Jonathan’s Diplomacy

²⁰ In those days Jonathan assembled the Judeans to attack the citadel in Jerusalem, and he built many engines of war to use against it.^{(A) 21} But certain renegades who hated their nation went to the king and reported to him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel.^{(B) 22} When he heard this he was angry, and as soon as he heard it he set out and came to Ptolemais, and he wrote Jonathan not to continue the siege but to meet him for a conference at Ptolemais as quickly as possible.^(C)

Bacchides Builds Fortifications

⁵⁰ Then Bacchides^[a] returned to Jerusalem and built strong cities in Judea: the fortress in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Beth-horon, and Bethel, and Timnath, and^[b] Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls and gates and bars.^{(A) 51} And he placed garrisons in them to harass Israel. ⁵² He also fortified the town of Beth-zur, and Gazara, and the citadel, and in them he put troops and stores of food.^(B)

¹² Then the foreigners who were in the strongholds that Bacchides had built fled;^{(A) 13} all of them left their places and went back to their own lands. ¹⁴ Only in Beth-zur did some remain who had forsaken the law and the commandments, for it served as a place of refuge.^(B)