Alchimus high priest. But when Alchimus, inspired with almost the ferocity of a wild beast, had come to Jerusalem, and had obtained the office of high priest by bribery, in order to leave no law human or divine unbroken, he ordered the walls of the inner chamber of the holy temple, the work of the holy prophets, to be broken down ; three hundred and three years after the people had returned from Egypt. But he, wretched man ! could not long escape the punishment of his wickedness. For suddenly his mouth was closed, and he could not speak, but being attacked by paralysis, he died miserably. And so, as there were now no priests of the family of Aaron, ard as Judas Maccabœus had been slain by the chance of war, as he was fighting in defence of the laws of his country, Jona than, his brother, obtained the chief command of the Jews, and the office of high priest at the same time. CH. XXIV.—Demetrius is slain by Alexander — Jonathan is killed — Simon — Tryphon — John Hyrcanus — Pompey the Great — The tears of the Romans in the East — Crassus — Catiline—Cicero—Ptolemy. BUT in the mean time, Alexander, the son of Antiochus Eupator, kills king Demetrius. But Demetrius had become the father of a son, who was also named Demetrius, and who afterwards slew the aforesaid Alexander, and who defeated the. Parthians in many battles ; but at last he was taken prisoner by them, and died in Hyrcania. But king Alexander had entrusted his son, who was not yet grown up, to Tryphon, one of his soldiers, that he might be brought up by him. And he, believing that the young man, Demetrius, was dead, having slain his ward, Anthinocor (for that was the name of the boy to whom Tryphon ought to have been guardian), he invaded the kingdom of Syria. And when he had made himself master of it, he took Jonathan, the brother of Judas, and the high priest of the Jews, by treachery, and put him to death. And not long afterwards, Tryphon was defeated in battle by Antiochus, the brother of Demetrius, who was bred up in Asia, and was put to death. And so the kingdom of Syria came again into the family of Demetrius. Jonathan was succeeded b y his brother Simon. And after Simon, the high priesthood came to his son John, who from fighting against the Hyrcanians, got the name of Hyrcanus. Hyrcanus was succeeded by Aristo