How does Jonathan’s reduced escort expose him to Tryphon?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Jonathan renews alliances and strengthens defenses before believing Tryphon’s offer and entering Ptolemais with one thousand men.

Chapter breakdown

Jonathan finds the time suitable and sends men to Rome to renew amity, with similar letters to Sparta and other places. The envoys request the former alliance in Rome’s senate; letters to local governors provide peaceful conduct home. Jonathan’s Spartan letter speaks for the high priest, elders, priests and people, recalling Arius’s earlier letter to Onias and Onias’s honorable reception of its ambassador. It says the holy books already give comfort, yet they seek renewed brotherhood lest the long interval make them strangers. They remember the Spartans in sacrifices and observances, rejoice in their glory, and describe wars and trouble without having burdened allies because heaven has helped them. Numenius son of Antiochus and Antipater son of Jason are commissioned to Rome and also to Sparta, with an answer requested.

The included letter from Arius says that writing identifies Spartans and Jews as brethren of Abraham’s stock; it asks news of their prosperity and declares their cattle and possessions mutually shared. This is a claim in diplomatic correspondence, not an account of verified genealogical research or an actual transfer of property. No transatlantic mission occurs.

Jonathan hears that Demetrius’s generals are coming with a greater army and meets them in Amath before they enter his country. Spies report a planned night attack. At sunset he orders armed readiness throughout the night and posts sentinels. The enemies hear of the readiness, fear and kindle fires. Jonathan sees the lights and does not discover their departure until morning. He pursues but cannot overtake them after they cross the Eleutherus. Jonathan defeats the Zabadean Arabians, takes spoils and passes through Damascus’s country. Simon travels to Ascalon and neighboring fortresses, then takes Joppe and places a garrison because he has heard of a plan to deliver it to Demetrius’s party. Jonathan’s own campfires, drawn weapons and a specified night escape maneuver are not added.

Back in Jerusalem, Jonathan and the elders resolve to build Judean fortresses, repair Jerusalem’s walls and raise a mount between castle and city to stop communication, buying and selling. The purpose does not prove the garrison has already starved. The broken eastern wall by the brook is repaired at Caphetetha. Simon fortifies Adiada in Sephela with gates and bars; their material is not specified.

Tryphon plans to take Asia’s crown and act against Antiochus. Fearing Jonathan’s opposition, he seeks to seize and kill him at Bethsan. Jonathan arrives with forty thousand men chosen for battle. Tryphon dares not attack; he gives honor and presents and tells his troops to obey Jonathan like himself. He asks why Jonathan has assembled men when there is no war and proposes sending them home, retaining a few and traveling to Ptolemais. He promises that city, the strongholds, army and officials, followed by his own departure. Jonathan believes him, dismisses his army and retains three thousand, sending two thousand into Galilee while one thousand accompany him. This leaves thirty-seven thousand initially sent home, not the panel’s thirty-eight thousand.

Ptolemais’s gates shut as Jonathan enters. He is captured and all his companions inside are killed. Tryphon sends an army and horsemen against Jonathan’s other company in Galilee and the great plain. On receiving news that Jonathan and his companions were taken and slain, those men encourage one another and prepare for battle. Their pursuers see their resolve and turn back; no tight formation is specified. The company returns peacefully to Juda, where Israel mourns Jonathan and his companions. The report they received is distinguished from the narrated capture: this chapter does not establish Jonathan’s death. Neighboring heathens then plan destruction, saying Israel has no prince or helper. Their intended outcome is not yet accomplished.

The story inside

Tryphon faces forty thousand chosen men and does not attack. His proposal replaces that protection with promises of a city, strongholds and army. Jonathan believes the proposal, dismisses most men and enters Ptolemais with one thousand. The closed gates and capture are later outcomes; the reader should not put knowledge of Tryphon’s private plan into Jonathan’s decision-time information.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Arius’s common-descent claim remains attributed to the letter, rather than certified by invented research.
2
The separating mount aims to block communication and trade; successful starvation is not narrated.
3
Jonathan is captured here; news of his supposed death received by another company does not establish his death in this chapter.

