character of the privileges bestowed upon Simon belie that image, indicating the presence (or prospect) of significant internal challenges to his leadership. Simon’s death at the hands of a would-be usurper half a decade later lends weight to this interpretation, as does the extradition clause in a Roman diplomatic missive penned on his behalf (1 Macc. 15:16–21). The Simon decree signals a shift in the orientation of the Maccabean movement toward de facto monarchy. Beyond the cleansing of the Temple,