1 Maccabees 10:75-77

New Catholic Bible

⁷⁵ He encamped outside Joppa, where the people of the city had closed its gates against him because Apollonius had a garrison there. ⁷⁶ However, when they began the siege, the people of the city became terrified, and they opened the gates, whereupon Jonathan took possession of Joppa.

⁷⁷ When Apollonius learned of this, he assembled three thousand cavalry and a large force of infantry. He marched to Azotus as though he were planning to march through it, but at the same time he advanced into the plain, confident in the strength of such a large number of cavalry.