52 He also strengthened the fortifications of the towns of Bethzur and Gezer and of the fort in Jerusalem. He placed army units in them and stored up supplies there.
53 Then he took the sons of the leading men of the country as hostages and imprisoned them in the fort.
54 In the second month of the year 153, the High Priest Alcimus ordered that the wall of the inner court of the Temple must be torn down. This would have destroyed what the prophets had accomplished; but just as the work began,
55 he had a stroke, and work was stopped. Paralysed and unable to open his mouth, he could not speak or even make a will for his family.
56 He died in great torment.
57 When Bacchides learnt that Alcimus was dead, he returned to King Demetrius, and the land of Judea had peace for two years.
58 Then all the renegades got together and said, “Look, Jonathan and his men are living in peace and security. If we bring Bacchides here now, he can capture them all in a single night.”