into Judea; so he
pitched his camp at fifty furlongs' distance from the enemy, and sent
out spies to take a view of their camp, and after what manner they were
encamped. When his spies had given him full information, and had seized
upon some of them by night, who told him the enemy would soon attack
him, he, thus apprized beforehand, provided for his security, and placed
watchmen beyond his camp, and kept all his forces armed all night; and
he gave them a charge to be of good courage, and to have their minds
prepared to fight in the night time, if they should be obliged so to
do, lest their enemy's designs should seem concealed from them. But
when Demetrius's commanders were informed that Jonathan knew what they
intended, their counsels were disordered, and it alarmed them to find
that the enemy had discovered those their intentions; nor did they
expect to overcome them any other way, now they had failed in the snares
they had laid for them; for should they hazard an open battle, they did
not think they should be a match for Jonathan's army, so they resolved
to fly; and having lighted many fires, that when the enemy saw them they
might suppose they were there still, they retired. When Jonathan came
to give them battle in the morning in their camp, and found it deserted,
and understood they were fled, he pursued them; yet he could not
overtake them, for they had already passed over the river Eleutherus,
and were out of danger. So when Jonathan was returned thence, he went
into Arabia, and fought against the Nabateans, and drove away a great
deal of their prey, and took [many] captives, and came to Damascus, and
there sold off what he had taken. About the same time it was that Simon
his brother went over all Judea and Palestine, as far as Askelon, and
fortified the strong holds; and when he had made them very strong, both
in the edifices erected, and in the garrisons placed in them, he came
to Joppa; and when he had taken it, he brought a great garrison into it,
for he heard that the people of Joppa were disposed to deliver up the
city to Demetrius's generals.

11. When Simon and Jonathan had finished these affairs, they returned
to Jerusalem, where Jonathan gathered all the people together, and took
counsel to restore the walls of Jerusalem, and to rebuild the wall that
encompassed the temple, which had been thrown down, and to make the
places adjoining stronger by very high towers; and besides that, to
build another wa