1 Moreover Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent letters from the isles of the sea unto Simon the priest and prince of the Jews, and to all the people;
2 The contents whereof were these: King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and prince of his nation, and to the people of the Jews, greeting:
3 Forasmuch as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, and my purpose is to challenge it again, that I may restore it to the old estate, and to that end have gathered a multitude of foreign soldiers together, and prepared ships of war;
4 My meaning also being to go through the country, that I may be avenged of them that have destroyed it, and made many cities in the kingdom desolate:
5 Now therefore I confirm unto thee all the oblations which the kings before me granted thee, and whatsoever gifts besides they granted.
6 I give thee leave also to coin money for thy country with thine own stamp.
7 And as concerning Jerusalem and the sanctuary, let them be free; and all the armour that thou hast made, and fortresses that thou hast built, and keepest in thine hands, let them remain unto thee.
8 And if anything be, or shall be, owing to the king, let it be forgiven thee from this time forth for evermore.
9 Furthermore, when we have obtained our kingdom, we will honour thee, and thy nation, and thy temple, with great honour, so that your honour shall be known throughout the world.
10 In the hundred threescore and fourteenth year went Antiochus into the land of his fathers: at which time all the forces came together unto him, so that few were left with Tryphon.
11 Wherefore being pursued by king Antiochus, he fled unto Dora, which lieth by the sea side:
12 For he saw that troubles came upon him all at once, and that his forces had forsaken him.
13 Then camped Antiochus against Dora, having with him an hundred and twenty thousand men of war, and eight thousand horsemen.
14 And when he had compassed the city round about, and joined ships close to the town on the sea side, he vexed the city by land and by sea, neither suffered he any to go out or in.
15 In the mean season came Numenius and his company from Rome, having letters to the kings and countries; wherein were written these things:
16 Lucius, consul of the Romans unto king Ptolemee, greeting:
17 The Jews’ ambassadors, our friends and confederates, came unto us to renew the old friendship and league, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews:
18 And they brought a shield of gold of a thousand pound.
19 We thought it good therefore to write unto the kings and countries, that they should do them no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries, nor yet aid their enemies against them.
20 It seemed also good to us to receive the shield of them.
21 If therefore there be any pestilent fellows, that have fled from their country unto you, deliver them unto Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their own law.
22 The same things wrote he likewise unto Demetrius the king, and Attalus, to Ariarathes, and Arsaces,
23 And to all the countries and to Sampsames, and the Lacedemonians, and to Delus, and Myndus, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Rhodus, and Aradus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.
24 And the copy hereof they wrote to Simon the high priest.
25 So Antiochus the king camped against Dora the second day, assaulting it continually, and making engines, by which means he shut up Tryphon, that he could neither go out nor in.
26 At that time Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him; silver also, and gold, and much armour.
27 Nevertheless he would not receive them, but brake all the covenants which he had made with him afore, and became strange unto him.
28 Furthermore he sent unto him Athenobius, one of his friends, to commune with him, and say, Ye withhold Joppa and Gazera; with the tower that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my realm.
29 The borders thereof ye have wasted, and done great hurt in the land, and got the dominion of many places within my kingdom.
30 Now therefore deliver the cities which ye have taken, and the tributes of the places, whereof ye have gotten dominion without the borders of Judea:
31 Or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that ye have done, and the tributes of the cities, other five hundred talents: if not, we will come and fight against you
32 So Athenobius the king’s friend came to Jerusalem: and when he saw the glory of Simon, and the cupboard of gold and silver plate, and his great attendance, he was astonished, and told him the king’s message.
33 Then answered Simon, and said unto him, We have neither taken other men’s land, nor holden that which appertaineth to others, but the inheritance of our fathers, which our enemies had wrongfully in possession a certain time.
34 Wherefore we, having opportunity, hold the inheritance of our fathers.
35 And whereas thou demandest Joppa and Gazera, albeit they did great harm unto the people in our country, yet will we give thee an hundred talents for them. Hereunto Athenobius answered him not a word;
36 But returned in a rage to the king, and made report unto him of these speeches, and of the glory of Simon, and of all that he had seen: whereupon the king was exceeding wroth.
37 In the mean time fled Tryphon by ship unto Orthosias.
38 Then the king made Cendebeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him an host of footmen and horsemen,
39 And commanded him to remove his host toward Judea; also he commanded him to build up Cedron, and to fortify the gates, and to war against the people; but as for the king himself, he pursued Tryphon.
40 So Cendebeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and to invade Judea, and to take the people prisoners, and slay them.
41 And when he had built up Cedrou, he set horsemen there, and an host of footmen, to the end that issuing out they might make outroads upon the ways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.
