Simon: Leadership, Independence and Loss

1 Maccabees 12

³⁹ And Tryphon sought to reign over Asia and to crown himself, and to stretch out his hand against Antiochus the king.

⁴⁰ He was afraid that Jonathan wouldn’t allow him, and that he would fight against him; and he sought a way to seize him, that he might destroy him. So he marched out and came to Bethshan.

⁴¹ Jonathan came out to meet him with forty thousand men chosen for battle, and came to Bethshan.

⁴² Tryphon saw that he came with a great army, and he was afraid to stretch out his hand against him.

⁴³ He received him honorably, and commended him to all his friends, and gave him gifts, and commanded his forces to be obedient to him, as to himself.

⁴⁴ He said to Jonathan, “Why have you put all these people to so much trouble, seeing there is no war between us?

⁴⁵ Now send them away to their homes, but choose for yourself a few men who shall be with you, and come with me to Ptolemais, and I will give it to you, and the rest of the strongholds and the rest of the forces, and all the king’s officers. Then I will turn around and depart; for this is why I came.”

⁴⁶ He put his trust in him, and did even as he said, and sent away his forces, and they departed into the land of Judah.

⁴⁷ But he reserved to himself three thousand men, of whom he left two thousand in Galilee, but one thousand went with him.

⁴⁸ Now as soon as Jonathan entered into Ptolemais, the people of Ptolemais shut the gates and seized him. They killed all those who came in with him with the sword.

⁴⁹ Tryphon sent troops and cavalry into Galilee, and into the Great Plain, to destroy all Jonathan’s men.

⁵⁰ They perceived that he had been seized and had perished, along with those who were with him. They encouraged one another and went on their way close together, prepared to fight.

⁵¹ Those who followed them saw that they were ready to fight for their lives, and turned back again.

⁵² They all came in peace into the land of Judah, and they mourned for Jonathan and those who were with him, and they were very afraid. All Israel mourned with a great mourning.

⁵³ And all the Gentiles who were around them sought to destroy them utterly; for they said, “They have no ruler nor anyone to help them. Now therefore let’s fight against them, and take away their memory from among men.”

1 Maccabees 13

¹ Simon heard that Tryphon had gathered together a mighty army to come into the land of Judah and destroy it utterly.

² He saw that the people were trembling in great fear. So he went up to Jerusalem and gathered the people together.

³ He encouraged them, and said to them, “You yourselves know all the things that I, my kindred, and my father’s house have done for the laws and the sanctuary, and the battles and the distresses which we have seen.

⁴ Because of this, all my brothers have perished for Israel’s sake, and I am left alone.

⁵ Now be it far from me, that I should spare my own life in any time of affliction, for I am not better than my kindred.

⁶ However, I will take vengeance for my nation, for the sanctuary, and for our wives and children, because all the Gentiles have gathered out of hatred to destroy us.”

⁷ The spirit of the people revived as soon as they heard these words.

⁸ They answered with a loud voice, saying, “You are our leader in the place of Judas and Jonathan your brothers.

⁹ Fight our battles, and we will do all that you tell us to do.”

¹⁰ He gathered together all the men of war, and hurried to finish the walls of Jerusalem. He fortified it all around.

¹¹ He sent Jonathan the son of Absalom, and with him a great army, to Joppa. He threw out those who were in it, and lived there.

¹² Tryphon left Ptolemais with a mighty army to enter into the land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him under guard.

¹³ But Simon encamped at Adida, near the plain.

¹⁴ Tryphon knew that Simon had risen up in the place of his brother Jonathan, and meant to join battle with him, so he sent ambassadors to him, saying,

¹⁵ “It is for money which Jonathan your brother owed to the king’s treasury, by reason of the offices which he had, that we are detaining him.

¹⁶ Now send one hundred talents of silver and two of his sons for hostages, so that when he is released he may not revolt against us, and we will release him.”

¹⁷ Simon knew that they spoke to him deceitfully, but he sent to get the money and the children, lest perhaps he would arouse great hostility among the people,

¹⁸ who might say, “Because I didn’t send him the money and the children, he perished.”

¹⁹ So he sent the children and the hundred talents, but Tryphon lied, and didn’t release Jonathan.

²⁰ After this, Tryphon came to invade the land and destroy it, and he went around by the way that leads to Adora. Simon and his army marched near him to every place, wherever he went.

²¹ Now the people of the citadel sent to Tryphon ambassadors, urging him to come to them through the wilderness, and to send them food.

²² So Tryphon prepared all his cavalry to come, but on that night a very heavy snow fell, and he didn’t come because of the snow. He marched off and went into the land of Gilead.

²³ When he came near to Bascama, he killed Jonathan, and he was buried there.