Test your recall

How many men accompany Jonathan into Ptolemais after his dismissals?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 107073–107130
12:6. Jonathan, the high priest, and the ancients of the nation, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, to the Spartans, their brethren, greeting. 12:7. There were letters sent long ago to Onias the high priest, from Arius, who reigned then among you to signify that you are our brethren, as the copy here underwritten doth specify. 12:8. And Onias received the ambassador with honour and received the letters, wherein there was mention made of the alliance, and amity. 12:9. We, though we needed none of these things having for our comfort the holy books that are in our hands, 12:10. Chose rather to send to you to renew the brotherhood and friendship, lest we should become strangers to you altogether: for there is a long time passed since you sent to us. 12:11. We, therefore, at all times without ceasing, both in our festivals, and other days wherein it is convenient, remember you in the sacrifices that we offer, and in our observances, as it is meet and becoming to remember brethren. 12:12. And we rejoice at your glory. 12:13. But we have had many troubles and wars on every side; and the kings that are round about us have fought against us. 12:14. But we would not be troublesome to you, nor to the rest of our allies and friends, in these wars. 12:15. For we have had help from heaven, and we have been delivered, and our enemies are humbled. 12:16. We have chosen, therefore, Numenius the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, and have sent them to the Romans, to renew with them the former amity and alliance. 12:17. And we have commanded them to go also to you, and salute you, and to deliver you our letters, concerning the renewing of our brotherhood. 12:18. And now you shall do well to give us an answer hereto. 12:19. And this is the copy of the letter which he had sent to Onias: 12:20. Arius, king of the Spartans, to Onias, the high priest, greeting. 12:21. It is found in writing concerning the Spartans, and the Jews, that they are brethren, and that they are of the stock of Abraham. 12:22. And now since this is come to our knowledge, you do well to write to us of your prosperity. 12:23. And we also have written back to you, That our cattle, and our possessions, are yours: and yours, ours. We, therefore, have commanded that these things should be told you.
Lines 107183–107232
12:39. Now when Tryphon had conceived a design to make himself king of Asia and to take the crown, and to stretch out his hand against king Antiochus: 12:40. Fearing lest Jonathan would not suffer him, but would fight against him: he sought to seize upon him, and to kill him. So he rose up and came to Bethsan. 12:41. And Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand men chosen for battle, and came to Bethsan. 12:42. Now when Tryphon saw that Jonathan came with a great army, he durst not stretch forth his hand against him. 12:43. But received him with honour, and commended him to all his friends, and gave him presents: and he commanded his troops to obey him, as himself. 12:44. And he said to Jonathan: Why hast thou troubled all the people, whereas we have no war? 12:45. Now, therefore, send them back to their own houses: and choose thee a few men that may be with thee, and come with me to Ptolemais, and I will deliver it to thee, and the rest of the strong holds, and the army, and all that have any charge, and I will return and go away: for this is the cause of my coming. 12:46. And Jonathan believed him, and did as he said: and sent away his army, and they departed into the land of Juda: 12:47. But he kept with him three thousand men: of whom he sent two thousand into Galilee, and one thousand went with him. 12:48. Now as soon as Jonathan entered into Ptolemais, they of Ptolemais shut the gates of the city, and took him: and all them that came in with him they slew with the sword. 12:49. Then Tryphon sent an army and horsemen into Galilee, and into the great plain, to destroy all Jonathan’s company. 12:50. But they, when they understood that Jonathan, and all that were with him, were taken and slain, encouraged one another, and went out ready for battle. 12:51. Then they that had come after them, seeing that they stood for their lives, returned back. 12:52. Whereupon they all came peaceably into the land of Juda and they bewailed Jonathan, and them that had been with him, exceedingly: and Israel mourned with great lamentation.