1 Maccabees 10:69-85

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

⁶⁹ And Deme′trius appointed Apollo′nius the governor of Coelesyria, and he assembled a large force and encamped against Jam′nia. Then he sent the following message to Jonathan the high priest:

⁷⁰ “You are the only one to rise up against us, and I have become a laughingstock and reproach because of you. Why do you assume authority against us in the hill country? ⁷¹ If you now have confidence in your forces, come down to the plain to meet us, and let us match strength with each other there, for I have with me the power of the cities. ⁷² Ask and learn who I am and who the others are that are helping us. Men will tell you that you cannot stand before us, for your fathers were twice put to flight in their own land. ⁷³ And now you will not be able to withstand my cavalry and such an army in the plain, where there is no stone or pebble, or place to flee.”

⁷⁴ When Jonathan heard the words of Apollo′nius, his spirit was aroused. He chose ten thousand men and set out from Jerusalem, and Simon his brother met him to help him. ⁷⁵ He encamped before Joppa, but the men of the city closed its gates, for Apollo′nius had a garrison in Joppa. ⁷⁶ So they fought against it, and the men of the city became afraid and opened the gates, and Jonathan gained possession of Joppa.

⁷⁷ When Apollo′nius heard of it, he mustered three thousand cavalry and a large army, and went to Azo′tus as though he were going farther. At the same time he advanced into the plain, for he had a large troop of cavalry and put confidence in it. ⁷⁸ Jonathan^[a] pursued him to Azo′tus, and the armies engaged in battle. ⁷⁹ Now Apollo′nius had secretly left a thousand cavalry behind them. ⁸⁰ Jonathan learned that there was an ambush behind him, for they surrounded his army and shot arrows at his men from early morning till late afternoon. ⁸¹ But his men stood fast, as Jonathan commanded, and the enemy’s^[b] horses grew tired.

⁸² Then Simon brought forward his force and engaged the phalanx in battle (for the cavalry was exhausted); they were overwhelmed by him and fled, ⁸³ and the cavalry was dispersed in the plain. They fled to Azo′tus and entered Beth-da′gon, the temple of their idol, for safety. ⁸⁴ But Jonathan burned Azo′tus and the surrounding towns and plundered them; and the temple of Dagon, and those who had taken refuge in it he burned with fire. ⁸⁵ The number of those who fell by the sword, with those burned alive, came to eight thousand men.