and renegadoes heard, they immediately obeyed, and delivered up the hostages. After which, Jonathan purged the garrisons of Bethsura and Jerusalem; the latter of which he fortified, building the walls of square stone, the better to defend it against the insults of an enemy. Besides this, Demetrius made the Jews more advantageous offers than at other times they could have expected: but Jonathan and the Jews, who had suffered so much by the fickle and cruel temper of Demetrius, did not believe him sincere, but looked upon this generosity as an act of force and necessity; and therefore they joined Alexander, who, to encourage Jonathan and his party to strengthen his interest, promised to make Jonathan High-priest. Demetrius too late perceived his error in his former cruelty to the Jews, who, though he promised them all imaginable privileges and immunities, with the restoration of their religion, and whatever else they could desire, still inclined to Alexander, who, partly with mercenary troops, and partly with those that revolted in Syria, marched to meet Demetrius, whom he soon defeated and slew.

Alexander, being thus possessed of Syria by the death of Demetrius, wrote to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, and demanded his daughter Cleopatra in marriage. Ptolemy readily consented, and appointing Ptolemais for the place of consummation, brought his daughter thither, giving her a royal portion. Jonathan the High-priest was invited to the wedding by Alexander, who received him with great honour, and appointed him, next to himself, prince and chief of Judea.

Alexander did not long enjoy this prosperous state; for Demetrius, the son of the late Demetrius, resolving to avenge his father's death, and recover his kingdom, came from Crete into Syria with an army of mercenaries. He soon gained over to his interest Apollonius Davus, the governor of Colo-Syria, who entered Judea to oblige Jonathan to desert Alexander's party, and unite with Demetrius. Apollonius, with his army, came to Jamnia, and sent à challenge to Jonathan to leave the fastnesses in the mountains, and combat with him in the

plains. Jonathan was so irritated by this proposal, that he collected ten thousand men, and taking his brother Simon with him, marched directly to Joppa, which was garrisoned by the forces of Apollonius. Jonathan presently shut up the place; but the people, fearing they should be taken by storm, opened their gates to him. Apollonius hearing of the surrender of Joppa, resolved to put a stop to the progress of the Jewish general; and taking three thousand foot, marched to Joppa; then making a feint, as if he would retreat, with a design to draw Jonathan into the plain, he planted an ambuscade at the same time in the hollow parts of the country, consisting of a thousand horse, by which he intended to encompass Jonathan. Jonathan was apprised of this stratagem, and being resolved to be no longer braved by the enemy, formed his army as advantageously as the time would admit; gave the command of part of the army to his brother Simon, and encouraging his soldiers to behave themselves like men, he cautioned them to forbear encountering the enemy at first, but to receive their arrows with their shields, till the enemy had spent them, and then to charge them. Apollonius's horse, in whom he chiefly confided, began a distant fight, dis-. charging continual flights of arrows from morning till noon, without any execution. Simon perceiving the enemy weary, with shooting, and their arrows spent, with his party attacked and routed them, whilst Jonathan fell on their main body, which soon gave way. The whole army of Apollonius thus broken, fled over the plain to Azotus, whither the Jews pursued them, and entered the town with them. In this city was a famous temple of the idol Dagon, into which the Syrians fled; but Jonathan setting fire to it, burnt them and the temple. The number of them that were slain in the action, and burnt in the temple of Dagon, amounted to eight

thousand.

After this, Jonathan burnt and destroyed all the neighbouring towns about Azotus; and marching to Ascalon, with design to besiege it, the inhabitants not daring to provoke the victorious Jews, came out with every token

of friendship, offering an alliance and considerable presents to the general, who commending them for their good-will, returned in triumph to Jerusalem, laden with the spoils of the enemy. Alexander hearing of the defeat of his general Apollonius, the better to mask his hypocrisy, sent messengers to Jonathan to congratulate his good success against Apollonius, who, he assured him, had acted without any commission in the late affair from him, at the same time making Jonathan, his friend and ally (as he called him) a present of Jewels of considerable value.

About this time, Ptolemy Philometer, with a very great force, naval and land, arrived in Syria, under pretence of assisting his son-in-law Alexander. In his march, all the towns as far as Azotus, submitted and received him by Alexander's order; but when he came to Azotus, the people made a great complaint against Jonathan and his soldiers, who had burnt the temple of Dagon, and overrun the country with fire and sword. Ptolemy gave them a patient hearing, but promised nothing, being unwilling to disoblige Jonathan, who hearing of the arrival of Ptolemy, went out to meet him, and was honourably and magnificently received by him; then accompanying him in his way as far as the river Eleutherus, he took his leave of him, and returned to Jerusalem.

