The sons of Simon defeat the troops of Antiochus. Simon with two of his
sons are treacherously murdered by Ptolemee his son in law.
16:1. Then John came up from Gazara, and told Simon, his father, what
Cendebeus had done against their people.
John. . .He was afterwards surnamed Hircanus, and succeeded his father
in both his dignities of high priest and prince. He conquered the
Edomites, and obliged them to a conformity with the Jews in religion;
and destroyed the schismatical temple of the Samaritans.
16:2. And Simon called his two eldest sons, Judas and John, and said to
them: I and my brethren, and my father's house, have fought against the
enemies of Israel from our youth even to this day: and things have
prospered so well in our hands, that we have delivered Israel
oftentimes.
16:3. And now I am old, but be you instead of me, and my brethren, and
go out, and fight for our nation: and the help from heaven be with you.
16:4. Then he chose out of the country twenty thousand fighting men,
and horsemen, and they went forth against Cendebeus: and they rested in
Modin.
16:5. And they arose in the morning, and went into the plain: and
behold a very great army of footmen and horsemen came against them, and
there was a running river between them.
16:6. And he and his people pitched their camp over against them, and
he saw that the people were afraid to go over the river, so he went
over first: then the men seeing him, passed over after him.
He. . .Viz., John.
16:7. And he divided the people, and set the horsemen in the midst of
the footmen: but the horsemen of the enemies were very numerous.
16:8. And they sounded the holy trumpets: and Cendebeus and his army
were put to flight: and there fell many of them wounded, and the rest
fled into the strong hold.
16:9. At that time, Judas, John's brother, was wounded: but John
pursued after them, till he came to Cedron, which he had built:
Cedron. . .Otherwise called Gedon, the city that Cendebeus was
fortifying.
16:10. And they fled even to the towers that were in the fields of
Azotus, and he burnt them with fire. And there fell of them two
thousand men, and he returned into Judea in peace.
16:11. Now Ptolemee, the son of Abobus, was appointed captain in the
plain of Jericho, and he had abundance of silver and gold.
16:12. For he was son in law of the high priest.
16:13. And his heart was lifted up, and he designed to make himself
master of the country, and he purposed treachery against Simon and his
sons, to destroy them.
16:14. Now Simon, as he was going through the cities that were in the
country of Judea, and taking care for the good ordering of them, went
down to Jericho, he and Mathathias and Judas, his sons, in the year one
hundred and seventy-seven, the eleventh month: the same is the month
Sabath.
16:15. And the son of Abobus received them deceitfully into a little
fortress, that is called Doch, which he had built: and he made them a
great feast, and hid men there.
16:16. And when Simon and his sons had drunk plentifully, Ptolemee and
his men rose up, and took their weapons, and entered into the
banqueting place, and slew him, and his two sons, and some of his
servants.
16:17. And he committed a great treachery in Israel, and rendered evil
for good.
16:18. And Ptolemee wrote these things, and sent to the king that he
should send him an army to aid him, and he would deliver him the
country, and their cities, and tributes.
16:19. And he sent others to Gazara to kill John: and to the tribunes
he sent letters to come to him, and that he would give them silver, and
gold, and gifts.
16:20. And he sent others to take Jerusalem, and the mountain of the
temple.
16:21. Now one running before, told John in Gazara, that his father and
his brethren were slain, and that he hath sent men to kill thee also.
16:22. But when he heard it, he was exceedingly afraid: and he
apprehended the men that came to kill him, and he put them to death:
for he knew that they sought to make him away.
16:23. And as concerning the rest of the acts of John, and his wars,
and the worthy deeds, which he bravely achieved, and the building of
the walls, which he made, and the things that he did:
16:24. Behold, these are written in the book of the days of his
priesthood, from the time that he was made high priest after his
father.