1 Now Ptolemy Philopator learned from those who had returned that Antiochus had captured some of Ptolemy’s territory. Ptolemy gave orders to all his forces, foot soldiers and mounted soldiers, to break camp. Along with all his forces, and accompanied by his sister Arsinoë, he set out for the region of Raphia where Antiochus’ troops had set up camp.
2 Now a certain Theodotus made up his mind to carry out a plot to kill Ptolemy. He took the best of the weapons that had been assigned to him from Ptolemy’s own arsenal. He crossed over by night to Ptolemy’s tent, intending to put an end to the war by killing him single-handedly.
3 But Dositheus, known as Drimylus’ son, had led Ptolemy away and arranged for an unimportant person to sleep in the king’s tent. This person then met the fate intended for Ptolemy. (Now this Dositheus was a Jew by birth, but he had changed his mind about their customs and had turned away from the teachings of his ancestors.)
4 When a fierce battle arose, and things were going rather well for Antiochus, Arsinoë went out to Ptolemy’s army with pathetic cries and with her hair all in disarray. She urged them to rescue themselves and their children and wives, and bravely promised to give to each man two manehs of gold if they won the battle.
5 And so it turned out that the enemies were destroyed in hand-to-hand combat, and many were taken prisoner.