III. DEMETRIUS NICANOR, or Nicator, the son of Demetrius Soter, in the beginning of the war against Balas, was sent by his father into the isle of Cnidus, to secure him against all the accidents, which might happen to him during this time. After the death of his father, he continued for some time in repose, waiting an opportunity to declare himself, and recover the kingdom, which was his right. At length, five years after the death of Demetrius, in that of the World 3856, before the Vulgar 1 Macc. x. 68, 69. Joseph. Antiq. l. 13. c. 8. Justin. l. 35. c. 2.Æra 148, young Nicanor passed into Cilicia with some troops. Soon after Apollonius, governour of Cæle-Syria, joined him; and as Jonathan Maccabæus persisted in his alliance with Balas, Apollonius made war against him with very little success. In the mean time Balas’s affairs went worse and worse, and Nicanor fortified himself more and more in Syria.
In the year of the World 3858, Ptolemy Philometor came into Syria with an army, in appearance to assist Balas his son-in-law, but in reality to make himself master of his kingdom. He was so fortunate as to get admittance into Antioch, and was there acknowledged King of Syria. But he declared to the Syrians, that they would do a very agreeable thing to him, if they would give the crown to his son-in-law Demetrius Nicanor; (for he had married his daughter Cleopatra to him, after having taken her from Alexander Balas.) Thus Demetrius was once more seated on the throne of his ancestors, and his competitor Balas was 1 Macc. xi. 14—18. Joseph. l. 13. c. 8.killed soon afterwards.
Jonathan taking advantage of these disturbances in Syria, grew stronger in Judæa, and undertook the siege of the Citadel in Jerusalem, which was still in the possession of the Syrians. Demetrius having notice of it, sent for Jonathan to come and give an account to him of his conduct at Ptolemaïs, where he was. Jonathan went thither with large sums of money, and won so effectually the good graces of the King, that he obtained from him the confirmation of the dignity of High-priest, and liberty for all the provinces in Judæa, upon paying down three hundred talents, which he promised the King.
Demetrius seeing himself peaceable possessor of Syria, gave himself up to all manner of excesses, so that he became odious and contemptible to his subjects. One Diodotus, who had had some command in Alexander Balas’s armies, undertook to dispossess Demetrius, and to put young Antiochus upon the throne, the son of Alexander Balas, who was then a child, and lived with Elmachuel, King of the Arabians. Demetrius once more ruined his affairs, by provoking the inhabitants of Antioch, whose arms he had ordered to be taken from them; and in a sedition, which happened upon this occasion, killed a great number of them. As soon as Diodotus, otherwise called Tryphon, appeared in Syria with young Antiochus, the Syrians flocked in crowds to acknowledge him, and offer him their services. He saw himself very soon at the head of a good army, gave Demetrius battel, beat him, and obliged him to fly to Seleucia.
Jonathan Maccabæus sollicited by Tryphon, abandoned Demetrius’s party, and espoused that of young Antiochus Theos, who permitted him to make war upon the people and cities of Phœnicia and Syria, which still held out for Demetrius. He was very succesful in his attempts, and both he and his brother Simon acquir’d the reputation of being very brave men.
Diodotus, who had raised young Antiochus to the throne with a design only of reigning under his name, was not satisfied with the honours and power of royalty, but was impatient to wear the title and marks too of it: he therefore put Antiochus to death, and procured himself to be acknowledged King of Syria under the name of Tryphon. He had a little before treacherously killed Judas Maccabæus, who was one of the most powerful supports which that young prince had. Simon, Jonathan’s brother and successor, abhorring the cruelty of this Usurper, sent a Crown to Demetrius Nicanor, acknowledged him for King, and intreated him to grant the Jews an exemption from paying tribute. This Prince, who was then, as it were, banished to Seleucia in a corner of his dominions, readily consented to his request, granted him a general amnesty for what was passed, and confirmed all the favours and privileges which had been before granted to Jonathan. So that in this year 3861, before Jesus Christ 139, and before the Vulgar Æra 142, the Jews were intirely freed from all subjection to the Gentiles.1 Macc. xiv. 38—41. and xiii. 35—42. Joseph. Antiq. l. 13. c. 11. In the year of the World 3863 before J. C. 137. before the Vulgar Æra 140. Joseph. Antiq. l. 13. c. 9. 1 Macc. xiv. 1, 2, 3, &c.
Demetrius observing that the Cities generally forsook his party, and that his troops despised him for his negligence, resolved to make war against the Parthians; but he was not successful in it. He was treacherously taken, and put into the hands of the King of Parthia, who treated him with honour, and gave him his own daughter in marriage. Cleopatra his first wife, whom he left at Seleucia with his children, seeing him engaged in another marriage, sent an offer of the Kingdom of Syria to Antiochus Sidetes, brother to her husband Demetrius, upon condition, that he would make her his wife. Antiochus consented, and coming into Syria, assumed the title of King, and wrote to Simon Maccabæus desiring his friendship. He reigned nine years from the year of the world 3865 to 3874. Having undertaken to get his brother Demetrius out of the hands of the Parthians, he declared war against them; but after Vulgar Æra 139. Vide 1 Macc. xv. 10, &c.a great deal of good success, he at last perished with his army, and Demetrius returned into Syria, and was once more placed upon the throne. He reigned four years after this, and was killed in the year of the World 3878, before Jesus Christ 122, before the Vulgar Æra 126. He was succeeded by his eldest son Seleucus, to whom he left a dangerous rival in the person of Alexander, surnamed Zebina.