²⁴ Then Tryphon turned back, and went away into his own land.

²⁵ Simon sent, and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried him at Modin, the city of his fathers.

²⁶ All Israel made great lamentation over him, and mourned for him many days.

²⁷ Simon built a monument on the tomb of his father and his kindred, and raised it high so that it could be seen, with polished stone on the front and back.

²⁸ He also set up seven pyramids, one near another, for his father, his mother, and his four brothers.

²⁹ For these, he made an elaborate setting, erecting great pillars around them, and upon the pillars he made suits of armor for a perpetual memorial, and beside the suits of armor, he carved ships, so that they could be seen by all who sail on the sea.

³⁰ This is the tomb which he made at Modin. It remains to this day.

³¹ Now Tryphon deceived the young King Antiochus and killed him,

³² and reigned in his place. He put on himself the crown of Asia and brought a great calamity upon the land.

³³ Simon built up the strongholds of Judea, and walled them all around with high towers, great walls, gates, and bars; and he stored food in the strongholds.

³⁴ Simon chose men, and sent to King Demetrius with a request that he grant the country an immunity, because all that Tryphon did was to plunder.

³⁵ King Demetrius sent to him according to these words, and answered him, and wrote a letter to him, as follows:

³⁶ “King Demetrius to Simon the high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders and nation of the Jews, greetings.

³⁷ The golden crown and the palm branch, which you sent, we have received. We are ready to make a steadfast peace with you, yes, and to write to our officers to release you from tribute.

³⁸ Whatever things we confirmed to you, they are confirmed. The strongholds, which you have built, let them be your own.

³⁹ As for any oversights and faults committed to this day, we forgive them, and the crown tax which you owed us. If there were any other tax collected in Jerusalem, let it be collected no longer.

⁴⁰ If any among you are qualified to be enrolled in our court, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us.”

⁴¹ In the one hundred seventieth year, the yoke of the Gentiles was taken away from Israel.

⁴² The people began to write in their instruments and contracts, “In the first year of Simon, the great high priest and captain and leader of the Jews.”

⁴³ In those days Simon encamped against Gazara, and surrounded it with troops. He made a siege engine, and brought it up to the city, and struck a tower, and captured it.

⁴⁴ Those who were in the engine leaped out into the city; and there was a great uproar in the city.

⁴⁵ The people of the city tore their clothes, and went up on the walls with their wives and children, and cried with a loud voice, asking Simon to give them his right hand.

⁴⁶ They said, “Don’t deal with us according to our wickednesses, but according to your mercy.”

⁴⁷ So Simon was reconciled to them, and didn’t fight against them; but he expelled them from the city and cleansed the houses where the idols were, and then entered into it with singing and giving praise.

⁴⁸ He removed all uncleanness out of it, and placed in it men who would keep the law, and made it stronger than it was before, and built a dwelling place for himself in it.

⁴⁹ But the people of the citadel in Jerusalem were hindered from going out and from going into the country, and from buying and selling. So they were very hungry, and a great number of them perished from famine.

⁵⁰ Then they cried out to Simon, that he should give them his right hand; and he gave it to them; but he expelled them from there, and he cleansed the citadel from its pollutions.

⁵¹ He entered into it on the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred seventy-first year, with praise and palm branches, with harps, with cymbals, and with stringed instruments, with hymns, and with songs, because a great enemy had been destroyed out of Israel.

⁵² Simon ordained that they should keep that day every year with gladness. He made the hill of the temple that was by the citadel stronger than before, and he lived there with his men.

⁵³ Simon saw that his son John was a man, so he made him leader of all his forces; and he lived in Gazara.

1 Maccabees 14

¹ In the one hundred seventy-second year, King Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media to get help, that he might fight against Tryphon.

² When Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had come into his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive.

³ He went and struck the army of Demetrius, and seized him and brought him to Arsaces, who put him under guard.

1 Maccabees 15

¹⁰ In the one hundred seventy-fourth year, Antiochus went into the land of his fathers; and all the forces came together to him, so that there were few men with Tryphon.

¹¹ King Antiochus pursued him, and he came, as he fled, to Dor, which is by the sea;

¹² for he knew that troubles had come upon him all at once, and that his forces had deserted him.

¹³ Antiochus encamped against Dor, and with him one hundred twenty thousand men of war and eight thousand cavalry.

¹⁴ He surrounded the city, and the ships joined in the attack from the sea. He harassed the city by land and sea, and permitted no one to go out or in.

²⁵ But King Antiochus encamped against Dor the second day, bringing his forces up to it continually, and making engines of war; and he shut up Tryphon from going in or out.

²⁶ Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to fight on his side, with silver, gold, and instruments of war in abundance.

