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But when Demetrius, who was styled Nicator,
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had taken the kingdom, he was so wicked as to treat Ptolemy's soldiers
very hardly, neither remembering the league of mutual assistance that was
between them, nor that he was his son-in-law and kinsman, by Cleopatra's
marriage to him; so the soldiers fled from his wicked treatment to Alexandria;
but Demetrius kept his elephants. But Jonathan the high priest levied an
army out of all Judea, and attacked the citadel at Jerusalem, and besieged
it. It was held by a garrison of Macedonians, and by some of those wicked
men who had deserted the customs of their forefathers. These men at first
despised the attempts of Jonathan for taking the place, as depending on
its strength; but some of those wicked men went out by night, and came
to Demetrius, and informed him that the citadel was besieged; who was irritated
with what he heard, and took his army, and came from Antioch, against Jonathan.
And when he was at Antioch, he wrote to him, and commanded him to come
to him quickly to Ptolemais: upon which Jonathan did not intermit the siege
of the citadel, but took with him the elders of the people, and the priests,
and carried with him gold, and silver, and garments, and a great number
of presents of friendship, and came to Demetrius, and presented him with
them, and thereby pacified the king's anger. So he was honored by him,
and received from him the confirmation of his high priesthood, as he had
possessed it by the grants of the kings his predecessors. And when the
Jewish deserters accused him, Demetrius was so far from giving credit to
them, that when he petitioned him that he would demand no more than three
hundred talents for the tribute of all Judea, and the three toparchies
of Samaria, and Perea, and Galilee, he complied with the proposal, and
gave him a letter confirming all those grants; whose contents were as follows:
"King Demetrius to Jonathan his brother, and to the nation of the
Jews, sendeth greeting. We have sent you a copy of that epistle which we
have written to Lasthones our kinsman, that you may know its contents.
"King Demetrus to Lasthenes our father, sendeth greeting. I have determined
to return thanks, and to show favor to the nation of the Jews, which hath
observed the rules of justice in our concerns. Accordingly, I remit to
them the three prefectures, Apherims, and Lydda, and Ramatha, which have
been added to Judea out of Samaria, with their appurtenances; as also what
the kings my predecessors received from those that offered sacrifices in
Jerusalem, and what are due from the fruits of the earth, and of the trees,
and what else belongs to us; with the salt-pits, and the crowns that used
to be presented to us. Nor shall they be compelled to pay any of those
taxes from this time to all futurity. Take care therefore that a copy of
this epistle be taken, and given to Jonathan, and be set up in an eminent
place of their holy temple.'" And these were the contents of this
writing. And now when Demetrius saw that there was peace every where, and
that there was no danger, nor fear of war, he disbanded the greatest part
of his army, and diminished their pay, and even retained in pay no others
than such foreigners as came up with him from Crete, and from the other
islands. However, this procured him ill-will and hatred from the soldiers;
on whom he bestowed nothing from this time, while the kings before him
used to pay them in time of peace as they did before, that they might have
their good-will, and that they might be very ready to undergo the difficulties
of war, if any occasion should require it.
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