A    ^noteIn the .C.lx. yeare came Alex&abar;der the sonne of noble Antyochus ∧ toke Ptolomais, whose citiesins receyued hym, ∧ there he raygned. Wh&ebar; Demetrius herde therof, he gathered an exceading great hoost, and went forth agaynst hym to fighte. Wherfore Demetrius sent letters vnto Ionathas with louyng wordes, ∧ praysed hym greatly. For he said: we wil first make peace with hym, before he bynde hym selfe wyth Alexander agaynst vs: els he shal remembre the euel that we haue done agaynst hym, his brother ∧ hys people. And so he gaue Ionathas leue to gather an host, to make weap&ebar;s and to be confederate with him, and c&obar;ma&ubar;ded the pledges that were in the castel, to be delyuered vnto hym.

Then came Ionathas to Hierusalem, and red the letters in the audience of all the people, and of them that were in the castell. And therfore were they sore afrayed, because thei herde, that the kyng had geuen hym licence to gather an hoost. Thus were the pledges delyuered vnto Ionathas, whiche restored them to their elders. Ionathas also dwelt at Hierusalem, and began to buylde vp and to repayre the citie: c&obar;maundyng the workem&ebar; to walle it, B   and the mounte Syon rounde aboute wyth fre stone, to be a stronge holde, and so they did. As for the Heath&ebar; that were in the castels which Bachides had made vp, they fled: so that euery man lefte the place, ∧ went into hys owne co&ubar;tray. Only at Bethsura

remayned certayn of the Iewes, which had forsaken the lawe ∧ commaundementes of God, for Bethsura was their refuge.

Now when kyng Alexander herde of the promyses that Demetrius had made vnto Ionathas, and when it was tolde him of the battels ∧ noble actes, which he and his brethren had done, and of the greate trauayles that they had taken: he sayde: where shal we fynde such a man? well, we will make hym our frende, ∧ be c&obar;federate with him. Vpon this he wrote a lettre vnto hym, wyth these wordes: kynge Alexander saluteth hys brother Ionathas. We haue herde of the, that thou art a valeaunt man, and mete to be our frende: wherfore this day we ordayne the to be the hye priest of thy people, and to be called the kynges frende, (Vpon this, he sente hym a purple clothing, ∧ a croune of golde) that thou mayest considre what is for oure profit, and kepe frendshipe towarde vs.

C   So in the .vij. moneth of the .C.lx. yeare vpon the solempne feast day of the tabernacles, Ionathas put the holy raymente vpon hym. Then gathered he an host, ∧ made many weapens. Which wh&ebar; Demetrius herde he was maruelous sory, ∧ sayde: Alas, what haue we done, that Alexander hath preuented vs in gettinge the fr&ebar;dshyppe of the Iewes, for hys owne defence? Yet will I write louyngly vnto them also, yea, ∧ promyse th&ebar; dignities ∧ rewardes, that they maye be of my side. Wherupon he wrote vnto th&ebar; these wordes: Kyng Demetrius sendeth gretyng vnto the people of the Iewes. Where as ye haue kepte your couenaunt toward vs, ∧ c&obar;tynued in our frendshippe, not enclyning to our enemyes we were glad, when we herde therof. Wherfore remayne stil and be faithfull to vs: ∧ we shall well recomp&ebar;se you for the thinges, that ye haue done on our party: we shall release you of many charges, and geue you rewardes. And now I discharge you ∧ al the Iewes from tributes, I forgeue you the customes of salt, ∧ release you of the croune taxes, of the thirde parte of sede, and half of þe; frute of trees, which is myne owne duety. These I leaue for you, from this day forthe: so that they shall not be taken of the l&abar;de of Iuda nor of the thre cities which are added thervnto out of Samaria ∧ Galilee, from this daye forth for euermore. Hierusal&ebar; also with all thinges belonging therto, D   shall be holy ∧ fre, yea, the tythes ∧ trybutes shall pertayne vnto it. As for the power of the castell which is at Hierusal&ebar;, I remitte ∧ geue it vnto the hye priest, that he mai set in it such men, as he shall chose to kepe it. I frely deliuer all the Iewes that are prysoners thorow out all my realme: so that euery one of theim shalbe fre from paying any tribute, yea, eu&ebar; of their cattell.

