1Antiochus, son of King Demetrius, sent from the islands of the sea to Simon, the High Priest and leader of the Jews, and to the whole nation, 2the following letter: “King Antiochus to Simon, high priest and leader, and to the Jewish nation: peace!
3Since wicked men have seized the kingdom of our ancestors, I now intend to recover it and to reestablish it as it was before. I have gathered a very large army and have equipped warships 4to make a landing in the country and take revenge on those who devastated our land and laid waste many cities in my kingdom. Now, therefore, 5I confirm in your regard all the tax exemptions and all other privileges granted you by my royal predecessors. 6I authorize you to mint your own coinage for your nation. 7I accept the autonomy of Jerusalem and the Holy Place; all the arms you have manufactured as well as the fortresses you have constructed and those you have occupied are yours. 8From this day on, I cancel all debts to the king and everything you may owe in the future. 9And when I have taken possession of my kingdom, I shall bestow great honors on you, your nation and on the Temple, making you famous through out all the earth.”
10In the year one hundred and seventy-four, Antiochus marched out to the land of his ancestors, and all the troops rallied to him, so that only a few remained with Trypho. 11Antiochus pursued him and Trypho took refuge in Dor on the coast. 12Trypho knew how critical the situation had become for him and that his army had deserted him. 13Antiochus encamped before Dor with a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers and eight thousand horsemen. 14And he surrounded the city while the ships attacked from the sea: the city was completely surrounded by land and sea, and no one could go in or come out.
15Then Numenius and his companions arrived from Rome, carrying letters addressed to the kings and to the nations in the following terms: 16“Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy: peace! 17The Jewish people sent by the High Priest Simon and by the Jewish people have come to us as our friends and allies to renew our friendship and alliance of old.
18They have brought us a gold shield weighing a thousand minas. 19It is our desire to write to the kings and the peoples that they should not harm the Israelites nor injure them or their cities or their land, nor ally themselves with their aggressors. 20We have accepted with pleasure the shield that the Jews sent us. 21Now, if some wicked Jews who have fled from their land are in your country, hand them over to the High Priest Simon that he may punish them according to their Law.”
22The same letter was sent to King Demetrius, to Attalus, Ariarathes and Arsaces, 23and to all the nations, to Sampsames, the Spartans, Delos, Myndos, Sicyon, Caria, Samos, Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, Phaselis, Cos, Side, Aradus, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus and Cyrene. 24They also sent copies of these letters to the High Priest Simon.
War with the Syrians renewed
25King Antiochus encamped before Dor, in the new district, continually sending his battalions against it and constructing siege engines. He kept Trypho shut in and prevented him from going out or in. 26Simon sent him two thousand picked men to help him in the fight, with silver, gold and plenty of equipment. 27But Antiochus did not accept them; instead, he annulled the concessions he had granted to Simon and declared him his enemy. 28He sent Athenobius, one of his Friends, to him in order to meet him and say to him: “You have occupied Joppa, Gazara and the Citadel of Judea which are cities of my kingdom. 29You have laid waste their territory and done great damage in the land, and have seized many towns in my kingdom.
30Restore, then, the cities you have seized and the taxes of the places you now occupy beyond the borders of Judea. 31Or pay me five hundred talents of silver as compensation for the damage you have caused and another five hundred talents for the taxes of the cities. If not, then I shall declare war against you.”
32Athenobius, the Friend of the king, arrived in Jerusalem and when he saw the magnificence of Simon, his plates of gold and silver and the pomp that surrounded him, he was amazed. But he delivered the king’s message. 33Simon answered him, “We have not occupied any foreign land nor seized any foreign property: this is the inheritance of our ancestors. It was our enemies who seized this for some time, 34but now that we have a favorable opportunity, we are only recovering the inheritance of our ancestors.
35Joppa and Gazara, which you claim, did great harm to our people and laid waste our land; but we are prepared to give you a hundred talents for them.”
Athenobius did not say anything, 36but went back to the king very angry and reported to him Simon’s reply. He also told him of Simon’s magnificence and everything he had seen. So the king became furious.
37Meanwhile, Trypho fled to Orthosia on a ship. 38The king appointed Cendebeus as general and gave him part of the troops and the horsemen. 39He ordered him to encamp against Judea, rebuild Kedron and fortify its gates and make war on the people. The king then went on pursuing Trypho. 40Cendebeus arrived at Jamnia and began to disturb the people. He invaded Judea, imprisoned some people and put them to death. 41He fortified Kedron, stationed horsemen and troops there to make sorties and to patrol the roads to Judea, as the king had commanded him.
