DAY OF SIMON

After Jonathan the high priest was captured by Tryphon and a portion of his host slain, Israel was in great lamentation. And having no captain, the nations ( The Greeks)  sought to destroy us. Then Simon, brother of Jonathan and son of Mattathias, took notice of the people’s trembling and fear and stood up to exhort Israel (1 maccabees 13:1-3).

Simon, the wisest of his brothers (1 Maccabees 2:64), revived the spirit of the children of Israel and they in turn made him their captain (1 maccabees 13:8-9), so Simon took all the men of war and fortified the walls of Jerusalem. 

Tryphon took a great host with him to invade Judea, having Jonathan with him. Simon therefore pitched tents at Adida over against the plain; and Tryphon knowing that Simon meant to join battle with him, decided to send messengers unto him. (1 maccabees 13:12-14).