All the solempne feastes, Sabbathes, newmones, the dayes appoynted, the thre dayes before and after the feast shalbe fre for all þe; Iewes in my realme: so that in them no man shal haue power to do any thing, or to moue any businesse agaynst any of th&ebar; in any maner of cause. There shall .xxx.M. also of the Iewes be written vp in the kynges hoost, ∧ haue their wages payed, as all other men of warre of the kinges shoulde haue: ∧ of them shalbe ordeyned certayne, to kepe the kinges strong holdes: yea, and some of them shalbe set ouer the kynges businesse, that they maye faythfully deale with the same. The Iewes also shal haue princes of their own, ∧ walke in their owne lawes, as the kyng hath commaunded in the lande of Iuda.

And the thre cytyes that are fallen vnto Iewry from the countre of Samaria ∧ Galilee: shalbe taken as Iewry, ∧ be vnder one: neither be subiecte to any straunge lord, but to the hye priest. As for Ptolomais and the lande perteyninge therto, I geue it vnto the Sanctuary at Hierusalem, for the necessary expences of the holy thynges. Moreouer, I E   wyl geue euery yeare .xv. thousande Sycles of siluer out of the kynges cheker (whiche perteyneth vnto me) to the worke of the temple: yea, and loke what remayneth (whiche they that had oure matters in hande in times past, haue not payed) þt; same shall they geue vnto them also. And besides all thys, the .v. M. sicles which thei toke yearly of the rentes of the Sanctuary, shall belonge vnto the priestes that do seruice.

Item, whosoeuer they be that fle vnto the temple at Hierusalem or within the liberties therof, where as they are fallen into the kinges daunger for any maner of busines, they shall be pardoned, and all the goodes that they haue in my realme, shalbe fre. For the buyldyng also ∧ repayrynge of the worke of the Sanctuary, expenses shalbe geuen oute of the kynges cheker: Yea, ∧ for the making of the walles rounde about Hierusalem, for the breakyng doune of the olde, and for the settynge vp of the stronge holdes in Iewry, shall the costes and charges be geuen out of the kynges cheker.

^noteBut when Ionathas and the people herd these woordes, they gaue no credence vnto them, neither receiued them: for thei remembred the greate wickednesse that he had done vnto Israel, and how sore he had vexed th&ebar;. Wherfore they agreed vnto Alexander, for he was a prynce that had dealt frendly with them, ∧ so they stode by hym alwaye. Then gathered kyng Alexander a great hoost, and brought hys army agaynst Demetrius. ^noteSo the twoo kynges stroke battayll together, but Demetrius hoost fledde, and Alexander folowed after and fel vpon them. A mighty sore felde was it, continuyng til the S&ubar;ne went doune, and Demetrius was slayn the same daye.

And Alexander sent Embassadours vnto Ptolomy the kyng of Egypt with these wordes, sayinge: For so muche as I am come

agayn to my realme, and am set in the throne of my progenitours, and haue gotten the dominion, ouercomed Demetrius, conquered the lande, and stryken a felde wyth hym, so that we haue discomfited both hym and hys hoost, and sit in the throne of hys kyngdom: Let vs now make frendshipe together, geue me thy daughter too wyfe: so shall I be thy sonne in lawe, and both geue the rewardes, and her great dignite. Ptolomy the kyng gaue aunswere, saying: Happy be the daye wherin thou art come agayn to the lande of thy progenitours, and sette in the throne of their kyngdome. As now wyll I fulfil thy wrytynge: but mete me at Ptolomais, þt; we maye se one another, and that I maye mary my daughter vnto the accordynge to thy desire. So Ptolomy went out of Egypt wyth hys daughter Cleopatra, ∧ came vnto Ptolomais in the .C.lxij. yeare: where king Alexander mete hym, and he gaue Alexander his daughter Cleopatra, ∧ maryed them at Ptolomays wyth great worshyppe, lyke as the maner of kynges is to be. Then wrote kyng Alexander vnto Ionathas, that he shoulde come and mete hym. So he went honorably vnto Ptolomays, and there he mete the two kynges, and gaue theym great presentes of golde and siluer, and founde fauour in their sight. G   And there came together agaynst Ionathas certayne wicked men ∧ vngracyous personnes of Israell, makynge complayntes of hym, but the kyng regarded them not. As for Ionathas, the kyng commaunded to take of hys garmentes, and to clothe him in purple: and so they dyd. Then the kyng appoynted hym to sit by hym, and sayde vnto hys prynces: Go with hym into the middest of the cytye, and make a proclamacion, that no man complayne against him of any matter, and that no m&abar; trouble hym for any maner of cause.

