eft upon the earth,
For the kings were utterly crushed in those days.
And he strengthened all the distressed of his people,
He was full of zeal for the law,
And every lawless and wicked person he banished.
He made the sanctuary glorious,
And multiplied the vessels of the temple.

I. Capture and Death of Jonathan. It was not strange in that corrupt age
that Jonathan, who had risen to power largely by intrigue, should himself
in the end fall a prey to treachery. Tryphon, the general who secretly
aspired to the Syrian throne, by lies succeeded in misleading even the
wily Jewish leader. His object was to gain possession of southern
Palestine, and he evidently believed that by capturing Jonathan he would
easily realize his ambition. He overlooked the fact, however, that Simon,
next to Judas the ablest of the sons of Mattathias, still remained to
rally and lead the Jewish patriots. The natural barriers of Judea again
proved insurmountable, for when Tryphon tried repeatedly on the west,
south, and east to invade the central uplands, he found the passes
guarded by Simon and his experienced warriors. Thus baffled, the
treacherous Tryphon vented his disappointment upon Jonathan, whom he
slew in Gilead. As the would-be usurper advanced northward, where he
ultimately met the fate which he richly deserved, Simon and his followers
bore the body of Jonathan back to Modein, and there they reared over it
the fourth of those tombs which testified to the warlike spirit and
devotion of the sons of Mattathias.

II. Character and Policy of Simon. Simon, who was at this crisis called
to the leadership of the Jewish race, had been famed from the first for
his moderation and wise counsel. In many campaigns he had also shown the
military skill and courage that had characterized his younger brothers. In
him the noble spirit of Judas lived again. He was devoted to the law,
intent upon building up the state, and at the same time was deeply and
genuinely interested in all members of his race, whether in Judea or in
distant nations. Like David and Josiah, he was a true father of his people
and set an example which unfortunately his descendants failed to follow.
He still recognized the authority of Demetrius II, but the Syrian kingdom
was so weak that Simon succeeded in securing a definite promise of the
remission of all taxes, and ruled practically as an independent sovereign.
To strengthen his position he sent an embassy laden with rich gifts to