When he approached Baskama: Approached may be rendered “came near to.” The location of Baskama is unknown. If “Gilead” is the correct reading in verse 22 (some scholars think “Galilee” was intended), Baskama must have been somewhere northeast of Lake Galilee. It will be helpful to say “the town of Baskama.”

He killed Jonathan, and he was buried there: Trypho didn’t kill Jonathan himself, but had his men do it. So we may translate he killed Jonathan as “he had his men kill Jonathan.” Trypho killed Jonathan because he had no further use for him. The two sons were probably killed as well; the narrative makes no further mention of them. In languages that do not have a passive voice, and he was buried there may be rendered “and had them bury him there.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• When he and his men came near to the town of Baskama, he had them kill Jonathan and bury him there.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.