1 Maccabees 12

The fact that Jonathan sends letters to the Romans and to the Spartans, and to other places, so that they might renew the treaty and friendship with them which his brother Judas had previously of his own accord entered into, shows that holy preachers ought to have great concern to strive with all their efforts to renew and preserve everywhere the peace which Christ has offered in the world. For the very Son of God, who came to earth to reconcile in His flesh things heavenly and earthly (Col. 1:20), immediately at the beginning of His birth willed that it be sung by the angels: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will" (Luke 2:14). This same peace the mediator between God and men, now made man, praised to His disciples, saying: "Have peace among yourselves" (Matt. 10:34); and: "My peace I give you; my peace I leave with you" (Jn. 14:27). For by peace and harmony the whole body of Christ is united, governed, and made firm; but whoever does not wish to have peace with his neighbors has no fellowship in the body of Christ, nor can he now achieve to eternal rest, from which he has separated himself through conflict.

This Tryphon represents the figure of hypocrites and heretics, who act in one way and speak in another, and who undertake something different in their intention. Against him Jonathan went out with forty thousand men, because against such people the doctrine of the Gospel and the observance of God's commandments are necessary: for whoever, according to the teachings of the Gospel, keeps the precepts of the Law, will safely break through the wedges of the enemy.

But the fact that Tryphon by deceit persuaded Jonathan to dismiss the army from himself and to receive him peacefully, and therefore, having deceived him, captured him and killed those who were travelling with him, signifies the ruin of those who do not keep themselves properly, nor maintain watchfulness in the alertness of the heart and the conduct of the body. For these, because they do not heed that teaching of the Gospel in which the Savior commanded His disciples, saying: "Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation" (Matt. 26:41); and again: "Beware," He says, "of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matt. 7:15); therefore the army of such people is rightly overcome and destroyed, because the teaching of the heavenly master is not duly observed by them. Furthermore, in the place of Jonathan, his brother Simon exercises the priesthood and bears the leadership of the people, just as in the present Church, when some depart, others are appointed in their place to hold the office of governance and diligently train the soldiers of Christ in spiritual camps, so that they may be able to resist appropriately all enemies who wage war. But the typical Tryphon, in a similar way, attempts to deceive such people by the fabrications of his words, just as he had deceived his brother, because the ancient enemy never ceases, through himself and his ministers, to lay snares for the worshipers of Christ; yet whoever worthily carries out the office of Simon, that is, of one who is obedient and rightly complies with the divine commands, can, aided by heavenly help, avoid the snare of all enemies.

But Tryphon, together with Jonathan's sons, whom he had received as hostages, killed them, although he had promised that they would be kept safe along with their father, because the ancient enemy drives all whom he deceives into the death of sin. Indeed, the sons of these, that is, their works, although he previously pretended peace with flattering speech, he will in the end reveal as deserving eternal torment. Jonathan can also bear the figure of the simple ones who are in the Church, whom the cunning deceit of the crafty seems to capture for a time when it afflicts them with bodily losses, but whose souls, persevering in the truth of faith, after the death of the flesh will escape into everlasting light.

Therefore many of them after the end of this present life have deserved to have victorious signs near their tombs, just as it is read of Simon in what follows, that he established a memorial in the tombs of his father and mother and brothers. Moreover, the saints, whom the Savior strengthens as they remain in the simplicity of their innocence, saying: Do not fear those who kill the body and after this have nothing more that they can do to you, but rather fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into the hell of fire (Matt. 10:28); and again: Blessed are you, he says, when men curse you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you, lying, because of me; rejoice in that day and exult, for your reward is great in heaven (Matt. 5:11); and again: Rejoice and exult, he says, because your names are written in heaven (Luke 11:20); of whom the Psalmist says: The just man will be in everlasting remembrance, he will not fear evil tidings (Ps. 112:6-7); these are believed, through death, to be stronger and to live more happily, since their King and Lord himself, Jesus Christ namely, is known to proclaim their triumphs throughout the whole world with shining signs and miracles, so that, near the memorial of their relics, sight is granted to the blind, hearing to the deaf, walking to the lame, and speech to the mute; healing remedy is provided for hidden illnesses through their prayers, and, on the contrary, in the same place the stubborn and hateful are assaulted by Demetriuses [demons], the shameful and unbelieving are punished, and the demons themselves are tormented with severe pains, in accordance with what they are forced to confess openly with roaring, being tortured.

