n king,
Demetrius I. The kings of southwestern Asia and Egypt at first lent their
support to this impostor. By 150 B.C. he had succeeded in defeating and
putting to death Demetrius I. Two years later, however, Demetrius II, the
son of the deposed king, appeared with a large body of Cretan mercenaries
to contest the throne of his father. Many of the Syrian cities at once
espoused his cause. Ptolemy Philometor, of Egypt, finally turned against
Alexander Balas; and in 145 B.C. this strange adventurer was slain near
Antioch by his own followers. Soon after his death, however, one of his
generals, Tryphon, appeared with an infant son of Alexander whom he sought
to place on the Syrian throne, thus perpetuating the feud that was
constantly undermining the power of the Seleucid kingdom.

VIII. Concessions to Jonathan. The Jews profited by each turn in these
tortuous politics. In 158 B.C., after a period of outlawry in the
wilderness east of Judea, Jonathan and his followers were allowed by
Demetrius I to settle again within the bounds of Judea. Jonathan
Established his head-quarters at Michmash, the fortress famous for the
achievement of Saul's valiant son Jonathan. Here he ruled over the Jews as
a vassal of Demetrius, who retained immediate control over the citadel at
Jerusalem and the fortified cities that had been built along the borders
of Judea. On the appearance of Alexander Balas in 152 B.C. Demetrius I, in
order to retain the loyalty of the Jews, permitted Jonathan to maintain a
small standing army and to rebuild the fortifications of Jerusalem. To
outbid his rival the impostor Alexander Balas conferred upon Jonathan the
coveted honor of the high priesthood, thus making him both the civil and
religious head of the Jewish state. Disregarding his promises to Demetrius
and the contemptible character of Alexander, Jonathan at once proceeded to
establish his new authority. He was doubtless more acceptable to the
majority of the Jews than the apostate high priests whom he succeeded, but
the stricter Hasideans naturally regarded it as a sacrilege that a man
whose hands were stained with war and bloodshed should perform the holiest
duties in the temple service.

Under Alexander Balas Jonathan's power rapidly increased. He was made
governor of Judea, and, under pretence of supporting the waning fortunes
of Alexander, he captured in succession the Philistine cities of Joppa,
Azotus (Ashdod), Ascalon, and Akron. When Demetrius II