So it happened that when hys accusers sawe the worshipe whiche was proclaymed of him, ∧ that he was clothed in purple: they fled euerychone. And the kyng made muche of hym, wrote hym amonge hys chiefe frendes, made hym a duke, and partaker of hys dominion. ^noteThus Ionathas went agayne to Hierusalem with peace and gladnesse. In the .C.lxv. yeare came Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius from Creta into hys fathers lande: ^note whereof when Alexander herde tel, he was right sory, and retourned vnto Antyoche. And Demetryus chose Appollonyus (which had the gouernaunce of Celosyrya) to be hys captayne.

So he gathered a greate hooste and came vnto Iamnia, and sende worde vnto Ionathas þe; hye priest saying: Darrest thou withstande vs thy self alone? As for me, I am but laughed to scorne and shamed, because thou prouedest thy str&ebar;gth against vs in the mo&ubar;taynes. Now therefore if thou trustest in thyne owne strength, come doune to vs into the playne felde, H   and there let vs proue oure strength together: thou shalte fynde, that I haue valeaunt men of warre with me: and shalt know whom I am, and the other that stande by me.

Which saye, that youre fote is not able to stande before oure face, for thy fathers haue bene twyse chaced into their owne lande.
And now, how wilt thou be able to abyde so great an hoost of horsmen and fotemen in þe; felde, where as is neither rocke, stoone nor place to fle vnto?

When Ionathas herde the woordes of Appollonius, he was moued in hys mynde: wherfore he those .x. thousande men ∧ went out of Hierusalem, and Symon hys brother mete hym for to helpe hym: And they pytched their tentes at Ioppa, but the cytie kept hym forth, for Ioppa was an holde of Appollonius. Then Ionathas layed siege to it, and they that were in the cytye, for very feare let hym in: and so Ionathas w&abar;ne Ioppa. Appollonius hearynge of thys, toke thre thousande horsemen, with a great hooste of fote, ∧ went as though he wolde go to Azotus, ∧ came immediatly into the plaine felde because he had so many horsemen, ∧ put hys trust in them. So Ionathas folowed vppon him to Azotus, and there thei stroke the battayl. Now had Appollonius left a thousand horsmen behinde them priuely in the tentes. And when Ionathas knew that suche wayte was layed behynde them, they went rounde about the enemyes hoost, and shut dartes at the people from the morning to the euening. As for Ionathas peple, they kept their ordre as he had commaunded theim, and the enemyes horses were euer labourynge.

I   Then brought Symon forth his hoost, ∧ set them agaynst the fote men. For the horsemen were wery already. So he discomfyted them, and they fled. And they that were scatred in the felde, gat them to Azotus, ∧ came into the temple of Dagon their Idoll, that they might there saue their liues. But Ionathas set fyre vpon Azotus and all the cytyes rounde about it, and toke their goodes, and brent vp the temple of Dagon with al them that were fled into it. ^note

Thus were slayne and br&ebar;t well nye .viij. thousande men. So Ionathas remoued the hoost from thence, and brought theim to Ascalon: where the men of the citie came forth, and mete hym with great worshippe. After this went Ionathas and hys hooste agayne to Hierusalem, wyth greate substaunce of good. And when king Alexander herde these thynges, he thoughte too do Ionathas more worshippe, and sent him a colar of golde, as the vse is to be geuen vnto such as are of the kynges nexte bloude. He gaue hym also the cytye of Accaron (with the l&abar;des belonging thereto) in possession.

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