But how the Spartans were of the lineage of Abraham is not easily found: for it could have happened that Abraham had many sons, apart from Isaac whom Sarah bore to him, from Hagar namely and from Bethsura, as Scripture makes clear, so that from one of them the origin of the Spartans proceeded. But Josephus, making mention of this passage, does not seem, however, to wish to express a true kinship of the Spartans with the Jews, but rather some sort of alliance; he reports a letter written by the Lacedaemonians: "The king of the Lacedaemonians to Onias Jonathan the high priest, greetings. Reading the Scriptures, we sometimes found that from one [from one stock] the Jews and the Lacedaemonians came into being, and that they had fellowship with Abraham in a friendly manner: it is therefore just, since you are brothers, to send to you and ask for what you judge necessary for yourselves: and we will do the same, and we likewise regard your own possessions as common with ours. The bearer of the letters, Demotites, brings to you letters written on a square tablet, bearing a seal with an eagle carrying a dragon in its claws." The letter therefore sent by the king of the Lacedaemonians contained a text of this kind.

What does it mean that Jonathan went out against the leaders of Demetrius, who had come out to fight against him, that he went up to Jerusalem and met them in the region of Amathis, if not that the sacred order of teachers is always ready to do battle against the persecutors of the Church, that is, Jews, pagans, and heretics, and to resist their deceit? He goes out from Jerusalem and meets them in the region of Amathis because, although by inward contemplation and the eye of the mind they gaze upon the loftiness of the Creator and the greatness of heavenly rewards, they nevertheless stand forth for a time to struggle with enemies, yet in no way do they turn aside from the straightness of the truth; for Amathi is interpreted "my truth." But whether they struggle in the clash of disagreement against their errors, or patiently endure their scourges and killings, they in no way abandon the truth of justice, nor do they grant them the opportunity to enter, by deceit, in any way into the territory of the Church. They strive with the greatest effort to crush at once, at the very beginning of their treachery, their wickedness, and to keep the camp of the Church unharmed.

With scouts sent out, Jonathan explores the enemy camp, just as holy preachers, through diligent men, investigate the deceit of the enemies, so that, once their wicked plans are discovered, they may more easily guard against their trickery. And the scouts reported to them that they were planning to come upon them by night: for they prepare to come by night, those who, with a blind heart, devise works of darkness to perform. In opposition, Jonathan orders his men to keep watch and to be armed and ready for battle all night long: for it is the proper role of chosen teachers to instruct their subjects to be ever vigilant and cautious during the entire time of this life, in which, living in uncertainty, they strive toward a certain end. And when the adversaries heard that Jonathan was ready with his men for war, they were greatly afraid and lit fires in the camp and plotted flight: Jonathan pursued them, yet did not overtake them, because he found them already positioned beyond the river. The adversaries fear when the ministers of the Church prepare themselves for spiritual battle; and when they light fires in their camp, that is, they fake the strength of war among their ranks. But in the morning of shining faith, spiritual Jonathan pursues his enemies, yet does not overtake them, that is, he does not bring them to belief, because, seeing them seething in love for the changeable world, he judged them to be beyond recall.

That Jonathan, having returned, set about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and, after taking counsel with the elders of the people, strengthened the garrisons and built a great height between the middle of the citadel and the city, so as to separate it from the city, signifies the holy teachers who, after having for a time been occupied with wars outside, then inwardly concern themselves, together with spiritual men, with the fortification of the Church, lest it be harmed by internal enemies.

Therefore, those who were from the city of Marche and were lying in wait for the citizens of Jerusalem signify the heretics who, established on the stronghold of their pride, never cease plotting against the Church. Jonathan in his mystical sense cuts them off with spiritual protection, so that they are isolated and neither buy nor sell, having been cast out from the unity of the Church by a most forceful excommunication; neither are their sects to be received, nor is ecclesiastical teaching in any way to be entrusted to them, as to swine most filthy and defiled by every kind of foulness, for the purpose of defiling it. This is expressly contradicted and forbidden by the Lord and Savior in the Gospel, where he says: Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them underfoot and, turning, tear you to pieces (Matt. 7:6). Therefore, the Mutus who fell upon the torrent from the rising of the sun, whom Jonathan also restored, signifies those who seemed in the Church to exercise some guardianship of the flock entrusted to them, but, relying on brief things and serving worldly ambition, have slipped into the pleasures of this life and fallen from their proper state. These must necessarily be restored by the zeal of the saints, who strive to bring them back to their former stability by strengthening them with ecclesiastical doctrine.