When Lysias heard of this double defeat of the magnificent Syrian armies, he feared the just anger of Antiochus; and he determined to undertake in the next year (165) a new expedition against the Jews. He collected 60,000 foot and 5,000 horse, and encamped at Beth-zur in Judah, the border fortress against Idumæa. But Judas contrived to bring together 10,000 men, encouraged them by holding up for their imitation the example of their brave ancestors, and intrepidly marched against the enemy. Again victory followed his banners, and 5,000 Syrians lay slain upon the battle-field. Lysias heard the tidings with pangs of grief, and yet he resolved to make another attempt against Judea in the following spring. Judas and his army were now the masters of the land; they entered Jerusalem, which was deserted and lay partly in ruins. They found the Sanctuary desolate, the Altar profaned, the gates burnt up, shrubs growing in the Courts as on a mountain, whilst the chambers of the priests were pulled down.' But Judas zealously restored the desecrated Temple, purified it from all idols, and put the holy vessels in their appointed places. On the twenty-fifth day of Kislev in the year 164, the brazen Altar was again dedicated, amidst the jubilant shouts of the people, and with numberless joy and praise offerings; and Judas ordained that, in commemoration of this happy event, a festival should for all future time be celebrated during eight days, to begin with the twenty-fifth of Kislev. This is the Feast of Dedication' or 'Chanuka,' which is still kept by the Jews with feelings of gratitude and gladness. The Sanctuary itself was adorned with all possible splendour, and once again, as in the days of David and Solomon, the porch glittered with crowns of gold and burnished shields. XV. THE JEWS UNDER THE ASMONEANS. (164—40.) 164. JUDAS MACCABEUS THE RULER (164-161). [1 MACC. V. 1.—IX. 22; 2 MACC. X. 9.—XV. 39.] JUDAS did not remain long inactive; for, anxious to protect the land against its ever watchful enemies, he surrounded Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers, which he amply garrisoned; and he fortified Beth-zur as a safeguard against Idumæa. Alarmed and mortified by the irresistible progress of the Hebrew arms, the neighbouring nations resolved to massacre all the Jews who lived scattered within their territories. But Judas and his undaunted followers appeared everywhere to protect and deliver them. He first marched against the Idumæans in the province of Acrabattine, routed them, and plundered their country; then he attacked Bajan, on the southern boundaries of Palestine, and burnt the towers in which the people had taken refuge; and afterwards he defeated the Ammonites in many battles, which they fought under their able general Timotheus, and conquered Jaezer and its colonies. When they had advanced so far, the Jews of Gilead in the east of the Jordan, who had already suffered heavy losses in sanguinary battles, sent messengers to Judas urgently requesting speedy assistance, as a large number of them was kept enclosed in the fortress of Dathema. At the same time delegates from the Jews of northern Palestine arrived with the tidings that they were menaced with destruction by the powerful Phoenicians and the heathen Galileans. Judas turned no deaf ear to these entreaties, and he hastened to the rescue of his brethren. Dividing his army into three parts, he gave to his brother Simon 3,000 men, and bade him fight against the northern enemies; he himself, at the head of 8,000 men, and accompanied by his brother Jonathan, marched out into Gilead, leaving two of his tried captains, Joseph and Azariah, in Judea, with the strict injunction not to engage in any battle during his absence. Simon was completely successful in Galilee; he gained many victories, thoroughly weakened his opponents, and brought numerous captives back with him to Jerusalem. When Judas, on his way to Gilead, passed through the territory of the Nabathæans, he obtained the assistance of this friendly tribe, and learned from them with burning indignation the revolting cruelties of the Gileadites. Guided by his new allies, he soon reached Dathema. Here the besiegers had already begun to scale the walls with ladders and engines of war. Judas at once sounded the trumpet for attack, and dividing his troops into three bands, he assailed the surprised and terrified enemies, and killed 8,000 men; the rest fled with their general Timotheus. Then he advanced to Mizpah, Chasphor, Maked, and all the other hostile cities of Gilead; he was everywhere victorious, and took immense spoil. The brave Timotheus, however, not yet despairing of his fortune, collected a new and larger army, encamped at the river Arnon, opposite the town Raphon, and thus hoped to cut off the return of the Hebrew army into the western provinces. But Judas followed Timotheus step by step, crossed the river intrepidly before the eyes of the amazed general, and drove the enemies from their camp as far as the fortress Karnaim, in which they shut themselves up for safety; but Judas ordered the city to be burnt down, and soldiers and people perished in the flames. He then desired to return to Judea together with the Gileadite Jews whom he had delivered; his road necessarily led him through the town Ephron in the east of the Jordan, opposite Beth-shean or Scythopolis. He asked in friendly terms to be allowed to pass through the city; but when his request was insultingly refused, he assaulted the town impetuously, and took and pillaged it after a fearful carnage; then he crossed the Jordan and arrived at Beth-shean. When he and his valiant men at length re-entered Jerusalem, they were received with boundless rejoicing and exultation. Thank-offerings were presented in profusion to celebrate the marvellous succession of exploits and the unparalleled victories of the great hero. While Judas was in the east of the Jordan, Joseph and Azariah, stimulated by vanity and ambition, disregarded the rigid injunction of their leader, and ventured upon a warfare of their own. They went with their army southward towards Jamnia. Here they were met by the Syrian commander Gorgias, were repulsed, and lost 2,000 men. Judas, while severely censuring his self-willed captains, would yet not allow their defeat to pass unavenged. He marched into the southern provinces, smote Hebron, which he wrested from the hands of the Edomites, destroyed fortresses, and burnt down towers. Then he passed like a scourge through the land of the Philistines and through Samaria, victorious at all points, destroying idols and heathen altars, and taking great spoil; until at last he went back into Judea. Meanwhile Antiochus Epiphanes had penetrated eastward over the Tigris to the Persian districts of Elymais, where he hoped to plunder the rich temple treasures amassed by Alexander the Great; but he suffered frightful losses, and was compelled to retreat. Arriving in Ecbatana, he received the tidings of the numerous and complete discomfitures of his armies in Palestine. Frantic with rage and humiliation, and harassed by his own recent disappointments, he was attacked by the dangerous and loathsome illness of elephantiasis. His condition was aggravated by bitter remorse for the atrocious cruelties he had committed against the Jews, and for the spoliation of their Temple, which, in a letter full of humble contrition, he promised, on his return, to enrich with the most costly presents. But his dire disease made rapid progress, and tortured in body and mind, he felt the approach of death; then summoning all his friends around him, he declared his young son Antiochus his successor, appointing his general Philippus governor and regent during his son's minority, and handed over to him the crown, his royal robe, and his signet. Thus died, in agony and wretchedness, Antiochus, called, as if in mockery, the Illustrious (164). When the news reached Syria, the governor Lysias at once proclaimed the young prince Antiochus king, under the name of Eupator. Treacherous and perfidious Jews, hoping to ingratiate themselves with the young monarch, went to Antiochia, and slanderously accused Judas of violence and cruelty. It was not difficult to rouse the anger of the king and his counsellors, who were naturally eager to avenge the numerous defeats of the Syrian troops. A war of extirpation was resolved upon. Antiochus gathered an army numbering 100,000 infantry and 20,000 horse, to which host he added thirty-two well-trained elephants. They marched out towards Idumæa, besieged Beth-zur, but were forced to retreat by a sally of the Jews. Judas Maccabæus now pitched his camp in Bath |