As Ptolemy was on his way to Ptolemais, he narrowly escaped an ambuscade laid for him by Ammonius at the instigation of Alexander. Which being discovered, Ptolemy wrote to Alexander, and demanded justice on the traitor; but Alexander declining it, Ptolemy plainly perceived Alexander was the author of the plot, for which he conceived an implacable hatred against him, and which soon terminated in his ruin: for the people, grown weary of Alexander at Antioch, Ptolemy was courted to accept the government of Asia, which he modestly declining, advised them to accept of Demetrius, whom they accordingly received, Ptolemy bestowing his daughter, whom he had before married to Alexander, on Demetrius. Alexander enraged at this, marched from CiVOL. II.

licia, with a great army, invaded Syria and the country of Antioch with fire and sword. But Ptolemy, with his new son-in-law Demetrius, met and gave him battle, wherein Alexander was worsted, and forced to fly to Arabia, where Zabelus, king of the country, cut off his head, and sent it to Ptolemy for a present. Ptolemy survived his son-in-law but a short time; for he died of the wounds he received in the last action, five days after, and Demetrius remained in peaceable possession of his father's kingdom.

During these transactions, Jonathan had laid siege to the citadel of Jerusalem, and some of the garrison escaping by night, came and acquainted Demetrius with it, who thereupon marched from Antioch with an army to relieve it; and coming to Ptolemais, he sent for Jonathan to appear before him there. However, Jonathan continued the siege, but went attended with the elders and priests to Ptolemais, carrying a large present of gold, silver, and other valuable things, with which he made his peace with Demetrius, who treated him very honourably, confirming him in the priesthood, and bestowing on him the government of Judea, Samaria, Joppa, and Galilee, with other neighbouring towns, on condition that he should pay three hundred talents.

Affairs being thus settled, and Demetrius suspecting no further danger from any enemies, first reduces the soldiers' pay, and soon after disbanded most of them, retaining only those foreigners who accompanied him from Crete. This procured him the hatred of the army, who from other kings, though, in the most profound peace, received their full pay: this opportunity one Tryphon, a commander under Alexander, artfully seized; and which he the more easily improved by the assistance of Malchus the Arabian, who had young Antiochus, the son of the late king Alexander, under his care. Tryphon with much difficulty prevails with Malchus to deliver the young prince to him, whom, according to his promise, he proclaimed king. Jonathan embraced this opportunity to ask leave of Demetrius to expel those who were in the citadel of Jerusalem, and the other fortresses of Judea,

concluding, that Demetrius, to keep him in his interest, would refuse him nothing. Demetrius granted his request; but on condition that he should send him succours. Jonathan sent three thousand men to Antioch, who did Demetrius great service; for the Antiochians taking arms, the Jews behaved themselves so well, and defended Demetrius, that he owed his life to them on this occasion. But this Demetrius soon forgot; for he broke his promise with Jonathan, and threatened him with military execution, if he did not pay the tribute usually given by his predecessors. This he had certainly done, had he not been prevented by Tryphon, against whom he was forced to march with the army he had prepared to chastise Jonathan. Tryphon returning from Arabia with young Antiochus, set the diadem on his head; upon which the Syrian troops, who had been deprived of pay by Demetrius, revolted to Antiochus, who in one battle recovered the city of Antioch. Then Antiochus sending letters to Jonathan, complimented him with the title of friend and ally; confirmed him in the priesthood, and the four governments, which had been formerly granted to him, with many other privileges. Besides, he appointed Simon, Jonathan's brother, governor of the coast from the city of Tyre to the frontiers of Egypt. Jonathan, not a little pleased with these proceedings, sent messengers back to Antiochus and Tryphon, assuring them of his friendship, and that he would readily join them against Demetrius as the

common enemy.

Jonathan soon taught Antiochus how useful his interest was to any prince that confederated with him; for having obtained leave of Antiochus, he went through Syria and Phænicia enlisting soldiers. When he came to Ascalon, the people met him with great presents; whom he invited, as he had done the other cities of Cælo-Syria, to relinquish Demetrius, and join Antiochus. From thence he went to Gaza, where, contrary to his expectation, they shut their gates against him, declaring for Demetrius. Upon this Jonathan laid siege to the place, which, the more easily to oblige to yield, with a detach