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Simon Shadowed Tryphon Through the Hills Until Snow Stopped Him

Tryphon came to destroy Judea and held Jonathan hostage. Simon marched to meet him at every turn, and it was a heavy snowfall that finally blocked the road.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Enemy Who Came to Destroy
  2. The Pursuit Ridge by Ridge
  3. The Demand at Adida
  4. The Snow That Blocked the Road
  5. The Water That the People Had to Cross

The Enemy Who Came to Destroy

Tryphon had a plan that required no subtlety. He was going to invade Judea and destroy it. He already held Jonathan Maccabee, Simon's brother, as a hostage. The hostage was leverage, but leverage is only useful when the other side still thinks negotiation is possible. Tryphon's real intention was not negotiation.

He moved into Judea from the south, toward Adora, and began to turn his army through the country looking for the angle of attack that would break the Hasmonean hold on the land. Simon watched him move. Simon had heard the reports, read the pattern of Tryphon's march, and understood that his brother's life was already decided in Tryphon's mind.

He did not wait behind walls. He marched against Tryphon wherever Tryphon turned.

The Pursuit Ridge by Ridge

First Maccabees records the next weeks without flourish. Simon's army shadowed Tryphon's army. No great battle. No single confrontation. Just the grinding strategic reality of two forces moving through the same landscape, one trying to find the weak point, the other refusing to present one.

Tryphon rode toward the Jordan Valley. Simon was already there. Tryphon circled toward Adida, a fortified position in the Shephelah. Simon camped at Adida. The population watching from the hill villages saw a Jewish commander who understood that presence itself was a form of resistance. Tryphon could not get clean access to the interior of the country because wherever he went, Simon's force had positioned itself between him and his objective.

That kind of campaign is exhausting in ways that history tends to skip over. It is cold camps, bad water, logistics stretched thin, officers making decisions at the edge of their information. Simon held it together.

The Demand at Adida

Tryphon sent messengers. He told Simon that Jonathan was alive, that Jonathan owed money to the royal treasury, that he would release Jonathan in exchange for a hundred talents of silver and two of Jonathan's sons as additional hostages.

First Maccabees records Simon's dilemma without sentimentality. He knew Tryphon was lying. He knew that if he sent the silver and the boys and Tryphon still killed Jonathan, the people would say Simon had brought it on himself by not paying. They would blame him for Jonathan's death. So he sent the hundred talents and the two sons, knowing that he was probably making a gift to a man who intended to kill his brother regardless.

Tryphon took the money and the boys and killed Jonathan anyway. He went into Gilead and had him executed. Simon received the body and buried him at Modin, in the family tomb where Mattathias lay.

The Snow That Blocked the Road

Before the execution, Tryphon had made one more attempt to move through Judea. He turned his army toward Jerusalem through the Tekoa region. The road was open. Simon's forces were positioned but the column had momentum.

Then a heavy snowfall came. First Maccabees mentions it briefly, but the weight of the moment is in the brevity. Tryphon could not advance. The army that had been crossing ridges and threading through passes was stopped by weather. Simon, who had no special influence over winter storms, nevertheless found himself on the right side of the one event that cost Tryphon his final approach.

Tryphon withdrew through Gilead. Jonathan died there. But Jerusalem was not taken.

The Water That the People Had to Cross

Later, in a different campaign season, Simon's forces faced water. A brook or stream, wide enough that the men were afraid to cross. The record preserves the moment with the same plain-spoken quality that First Maccabees brings to everything: the water was a problem, the men hesitated, and then someone crossed.

That crossing, without the drama of a parted sea or a miracle, was the ordinary kind of courage that the Maccabean wars required constantly. Not a sign from heaven. Just a leader stepping into cold water in front of his people and trusting that the other side was reachable.

MaccabeesChanukahProphecySinWarLeadership
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From the tradition

Sources

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

The Book of Maccabees I 13:23The Book of Maccabees I

One such moment from the Book of Maccabees I, a historical text that recounts the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire.

Our focus is on a character named Tryphon. He wasn’t exactly a nice guy. He had designs on invading the land and causing widespread destruction, circling around towards a place called Adora. But Simon, one of the leaders of the Maccabees, wasn't about to let that happen. Simon and his army shadowed Tryphon, meeting him with resistance at every turn.

Those holed up in the tower – likely Seleucid sympathizers – sent desperate messages to Tryphon. They were running low on supplies. They begged him to hurry, to come to them through the wilderness and bring them food. Imagine the tension! These folks are banking on Tryphon's arrival, their survival depending on it.

Tryphon, eager to solidify his power and crush the rebellion, immediately mobilized his cavalry, planning a night march. He was ready to ride to their rescue, or so he thought.

But then… bam! A massive snowstorm hit. Seriously, a huge one.

Can you picture it? The wind howling, the snow piling up, visibility dropping to near zero. The Book of Maccabees I simply states, "there fell a very great snow, by reason whereof he came not."