1 et misit rex Antiochus filius Demetrii epistulas ab insulis maris
Simoni sacerdoti et principi gentis Iudaeorum et universae genti
2 et erant continentes hunc modum
rex Antiochus Simoni sacerdoti magno et genti Iudaeorum salutem
3 quoniam quidem pestilentes obtinuerunt regnum patrum nostrorum
volo autem vindicare regnum et restituere illud sicut erat antea
electum feci multitudinem exercitus
et feci naves bellicas
4 volo autem procedere per regiones
ut ulciscar in eos qui corruperunt regionem nostram
et qui desolaverunt civitates multas in regno meo
5 nunc ergo statuo tibi omnes oblationes
quas remiserunt tibi ante me reges
et quaecumque alia dona remiserunt tibi
6 et permitto tibi facere percussuram proprii nomismatis
in regione tua
7 Hierusalem autem sanctam esse et liberam
et omnia arma quae fabricata sunt
et praesidia quae struxisti quae tenes
maneant tibi
9 cum autem obtinuerimus regnum nostrum
glorificabimus te et gentem tuam et templum gloria magna
ita ut manifestetur gloria vestra in universa terra
10 anno centesimo septuagesimo quarto
exiit Antiochus in terram patrum suorum
et convenerunt ad eum omnis exercitus
ita ut pauci relicti essent cum Tryfone
11 et insecutus est eum Antiochus rex
et venit Doram fugiens per maritimam
12 sciebat enim quod congregata sunt in eum mala
et reliquit eum exercitus
13 et adplicuit Antiochus super Doram
cum centum viginti milibus virorum belligeratorum
et octo milibus equitum
14 et circuivit civitatem et naves a mari accesserunt
et vexabant civitatem a terra et mari
et neminem sinebant egredi
15 venit autem Numenius et qui cum eo fuerant ab urbe Roma
habentes epistulas regibus et regionibus scriptas
in quibus continebantur haec
16 Lucius consul Romanorum Ptolomeo regi salutem
17 legati Iudaeorum venerunt ad nos amici nostri
renovantes pristinam amicitiam et societatem
missi a Simone principe sacerdotum et populo Iudaeorum
18 adtulerunt autem et clypeum aureum minarum mille
19 placuit itaque nobis scribere regibus et regionibus
ut non inferant illis mala
neque inpugnent eos et civitates eorum et regiones eorum
et ut non ferant auxilium pugnantibus adversus eos
20 visum est autem nobis accipere ab eis clypeum
21 si qui ergo pestilentes refugerunt de regione ipsorum ad vos
tradite eos Simoni principi sacerdotum
ut vindicet in eos secundum legem suam
22 haec eadem scripta sunt Demetrio regi
et Attalo et Arahae et Arsaci
23 et in omnes regiones et Samsamae
et Spartanis et Delo et
Mydo
et Sicyone et Cariae et Samum
et Pamphiliam et Lyciam et Alacarnasum
et Rhodum et Faselida et Choo et Siden et Arado
et Gortinam et Cnidum et Cyprum et Cyrenen
24 exemplum autem eorum scripserunt Simoni principi sacerdotum
25 Antiochus autem rex adplicuit castra in Dora
secundo
admovens ei semper manus et machinas faciens
et conclusit Tryfonem ne procederet
26 et misit ei Simon duo milia virorum electorum in auxilium
et argentum et aurum et vasa copiosa
27 et noluit ea accipere
sed inrupit omnia quae pactus est cum eo antea
et alienavit se ab eo
28 et misit ad eum Athenovium unum de amicis suis
ut tractaret cum ipso dicens
vos tenetis Ioppen et Gazaram et arcem quae est in Hierusalem
civitates regni mei
29 fines earum desolastis
et fecistis plagam magnam super terram
et dominati estis per loca multa in regno meo
30 nunc ergo tradite civitates quas occupastis
et tributa locorum quibus dominati estis extra fines Iudaeae
31 sin autem date pro illis quingenta talenta argenti
et exterminii quod exterminastis
et tributorum civitatium alia talenta quingenta
sin autem veniemus et expugnabimus vos
32 et venit Athenovius amicus regis in Hierusalem
et vidit gloriam Simonis et claritatem in auro et argento
et adparatum copiosum
et obstipuit et rettulit ei verba regis
33 et respondit Simon et dixit ei
neque alienam terram sumpsimus
neque aliena detinemus
sed hereditatem patrum nostrorum
quae ab inimicis nostris iniuste aliquo tempore
possessa est
34 nos vero tempus habentes
vindicamus hereditatem patrum nostrorum
35 nam de Ioppen et Gazara quae expostulas
ipsi faciebant in populo plagam magnam et in regione nostra
horum damus talenta centum
et non respondit illi verbum
36 reversus autem cum ira ad regem renuntiavit ei verba ista
et gloriam Simonis et universa quae vidit
et iratus est rex ira magna
37 Tryfon autem fugit navi in Orthosiada
38 et constituit rex Cendebeum ducem maritimum
et exercitum equitum et peditum dedit illi
39 et mandavit illi movere castra contra faciem Iudaeae
et mandavit ei aedificare Caedronem
et obstruere portas civitatis
et debellare populum
rex autem persequebatur Tryfonem
40 et pervenit Cendebeus Iamniam
et coepit inritare plebem et conculcare Iudaeam
et captivare populum et interficere
et aedificare Caedronem
41 et conlocavit illic equites et exercitum
ut egressi perambularent viam Iudaeae
sicut constituit ei rex