to be released. But Simon understood Tryphon's villainy, yet so that he might not incur the charge of not wanting to save his brother, he sent both the money and the boys. Having received them, Tryphon did not keep the agreements, but with his army went up towards Jerusalem. And Simon also marched alongside, 1.333 always encamping opposite him. But a great fall of snow hindered his arrival in Jerusalem; and he turned toward Syria, and as he was leaving, he killed Jonathan. But Simon, after his brother Jonathan had died after a four-year term of the high priesthood, was himself put forward as high priest by the multitude, and no longer provided tribute to the Macedonians. And the nation prospered greatly under him, and they gained dominion over the neighboring nations, and they destroyed many of the cities, so that they might not be bases of operations for their enemies. And the mountain on which the acropolis had been built, being very high, laboring continuously for three years, they brought it down to a plain, so that the temple might be above it. Tryphon, for his part, killed Antiochus, who was also called Theos, after he had reigned for four years, while serving as his guardian. And he announced that the one had died, but to the soldiers he promised money, if they would make him king. They, hoping to gain much, chose him as their ruler. But having taken the kingship, Tryphon cast off his pretense; and the military, hating him, defected to Cleopatra, the wife of Demetrius, who happened to be shut up in Seleucia. And as Antiochus, who was called Soter, and was the brother of Demetrius, was wandering and was hemmed in on all sides by Tryphon, Cleopatra sent to him, calling him to marriage and kingship; for she feared that the people of Seleucia would give the city to Tryphon. Therefore, having arrived in Seleucia, Antiochus set out against Tryphon, and having defeated him, drove him out of 1.334 Upper Syria, and

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καὶ λείαν ἐκεῖθεν ἀπελάσας πολλὴν καὶ αἰχμαλώτους λαβὼν ἐπανῆλθε. συναγαγὼν δὲ τὸν λαὸν συνεβούλευε τὰ τείχη τῶν ̔Ιεροσολύμων ἀνακαινίσαι καὶ ἀνορθῶσαι οσον τοῦ περιβόλου τοῦ ἱεροῦ καθῄρητο. καὶ ἀρεσάσης πᾶσι τῆς συμβουλῆς, αὐτὸς μὲν εργου ειχετο, τὸν δὲ ἀδελφὸν Σίμωνα επεμψε τὴν χώραν ἀσφαλισόμενον. ̔Ο δέ γε ∆ημήτριος εἰς Μεσοποταμίαν ηκεν ὡς τὴν Βαβυλῶνα καὶ τὰς ανω σατραπείας παραληψόμενος. οἱ γὰρ ταύτας κατοικοῦντες Ελληνες καὶ Μακεδόνες παραδώσειν ἑαυτοὺς αὐτῷ ἐπηγγέλλοντο καὶ συγκαταπολεμήσειν ̓Αρσάκην τὸν Πάρθων βασιλέα. καὶ ἐδέξαντο τοίνυν αὐτόν. καὶ τῷ ̓Αρσάκῃ συμβαλὼν τὴν απασαν ἀπέβαλε στρατιὰν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐλήφθη. Τρύφων δὲ γνοὺς τοιαῦτα τὰ περὶ τὸν ∆ημήτριον, ἐπεβούλευεν ̓Αντιόχῳ, ἀποκτεῖναι αὐτὸν μελετῶν καὶ 1.332 τὴν ἀρχὴν σφετερίσασθαι. ἐδεδοίκει μέντοι τὸν ̓Ιωνάθην, οντα φίλον τῷ ̓Αντιόχῳ. καὶ εσπευδεν αὐτὸν πρῶτον ἀπάτῃ ἑλὼν ουτως ἐπιχειρῆσαι τοῖς κατὰ τὸν ̓Αντίοχον. διὸ καὶ εἰς Σκυθόπολιν απεισιν, ενθα καὶ ̓Ιωνάθης αὐτῷ σὺν τέσσαρσι μυριάσι μαχίμων ἀπήντησεν. ὁ δὲ ὑπούλως αὐτὸν ὑπέρχεται, δώροις τε καὶ τιμαῖς δεξιούμενος, πᾶσαν θέλων ὑπόνοιαν ἐξελεῖν, ιν' αὐτὸν