Jonathan, Simon, and the End of the Tribute

Once Demetrius had the kingdom, he treated Jonathan kindly, made a treaty with him, and gave the Jews back their own laws. Meanwhile Tryphon, who had belonged to Alexander’s party, was appointed governor of Syria, to hold him in check by war. Jonathan, on the other side, came down to battle, formidable with an army of forty thousand men. When Tryphon saw that he was no match for him, he pretended to want peace, and he killed Ptolemais, who had been welcomed and invited into friendship with him. [a]

After Jonathan, the chief power was given to his brother Simon. He held his brother’s funeral with great pomp, and he built those well-known seven pyramids of the finest workmanship, in which he buried the remains of both his brothers and his father. Then Demetrius renewed his treaty with the Jews. Because of the damage Tryphon had done them, for after Jonathan’s death Tryphon had ravaged their cities and lands in war, he released them from their yearly tribute forever. Up to that time they had paid tribute to the kings of Syria, except when they resisted by force of arms.

That happened in the second year of King Demetrius. We have noted it because up to this year we have run through the reigns of the kings of Asia, so that the series of dates, given in order, might be perfectly clear. But from now on we will arrange the order of events by the times of those who were either high priests or kings among the Jews, up to the time of the birth of Christ.