s of Jordan, and destroyed
a great part of his army. But afterward, when Antiochus subdued those
cities of Celesyria which Scopas had gotten into his possession, and
Samaria with them, the Jews, of their own accord, went over to him, and
received him into the city [Jerusalem], and gave plentiful provision
to all his army, and to his elephants, and readily assisted him when he
besieged the garrison which was in the citadel of Jerusalem. Wherefore
Antiochus thought it but just to requite the Jews' diligence and zeal
in his service. So he wrote to the generals of his armies, and to his
friends, and gave testimony to the good behavior of the Jews towards
him, and informed them what rewards he had resolved to bestow on
them for that their behavior. I will set down presently the epistles
themselves which he wrote to the generals concerning them, but will
first produce the testimony of Polybius of Megalopolis; for thus does he
speak, in the sixteenth book of his history: "Now Scopas, the general of
Ptolemy's army, went in haste to the superior parts of the country, and
in the winter time overthrew the nation of the Jews?" He also saith, in
the same book, that "when Seopas was conquered by Antiochus, Antiochus
received Batanea, and Samaria, and Abila, and Gadara; and that, a while
afterwards, there came in to him those Jews that inhabited near that
temple which was called Jerusalem; concerning which, although I have
more to say, and particularly concerning the presence of God about that
temple, yet do I put off that history till another opportunity." This
it is which Polybius relates. But we will return to the series of the
history, when we have first produced the epistles of king Antiochus.

King Antiochus To Ptolemy, Sendeth Greeting.

"Since the Jews, upon our first entrance on their country, demonstrated
their friendship towards us, and when we came to their city [Jerusalem],
received us in a splendid manner, and came to meet us with their senate,
and gave abundance of provisions to our soldiers, and to the elephants,
and joined with us in ejecting the garrison of the Egyptians that were
in the citadel, we have thought fit to reward them, and to retrieve the
condition of their city, which hath been greatly depopulated by such
accidents as have befallen its inhabitants, and to bring those that have
been scattered abroad back to the city. And, in the first place, we have
determined, on account of their piety towards God, to b