ἀφύλακτον λήψοιτο. καὶ συνεβούλευε τὴν μὲν στρατιὰν ἀπολῦσαι, αὐτὸς δὲ μετ' ὀλίγων εἰς Πτολεμαΐδα συναφικέσθαι αὐτῷ, τὴν πόλιν παραληψόμενος καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐκεῖ ὀχυρώματα. καὶ ̓Ιωνάθης μηδὲν ὑποτοπήσας τὸ στράτευμα εστρεψε, χιλίους δ' εχων μόνους ἀπῄει. εἰς δὲ Πτολεμαΐδα κατακλεισθεὶς αὐτὸς μὲν ζωγρεῖται, οἱ δὲ σὺν αὐτῷ διαφθείρονται. απερ οἱ ἐν ̔Ιεροσολύμοις μαθόντες εἰς δέος ἐνέπεσον διὰ τὰ πέριξ εθνη, α γνόντα τὴν ̓Ιωνάθου σύλληψιν κατὰ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων κεκίνηντο. Σίμων δὲ τῷ πλήθει ὡμιληκὼς καὶ παραθαρρύνας αὐτὸ ἡγεμὼν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ αἱρεῖται, καὶ συναθροίσας τὸ μάχιμον τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν τειχῶν ἐπεμελεῖτο τῆς πόλεως, καὶ παντὸς τοῦ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῶν πραγμάτων ἐφρόντιζεν. ὁ μέντοι Τρύφων εἰς ̓Ιουδαίαν ἀφίκετο, καὶ τὸν ̓Ιωνάθην δέσμιον αγων. καὶ ὁ Σίμων αὐτῷ σὺν δυνάμει ἀπήντησεν· ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν επεμψε δηλῶν ἑκατὸν ἀργυρίου τάλαντα δοῦναι καὶ δύο τῶν ̓Ιωνάθου παίδων ὁμήρους, εἰ βούλεται λυθῆναι τὸν ἀδελφόν. ὁ Σίμων δὲ συνῆκε μὲν τὴν κακουργίαν τοῦ Τρύφωνος, ινα δὲ μὴ αἰτίαν σχοίη ὡς μὴ θέλων σῶσαι τὸν ἀδελφόν, καὶ τὰ χρήματα επεμψε καὶ τοὺς παῖδας. α λαβὼν ὁ Τρύφων οὐκ ἐτήρησε τὰς συνθήκας, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἀνῄει πρὸς τὰ ̔Ιεροσόλυμα. παρωμάρτει δὲ καὶ ὁ Σίμων, 1.333 ἀεὶ ἐναντίον καταστρατοπεδευόμενος. χιὼν δὲ πολλὴ πεσοῦσα διεκώλυσεν αὐτῷ τὴν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα αφιξιν· καὶ εἰς Συρίαν ἐτράπετο, καὶ ἀπιὼν τὸν ̓Ιωνάθην ἀπέκτεινε. Σίμων δέ, θανόντος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ̓Ιωνάθου μετὰ τετραετίαν τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης, αὐτὸς ἀρχιερεὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους προυβέβλητο, καὶ οὐκέτι φόρους τοῖς Μακεδόσι παρέσχετο. εὐτύχησε δὲ τὸ εθνος ἐπ' αὐτοῦ σφόδρα, καὶ τῶν τε περιοίκων ἐθνῶν ἐκυρίευσαν, καὶ πολλὰς τῶν πόλεων κατεστρέψαντο, ινα μὴ ειεν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ὁρμητήρια. καὶ τὸ ορος ἐφ' ου ἡ ἀκρόπολις ᾠκοδόμητο, λίαν ον ὑψηλόν, ἐν τρισὶν ετεσιν ἐνδελεχῶς πονοῦντες εἰς πεδιάδα μετήνεγκαν, ὡς αν ειη τὸ ἱερὸν ὑπερκείμενον. ̔Ο δέ γε Τρύφων τὸν ̓Αντίοχον, ος καὶ θεὸς ἐπεκλήθη, τέσσαρα βασιλεύσαντα ετη διέφθειρεν, ἐπιτροπεύων αὐτοῦ. καὶ τὸν μὲν ὡς ἀποθάνοι διήγγελλε, τοῖς δὲ στρατιώταις ἐπηγγέλλετο χρήματα, εἰ αὐτὸν βασιλεύσουσιν. οι κερδῆσαι πολλὰ ἠλπικότες ειλοντο αὐτὸν αρχοντα. λαβὼν δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν ὁ Τρύφων ἀπεδύσατο τὴν ὑπόκρισιν· καὶ μισῆσαν αὐτὸν τὸ στρατιωτικὸν πρὸς Κλεοπάτραν ἀφίστατο τὴν τοῦ ∆ημητρίου γυναῖκα, ἐγκεκλεισμένην ἐν Σελευκείᾳ τυγχάνουσαν. ἀλωμένου δὲ ̓Αντιόχου, ος ἐκαλεῖτο σωτήρ, ∆ημητρίου δὲ ην ἀδελφός, καὶ ἐγκεκλεισμένου πάντοθεν διὰ Τρύφωνα, πέμπει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ Κλεοπάτρα, καλοῦσα ἐπὶ γάμῳ καὶ βασιλείᾳ· ἐδεδίει γὰρ μὴ τὴν πόλιν οἱ Σελευκεῖς τῷ Τρύφωνι δώσουσι. γενόμενος ουν ἐν τῇ Σελευκείᾳ ὁ ̓Αντίοχος κατὰ τοῦ Τρύφωνος ωρμησε, καὶ νικήσας αὐτὸν τῆς 1.334 ανω Συρίας ἐξέβαλε, καὶ