Simon Achieves Independence (143–134 B.C.)
Chapter 13
Simon Becomes Leader of Israel. 1 When Simon heard that Trypho had assembled a large army to invade and destroy the land of Judah, 2 and he saw that the people were trembling with fear, he went up to Jerusalem. Assembling the people, 3 he exhorted them in these words: “You yourselves are fully aware of what I and my brothers and the house of my father have done for the laws and the sanctuary. You also know about the battles we have fought and the hardships we have endured. 4 As a result, all of my brothers have perished for the sake of Israel, and I alone am left. 5 Far be it from me, then, to give priority to my own life in any time of oppression, for I am not of any greater worth than my brothers. 6 Rather, I will avenge my nation and the sanctuary and your wives and children, for all the nations have united to destroy us because of their hatred for us.”
7 These words rekindled the spirit of the people, 8 and they replied by shouting, “You are our leader in place of Judas and your brother Jonathan. 9 Fight our battles, and we will do whatever you tell us.” 10 Therefore, Simon assembled all the fighting men and hurried to complete the walls of Jerusalem, fortifying it on every side. 11 He sent Jonathan, the son of Absalom, with a large force to Joppa; Jonathan drove out the people who were there and occupied the town.
12 Simon Prevents Trypho from Invading Judah. Then Trypho departed from Ptolemais with a large army to invade the land of Judah, bringing Jonathan with him under guard, 13 while Simon encamped in Adida, opposite the plain. 14 When Trypho learned that Simon had assumed the role of his brother Jonathan and that he was prepared to engage in battle with him, he sent envoys to say to him, 15 “We are detaining your brother Jonathan because of the money that he owed to the royal treasury in connection with the offices he held. 16 Send us a hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons as hostages to ensure that when he is set free he will not revolt against us, and we will release him.”
17 Although Simon was positive that they were speaking deceitfully to him, he had the money and the boys brought to him, fearing to provoke great hostility among the people, who might say 18 that Jonathan perished because Simon would not send Trypho the money and the boys. 19 Therefore, he sent both the boys and the one hundred talents, but Trypho broke his word and refused to release Jonathan. 20 Next, Trypho set out to invade and ravage the country. He made a detour along the road that leads to Adora,[a] but Simon and his army kept marching opposite him every place he went.
21 The men in the citadel sent messages to Trypho, urging him to come to their aid by way of the desert and to send them supplies. 22 Trypho prepared his entire cavalry force to go, but that night it snowed so heavily that he was unable to proceed. Therefore, he withdrew into Gilead. 23 When he drew near to Baskama,[b] he had Jonathan put to death and buried him there. 24 Then Trypho returned to his own country.
25 Jonathan’s Funeral. Simon sent for the body of his brother Jonathan and buried him in Modein, the city of his ancestors. 26 There was great lamentation for him throughout Israel, and the mourning lasted for many days. 27 Over the tomb of his father and brothers Simon erected a tall monument that was visible from a great distance, composed of polished stone back and front. 28 He also erected seven pyramids, facing each other, for his father and mother and four brothers. 29 For the pyramids he devised an elaborate setting of tall columns, surmounted by trophies of armor as a perpetual memorial, and next to the armor he placed carved ships that could be seen by all who sailed the sea. 30 This tomb, which he built at Modein, remains to this day.
31 A New Political Autonomy.[c] Trypho next dealt treacherously with the young King Antiochus. He killed him 32 and usurped his position as king, claiming the crown of Asia and inflicting great havoc on the country. 33 Meanwhile, Simon rebuilt the strongholds of Judea, strengthening them with high towers, great walls, and bolted gates, and he stocked the strongholds with provisions. 34 He also sent selected emissaries to King Demetrius with a request that he grant tax relief to the country, since Trypho had done little else except plunder the land. 35 King Demetrius responded favorably to his request with the following letter:
36 “King Demetrius sends greetings to Simon the high priest and the Friend of Kings, and to the elders and the Jewish people. 37 We have received the gold crown and the palm branch that you sent, and we are willing to enter into a treaty of peace with you and to write to our officials with instructions to grant you an exemption from the payment of tribute. 38 All of our previous guarantees to you remain in force, and the strongholds that you have built shall remain in your possession. 39 We pardon any errors or offenses committed up to now, and we remit the crown tax that you owe. Moreover, any other tax that formerly was collected in Jerusalem is hereby canceled. 40 If any of you are qualified to be enrolled in our service, let them be enrolled. Let there be peace between us.”
41 Thus in the year one hundred and seventy, the yoke of the Gentiles was removed from Israel, 42 and the people began to write in their documents and contracts: “In the first year of Simon, the great high priest, commander and leader of the Jews.”[d]
43 Simon Captures Gazara. About that time, Simon besieged Gazara[e] and surrounded it with troops. He constructed a siege-machine, and after he had brought it up to the town, he opened a breach in one of the towers and captured it. 44 The men leapt from the siege-machine into the city, and a great tumult arose there. 45 The men of the city, with their wives and children, mounted the walls with their garments torn, and they cried out loudly, imploring Simon to make peace with them. 46 “Do not treat us as our wickedness deserves,” they said, “but according to your mercy.”
47 Simon reached an agreement with them and did not destroy them. However, he expelled them from the city, and he purified the houses that contained idols. Then he entered the city with hymns and songs of praise. 48 After removing everything from it that was unclean, he settled there people who observed the law. He also strengthened its fortifications and built a residence for himself.
49 The Citadel Surrenders.[f] The occupants of the citadel in Jerusalem were prevented from coming out and going into the countryside to buy and sell. Thus they were in a state of famine, and many of them died of starvation. 50 Then they implored Simon to make peace with them, and he granted their request. Expelling them from the citadel, he cleansed it of its defilement. 51 On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the year one hundred and seventy-one, the Jews entered the citadel with shouting and the waving of palm branches, to the accompaniment of lyres and cymbals and harps and the singing of hymns and canticles, because a great enemy of Israel had been destroyed. 52 Simon decreed that this day should be observed each year with rejoicing. He also strengthened the fortifications of the temple hill alongside the citadel, and he took up residence there with his men. 53 And since his son John had now reached manhood, he appointed him as commander of all the forces, with his residence in Gazara.[g]
Footnotes
- 1 Maccabees 13:20 Adora (or Adoram), five miles from Hebron (2 Chr 11:9).
- 1 Maccabees 13:23 Baskama: possibly northeast of the Sea of Galilee. He had Jonathan put to death: late in 143 or early in 142 B.C.
- 1 Maccabees 13:31 For the first time after the Exile (sixth century), despite the persistence of a few ties of vassalage, Israel rediscovers its political autonomy. This takes place in 142 B.C.
- 1 Maccabees 13:42 The title of king is avoided, since it was regarded as reserved to the Davidic descendancy; only forty years later, however, the title will be assumed (Alexander Jannaeus, 103–76 B.C.).
- 1 Maccabees 13:43 Gazara: a key position in the Shephelah, fortified by Bacchides in 160 B.C.; see 1 Mac 9:52; a Greek inscription hostile to Simon has been found there. Siege-machine: a tower on wheels housing men with catapults and battering rams that could breach fortified walls.
- 1 Maccabees 13:49 The citadel in which Simon takes residence with his men will become the fortress Antonia. Palm branches signified victory (see 2 Mac 10:7).
- 1 Maccabees 13:53 Simon, the lone remaining son of Mattathias, calls upon his son who has already shown himself courageous in previous military actions. This son is John Hyrcanus who will succeed his father (see 1 Mac 16:1-3).