Books Jesus Read

Chapter 3: Spiritual Legacy – Jonathan, Simon, and John Hyrcanus

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Now when Ptolemy approached Azotus, they took care to show him the tower of Dagon that Jonathan had destroyed by fire, along with the villages he had burned. They even heaped charred bodies along his route so that he could not miss the destruction that resulted from Jonathan’s attack, for they meant to blame him. Yet the king did not comment on these things. Then Jonathan met the king at Joppa with great ceremony. They greeted one another and lodged together. The next day, Jonathan traveled with the king to the Eleutherus River before returning to Jerusalem. By this time, Ptolemy had gained control throughout Seleucia to its coasts, and schemed how he would depose Alexander. He sent envoys to Demetrius II saying, “Come, let us make a pact together. My daughter, who was Alexander’s, I now give you in marriage, that you may reign once more in your father’s kingdom. I regret having given my daughter to him, for he sought to kill me!” Ptolemy thus slandered Alexander because he wanted his kingdom for himself. So, he took Alexander’s wife and gave her to Demetrius II. Ptolemy then entered Antioch where he took upon himself both crowns, those of Asia and Egypt. As soon as Ptolemy’s schemes were manifest to all, Alexander returned from Cilicia to attack him. The force he had with him was not large enough, however, and Ptolemy was able to repel his army. Alexander retreated and hid out in Arabia, but there he was slain by Zabdiel the Arab, who cut off Alexander’s head and sent it to Ptolemy. A few days later King Ptolemy himself died, and the people rose up against his troops and killed them. As a result of all this, Demetrius II again took the throne. This was in the 167th year of the Greek kingdom.