Siege of the citadel and the ap peal of § 184. The Disastrous Battle of Beth-zacharias, I Mac. 618-54, II Mac. 131-22 History of the Hasmoneans I Mac. 6 18Now those who were in the citadel were hindering Israel round about the sanctuary and were always seeking to do them harm and were a support to the tates to heathen. 19But Judas determined Syrian to destroy them and called all the king the apos the people together to besiege them. 20 And they were gathered together and besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth, year, and he made mounds from which to shoot and engines of war. 21Then some of those who were shut up came out and certain apostate Israelites joined them. 22 And they went to the king and said, When will you finally satisfy justice and avenge our brothers? 23 We were willing to serve your father and to live as he enjoined, and to obey his commands; 24but because of this our own people besieged us in the citadel and were alienated from us; and as many of us as they could find, they killed and despoiled our inheritances. 25 And not against us only have they stretched out their hand, but also against all that bordered on them. 26And now they are to-day encamped against the citadel at Jerusalem, to take it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Bethsura. 27 And if you Traditional History vance de served Mene II Mac. 13 In the one hundred Adand forty-ninth year news was brought of Euto Judas and his followers that Antiochus pator and the Eupator was coming with multitudes wellagainst Judea and with him Lysias his guardian and prime minister, 2each fate of having a Greek force, a hundred and laus ten thousand footmen and five thousand, three hundred horsemen and twenty-two elephants and three hundred chariots armed with scythes. 3 Menelaus also joined with them and with great dissimulation encouraged Antiochus, not for the deliverance of his country but because he thought he would be established in his office." 4But the King of kings stirred up the anger of Antiochus against the wicked sinner; and when Lysias informed him that this man was the cause of all the evils, he gave orders to bring him to Beroa and to put him to death according to the custom there. 5Now in that place is a tower fifty cubits high, full of ashes, with a revolving contrivance from every side of which is an abrupt descent into the ashes. 6Here they pushed forward to destruction everyone who is guilty of sacrilege or has committed any other conspicuous crime. 7Such was the death which it befell that law-breaker, Menelaus, to die, without even receiving a portion of the earth for a grave, most justly too, § 184 II Mac. 131 dates the event in 163 B.C., but I Mac. 620 without much doubt is correct in placing it one year later. II Mac. also in its zeal to glorify the Jews, or because of the misleading testimony of the popular tradition upon which it is based, turns the virtual defeat into a partial victory. With the reduction of the temple and the victories of Judas, the interest of the epitomizer of II Mac. in the history wanes and his résumé of the remaining events is often so compressed that the style is harsh and the meaning at times obscure because of the ellipses. II Mac. 133 The office of the high-priest is meant. Cf. 423 ff. II Mac. 134 Located in Syria between Antioch and Hierapolis. PII Mac. 135 It is difficult to determine the exact nature of this instrument. It was probably a revolving apparatus which lifted the victim to the top of the tower and dropped him in. As Grimm suggests, the ashes were probably burning. 4 II Mac. 136 The Gk. here reads, they all push forward whoever is guilty, etc. A slight change in the Gk. gives the above reading, which was probably the original. Ad vance of a ful Syr army History of the Hasmoneans do not quickly anticipate them, Traditional History for as he had committed many sins in relation to the altar, the fire and ashes of which were holy, in ashes did he receive his death. 28 When the king had heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his Friends, the officers of power- his army, and those who commanded the cavalry. ian 29There came to him also from other kingdoms and from isles of the sea, bands of hired soldiers. 30So the number of his forces was a hundred thousand footmen and twenty thousand horsemen and thirtytwo elephants trained for war. 31Then they went through Idumea and encamped against Bethsura and carried on the siege a long time and made engines of war. The besieged, however, sallied out and burned them and fought valiantly. 32And Judas departed from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zacharias, opposite the king's camp. 33Then the king rose early in the morning and had his army set out at full speed along the road to Beth-zacharias and his forces prepared for battle and the trumpets were sounded. 34 And they showed the elephants the blood of grapes and mulberries, in order to excite them for the battle. 35Then they distributed the beasts among the phalanxes and stationed by each elephant a thousand men armed with coats of mail and helmets, with brass on their heads; and to each beast five hundred chosen horsemen were appointed. 36These were already there, wherever the beast was, and wherever the beast went, they went with him and did not separate themselves from him. 37 And upon them were towers of wood, strong, covered, one girded upon each beast. Upon them were engines and two or three men, who fought upon them, besides the Indian who guided the elephant. 38The rest of the horsemen he stationed on both sides of the two wings of the army to inspire terror and to protect the phalanxes. 39 And when the sun struck the golden and bronze shields, the mountain shone with them and blazed like torches of fire. 40 And a part of the king's army was spread out on the heights, and some on the low ground, and they moved firmly and in good order. 