14. And he compassed the city round about, and the ships joined in the attack from the sea; and he vexed the city by land and sea, and suffered no man to go out or in.
15. And Numenius and his company came from Rome, having letters to the kings and to the countries, wherein were written these things:
16. Lucius, consul of the Romans, to king Ptolemy, greeting:
17. The Jews’ ambassadors came to us as our friends and confederates, to renew the old friendship and confederacy, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews:
18. moreover they brought a shield of gold of a thousand pound.
19. It pleased us therefore to write to the kings and to the countries, that they should not seek their hurt, nor fight against them, and their cities, and their country, nor be confederates with such as fight against them.
20. Moreover it seemed good to us to receive the shield of them.
21. If therefore any pestilent fellows have fled from their country to you, deliver them to Simon the high priest, that he may take vengeance on them according to their law.
22. And the same things wrote he to Demetrius the king, and to Attalus, and to Arathes, and to Arsaces,
23. and to all the countries, and to Sampsames, and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and to Myndos, and to Sicyon, and to Caria, and to Samos, and to Pamphylia, and to Lycia, and to Halicarnassus, and to Rhodes, and to Phaselis, and to Cos, and to Side, and to Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.
24. But the copy hereof they wrote to Simon the high priest.
25. But Antiochus the king encamped against Dor the second day, bringing his forces up to it continually, and making engines of war, and he shut up Tryphon from going in or out.
26. And Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to fight on his side; and silver, and gold, and instruments of war in abundance.
27. And he would not receive them, but set at nothing all the covenants which he had made with him aforetime, and was estranged from him.
28. And he sent to him Athenobius, one of his Friends, to commune with him, saying, You⌃ hold possession of Joppa and Gazara, and the citadel that is in Jerusalem, cities of my kingdom.
29. The borders thereof you⌃ have wasted, and done great hurt in the land, and got the dominion of many places in my kingdom.