l upon them before they were aware, they might slay them all. So
the king sent Bacchides, who, when he was come into Judea, wrote to
all his friends, both Jews and auxiliaries, that they should seize upon
Jonathan, and bring him to him; and when, upon all their endeavors, they
were not able to seize upon Jonathan, for he was sensible of the snares
they laid for him, and very carefully guarded against them, Bacchides
was angry at these deserters, as having imposed upon him, and upon the
king, and slew fifty of their leaders: whereupon Jonathan, with his
brother, and those that were with him, retired to Bethagla, a village
that lay in the wilderness, out of his fear of Bacchides. He also built
towers in it, and encompassed it with walls, and took care that it
should be safely guarded. Upon the hearing of which Bacchides led his
own army along with him, and besides took his Jewish auxiliaries, and
came against Jonathan, and made an assault upon his fortifications, and
besieged him many days; but Jonathan did not abate of his courage at
the zeal Bacchides used in the siege, but courageously opposed him. And
while he left his brother Simon in the city to fight with Bacchides, he
went privately out himself into the country, and got a great body of men
together of his own party, and fell upon Bacchides's camp in the night
time, and destroyed a great many of them. His brother Simon knew also of
this his falling upon them, because he perceived that the enemies were
slain by him; so he sallied out upon them, and burnt the engines which
the Macedonians used, and made a great slaughter of them. And when
Bacchides saw himself encompassed with enemies, and some of them before
and some behind him, he fell into despair and trouble of mind, as
confounded at the unexpected ill success of this siege. However, he
vented his displeasure at these misfortunes upon those deserters who
sent for him from the king, as having deluded him. So he had a mind to
finish this siege after a decent manner, if it were possible for him so
to do, and then to return home.

6. When Jonathan understood these his intentions, he sent ambassadors
to him about a league of friendship and mutual assistance, and that they
might restore those they had taken captive on both sides. So Bacchides
thought this a pretty decent way of retiring home, and made a league of
friendship with Jonathan, when they sware that they would not any more
make war one against another. Accordi