³¹ or else pay me five hundred talents of silver for the destruction that you have caused and five hundred talents more for the tribute money of the cities. Otherwise we will come and make war on you.”^(A)

⁷⁵ He encamped before Joppa, but the people of the city closed its gates, for Apollonius had a garrison in Joppa.^(A)

The Capture of Gazara by Simon

⁴³ In those days Simon^[a] encamped against Gazara^[b] and surrounded it with troops. He made a siege engine, brought it up to the city, and battered and captured one tower.

³⁴ He also fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazara, which is on the borders of Azotus, where the enemy formerly lived. He settled Jews there and provided in those towns^[a] whatever was necessary for their restoration.^(A)