That's it. No dramatic embellishment. Just a simple statement of fact. But what a fact! This sudden, unexpected blizzard completely foiled Tryphon's plans.

It’s almost comical, isn't it? This powerful military leader, ready to wreak havoc, stopped in his tracks by a snowstorm. You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from Simon and his forces.

Frustrated and defeated, Tryphon abandoned his rescue mission and instead, rerouted his army to the region of Galaad. The tower was left to fend for itself.

Think about the implications. What if that snowstorm hadn’t happened? What if Tryphon had reached the tower, resupplied his allies, and launched a renewed offensive against the Maccabees? History could have taken a very different turn. The Jewish people may not have won their independence, and the story of Hanukkah might never have been.

Sometimes, it’s the smallest, most unexpected events – a sudden snowstorm, a chance encounter – that change everything. As we read in the Book of Maccabees, history isn't just about grand strategies and powerful armies. It's also about the unpredictable forces of nature and the moments when destiny hangs by a thread. It makes you wonder, what "snowstorm" might be shaping our lives, and the world, right now?

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The Book of Maccabees I 16:8The Book of Maccabees I

" We all do. It's human. But what happens when leadership means silencing that voice, not just for yourself, but for everyone following you?

Let's picture this scene. It's dawn. The sky is just beginning to lighten, painting the landscape in shades of grey and purple. The Maccabees, a small but determined band of Jewish rebels, are facing a formidable enemy. I Maccabees, chapter 16, tells us of this moment of stark confrontation. As they rise, ready for battle, they see it: a mighty great host arrayed against them, a seemingly endless line of foot soldiers and horsemen stretching across the plain.

There's just one thing between them and the enemy: a water brook. A seemingly insignificant detail. But in that moment, it becomes a symbol of fear, a barrier that tests their resolve. Imagine the palpable tension. The men are afraid. They hesitate at the edge of the brook.

What would you do? Turn back? Look for another way?

This is where leadership truly shines. Simon Maccabeus, the leader of the Maccabees at this time, doesn't hesitate. He sees the fear in his people's eyes, and he knows he has to act. He doesn't give a rousing speech (at least, not that's recorded here). He doesn't try to reason with their fear. He simply acts.

He went first over himself.

That's it. A simple act of courage. He wades into the water, showing them that it can be done, that the barrier is not insurmountable. And what happens? The men, seeing their leader's unwavering resolve, follow him. They pass through after him.

It's a powerful image, isn't it?

Once across, Simon, ever the strategist, quickly organizes his forces. Knowing the enemy's strength lies in their numerous horsemen, he cleverly positions his own, intermingling them with the foot soldiers. This tactic would help protect them, limiting the effectiveness of the enemy's cavalry.

That brook, that moment of hesitation… it speaks to something deep within us. We all face our own "water brooks" – obstacles that seem daunting, challenges that make us question our ability to succeed. But sometimes, all it takes is seeing someone else take the first step, to find the courage to follow. And more importantly, a leader willing to show the way.

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The Book of Maccabees I 13:14The Book of Maccabees I

Our story picks up with some serious political maneuvering in the wake of Jonathan's capture. Remember Jonathan? He was one of the heroic Maccabee brothers, leading the Jewish people after Judah. Now, Tryphon, a general who was scheming to take over the Seleucid Empire, has him prisoner.

We read in the First Book of Maccabees (1 Maccabees 13) that Simon, Jonathan's brother, steps up to fill that void. He camps at Adida, a strategically important location overlooking the plains. It's a clear signal: he's ready to defend Judea.

Meanwhile, Tryphon, ever the manipulator, is in Ptolemais. He sends Jonathan, the son of Absalom, and his forces to secure Joppa, a crucial port city. The First Book of Maccabees tells us that they successfully expelled the inhabitants and fortified the city. But his true plan? To invade Judea with a "great power," while holding Jonathan captive. Pretty low. Then comes the really galling part. Tryphon, realizing that Simon isn't going to just sit idly by, sends messengers to Simon. And what does he say? He claims he's holding Jonathan because Jonathan owes the king's treasury money! It's all about "business that was committed unto him," he claims.

Can you believe the nerve?

It's a classic tactic: using a false pretense to mask a much more sinister agenda. Tryphon is trying to buy time, to weaken Simon's resolve. He’s trying to make it seem like this is just a financial matter, a simple debt. He probably hopes Simon will stand down, maybe even pay the ransom, giving Tryphon the perfect opportunity to strike.

But Simon isn't fooled. He sees through the deception. And what happens next? Well, that’s a story for another time. But I’ll give you a hint: Simon proves himself to be every bit the leader and strategist his brothers were.: how often do we face situations where someone tries to manipulate us with half-truths and convenient lies? It's a timeless struggle, and the story of Simon and Tryphon reminds us to be vigilant, to question the motives of those in power, and to stand firm in the face of injustice. Just like the Maccabees did.

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