his victory over Judas Maccabeus, Bacchides entered Jerusalem, and gathered around him all the wicked Jews who were tired of living according to the law of Moses, and he put them at the head of the government. And they delivered up into his hands many of those who had been friends to Judas. Bacchides tortured these men cruelly and put them to death. The good and faithful Jews greatly lamented this state of things, and they came to Jonathan, the brother of Judas, and begged him to be their general, and to lead them against their enemies as his brother had done. Jonathan gladly agreed to this, and, gathering together those that were willing to join him, he pitched his camp in a wilderness near that lakes of Jordan. He remained in this neighborhood for about two years, though Bacchides frequently marched against him and tried in vain to dislodge him. At last, losing heart at these many failures, Bacchides made a treaty of peace with Jonathan and returned to Syria, and after this departure he never came to Judea again.

Jonathan then went to a city called Michmash, and established his government there. But Jerusalem and many of the stronger towns were still held by Syrian soldiers and by Jews who were enemies of Jonathan.