²⁷ He would not receive them, but nullified all the covenants which he had made with him before, and was estranged from him.

²⁸ He sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to confer with him, saying, “You hold possession of Joppa, Gazara, and the citadel that is in Jerusalem, cities of my kingdom.

²⁹ You have devastated their territory, and done great harm in the land, and control many places in my kingdom.

³⁰ Now therefore hand over the cities which you have taken, and the tributes of the places which you have taken control of outside of the borders of Judea;

³¹ or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that you have done, and the tributes of the cities, another five hundred talents. Otherwise we will come and subdue you.”

³² Athenobius, the king’s friend, came to Jerusalem. When he saw the glory of Simon, the cupboard of gold and silver vessels, and his great attendance, he was amazed. He reported to him the king’s words.

³³ Simon answered, and said to him, “We have not taken other men’s land nor do we have possession of that which belongs to others, but of the inheritance of our fathers. However, it had been in possession of our enemies wrongfully for a while.

³⁴ But we, having opportunity, firmly hold the inheritance of our fathers.

³⁵ As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they did great harm among the people throughout our country. We will give one hundred talents for them.” Athenobius didn’t answer even one word,

³⁶ but returned in a rage to the king, and reported to him these words, and the glory of Simon, and all that he had seen; and the king was exceedingly angry.

³⁷ Meanwhile, Tryphon embarked on board a ship, and fled to Orthosia.

³⁸ The king appointed Cendebaeus chief captain of the sea coast, and gave him troops of infantry and cavalry.

³⁹ He commanded him to encamp against Judea, and he commanded him to build up Kidron, and to fortify the gates, and that he should fight against the people; but the king pursued Tryphon.

⁴⁰ So Cendebaeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people, and to invade Judea, and to take the people captive and kill them.

⁴¹ He built Kidron and stationed cavalry and infantry there, to the end that going out they might make raids on the highways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.

1 Maccabees 16

¹ John went up from Gazara and told Simon his father what Cendebaeus was doing.

² Simon called his two oldest sons, Judas and John, and said to them, “I and my brothers and my father’s house have fought the battles of Israel from our youth, even to this day; and things have prospered in our hands, so that we have often delivered Israel.

³ But now I am old, and you moreover, by his mercy, are of a sufficient age. Take the place of me and my brother, and go out and fight for our nation; and let the help which is from heaven be with you.

⁴ He chose out of the country twenty thousand men of war and cavalry, and they went against Cendebaeus, and slept at Modin.

⁵ Rising up in the morning, they went into the plain, and, behold, a great army of infantry and cavalry came to meet them. There was a brook between them.

⁶ He encamped near them, he and his people. He saw that the people were afraid to pass over the brook, and he passed over first. When the men saw him, they passed over after him.

⁷ He divided the people, and placed the cavalry in the midst of the infantry; but the enemies’ cavalry were exceedingly many.

⁸ They sounded the trumpets; and Cendebaeus and his army were put to flight, and many of them fell wounded to death, but those who were left fled to the stronghold.

⁹ At that time Judas, John’s brother, was wounded; but John pursued after them until he came to Kidron, which Cendebaeus had built.

¹⁰ They fled to the towers that are in the fields of Azotus; and he burned them with fire. About two thousand men of them fell. Then he returned into Judea in peace.

¹¹ Ptolemy the son of Abubus had been appointed governor over the plain of Jericho, and he had much silver and gold;

¹² for he was the high priest’s son-in-law.

¹³ His heart was lifted up, and he planned to make himself master of the country, and he made deceitful plans against Simon and his sons, to do away with them.

¹⁴ Now Simon was visiting the cities that were in the country, and attending to their needs. He went down to Jericho—himself with Mattathias and Judas his sons—in the one hundred seventy-seventh year, in the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat.

¹⁵ The son of Abubus received them deceitfully into the little stronghold that is called Dok, which he had built, and made them a great banquet, and hid men there.

¹⁶ When Simon and his sons had drunk freely, Ptolemy and his men rose up, took their weapons, rushed in against Simon in the banqueting place, and killed him, his two sons, and some of his servants.

¹⁷ He committed a great iniquity, and repaid evil for good.

¹⁸ Ptolemy wrote these things and sent to the king, that he should send him forces to aid him, and should deliver him their country and the cities.

¹⁹ He sent others to Gazara to do away with John. To the captains of thousands, he sent letters to come to him, that he might give them silver, gold, and gifts.

²⁰ He sent others to take possession of Jerusalem and the temple hill.

²¹ One ran before to Gazara, and told John that his father and kindred had perished, and that he has sent to kill you also.

²² When he heard, he was greatly shocked. He seized the men who came to destroy him and killed them; for he perceived that they were seeking to destroy him.