13. Because of this, the king’s political advisors accused him before Eupator and branded him a traitor. They accused him of abandoning Cyprus after Philometor had entrusted him with it, and of going back to Antiochus Epiphanes. Because Ptolemy no longer commanded the respect of his high office, he poisoned himself and died.
14. Gorgias, who became governor of the region, maintained a mercenary army and waged constant war against the Jews.
15. In addition to him, the Idumeans who controlled some strategic fortresses harassed the Jews. They gave safe harbor to those who were driven from Jerusalem and tried to keep the war going.
16. The Maccabee and his followers were praying and calling on God to help them. They rushed against the Idumean fortresses.
17. After mounting a vigorous attack, they gained control of all the sites and held off those fighting on the wall. They slaughtered all those they encountered, killing at least twenty thousand.
18. When no fewer than nine thousand fled into two towers well equipped for a siege,
19. the Maccabee departed to other places that needed his urgent attention, leaving Simon, Joseph, and Zacchaeus with a sufficient force for the siege of these towers.
20. Some men in the towers bribed greedy people around Simon. These people in turn, after receiving seventy thousand drachmen, allowed some of the enemy to slip away.
21. When the Maccabee found out what happened, he gathered the leaders of the people and accused them of selling their brothers for silver by setting free the enemy.
22. He executed the traitors and then quickly took the two towers.