51. Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, with this message:
52. “Now that I have returned to my realm, taken my seat on the throne of my ancestors, and established my rule by crushing Demetrius and gaining control of my country—
53. for I engaged him in battle, he and his army were crushed by us, and we assumed his royal throne—
54. let us now establish friendship with each other. Give me now your daughter for my wife; and as your son-in-law, I will give to you and to her gifts worthy of you.”
55. King Ptolemy answered in these words: “Happy the day on which you returned to the land of your ancestors and took your seat on their royal throne!
56. I will do for you what you have written; but meet me in Ptolemais, so that we may see each other, and I will become your father-in-law as you have proposed.”
57. So Ptolemy with his daughter Cleopatra set out from Egypt and came to Ptolemais in the one hundred and sixty-second year.
58. There King Alexander met him, and Ptolemy gave him his daughter Cleopatra in marriage. Their wedding was celebrated at Ptolemais with great splendor according to the custom of kings.
59. King Alexander also wrote to Jonathan to come and meet him.
60. So he went with pomp to Ptolemais, where he met the two kings and gave them and their friends silver and gold and many gifts and thus won their favor.
61. Some villainous men of Israel, transgressors of the law, united against him to accuse him, but the king paid no heed to them.
62. The king ordered Jonathan to be divested of his garments and to be clothed in royal purple; and so it was done.
63. The king also had him seated at his side. He said to his magistrates: “Go with him to the center of the city and make a proclamation that no one is to bring charges against him on any grounds or be troublesome to him for any reason.”
64. When his accusers saw the honor paid to him according to the king’s proclamation, and him clothed in purple, they all fled.
65. And so the king honored him, enrolling him among his Chief Friends, and he made him governor and chief of the province.
66. So Jonathan returned in peace and happiness to Jerusalem.
67. In the one hundred and sixty-fifth year, Demetrius, son of Demetrius, came from Crete to the land of his ancestors.
68. When King Alexander heard of it he was greatly troubled, and returned to Antioch.
69. Demetrius set Apollonius over Coelesyria. Having gathered a large army, Apollonius encamped at Jamnia. From there he sent this message to Jonathan the high priest:
70. “You are the only one who resists us. I am laughed at and put to shame on your account. Why are you exercising authority against us in the mountains?
71. If you have confidence in your forces, come down now to us in the plain, and let us test each other’s strength there; for the forces of the cities are on my side.