41And all who heard the noise of their multitude, and the march of the liver ance from 9Now the king, in Prayers a savage temper, was Jews coming intent upon for deinflicting on the Jews the very worst of the the SYTsufferings which had ians befallen them in his father's time. 10But as soon as Judas heard of these things, he charged the multitude to call upon the Lord day and night, that, if ever at any other time, he would now also succor those who were about to be deprived of the law and their country and the holy temple,11and that he would not suffer the people, who had been for only a little while restored, to fall into the hands of those unholy heathen. 12When they had all done the same thing together, beseeching the merciful Lord with weeping and fastings and prostration for three days without ceasing, Judas exhorted and commanded them to be ready. 13After having gone apart with the elders, he re I Mac. 637 The Gk. text reads, thirty-two, but the original probably read as above. The error was an easy one. Brave but futile of the Jews History of the Hasmoneans ing of the great numbers, and the rattling of the 42Then Judas and his army approached for battle, and there fell of the attack king's army six hundred men. 43 Now when Eleazar, who was called Avaran, saw one of the beasts armed with royal breastplates, which was higher than all the beasts, and it looked as though the king was upon it, 44he gave himself to save his people and to gain for himself an everlasting fame; 45and he ran upon him courageously in the midst of the phalanx and slew on the right hand and on the left, and they scattered from before him on either side. 46Then he crept under the elephant, thrust him from beneath, and slew him. And the elephant fell to the earth upon him, and he died there. 47 But when they saw the strength of the king and the fierce onset of the armies, they turned away from them. Surren der of Bethsura and tremi Traditional History success ful at solved that, before the king's army should invade Judea and make themselves masters of the city, they should go forth and decide the matter with the help of the Lord.s 14Then, after committing the The decision to the Creatort of the world and exhorting those who tack were with him to contend nobly even unto death for laws, temple, city, country, and commonwealth, he pitched his camp near Modein. 15And after giving out to his men the watchword," Victory is God's,' with a chosen body of the bravest young men he fell upon the king's tent by night and slew in the camp" as many as two thousand men, and brought down the chief elephant, with all who were in the tower upon him. 16And at last they filled the camp with terror and alarm and withdrew victorious. 17 And this was accomplished when the day was already dawning, because he had the Lord's helpful protection. 48 But those who were in the king's army went up to Jerusalem to meet them, and the king encamped for a struggle with Judea and Mount Sion. the ex- 49And he made peace with those in Bethsura; for tem they surrendered the city, because they had no food the there to endure the siege, because the land had a sabbath. 50So the king took Bethsura and stationed a garrison there to keep it. 51Then he encamped against the sanctuary for a long time; and he set there mounds from which to shoot and engines of war and instruments for casting stones and fire, and pieces to cast darts and slings. 52And Jews in Jerusalem W II Mac. 1313 Some manuscripts have, God, instead of, the Lord. v II Mac. 1315 So the best texts. Others read, him who was. army cations at Antioch and the rights guaran the Jews History of the Hasmoneans they also erected engines against those of the be- Traditional History within such things as were necessary. 21 But Rhodocus, from the Jewish ranks, made known to the enemy their secrets. He was discovered and taken, and shut up in prison. 22The king treated with those in Bethsura the second time, exchanged pledges, departed, attacked the forces of Judas, and was overcome. § 185. The Treaty Establishing Religious Freedom, I Mac. 655-63, History of the Hasmoneans Compli- I Mac. 6 55 Now Lysias heard that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, had appointed during his lifetime to bring up his son Antiochus that he might be king, 56had returned from Persia and Media and with him the forces teed to that went with the king, and that he was trying to get control of the government, 57he hastily decided to depart. And he said to the king, and to the officers of the army and to the men, We are growing weaker every day, our supplies are scanty, and the place which we are besieging is strong, and the welfare of the kingdom depends upon us; 58now therefore let us give the right hand to these men and make peace with them and with all their nation, 59and covenant with them that they may live according to their own customs as formerly; for because of their laws, which we abolished, they were angered and did all these things. 60This counsel pleased the king and the princes, and he sent to them to make peace. They accepted it, 61and when he king and the princes took Traditional History II Mac. 13 23The king heard that Philip, who had been left as prime minister in Antioch, had become reckless, was confounded, made overtures to the Jews, submitted himself and accepted on oath all just conditions, came to terms with them and offered sacrifice, honored the sanctuary and showed kindness to the place, 24and graciously received Maccabeus, left Hegemonides governor from Ptolemais even to the Gerrenians, and came to Ptolemais. 25The men of Ptolemais were displeased at the treaty, for they were exceedingly indignant;b a II Mac. 1319-22 The unusual frequency of asyndeton is undoubtedly due to the desire of the epitomizer to condense at this point the contents of his earlier source. II Mac. 1324 This word is evidently corrupt and appears in a variant form in the codices. It means, inhabitants of Gerar, a city located in the extreme southwestern part of Palestine. b II Mac. 1325 In this extreme condensation of the data in his original, the epitomizer has not indicated the object of their indignation. It was probably the Jews. History of the Hasmoneans oath to them, they came out of the stronghold. 62 But when the king entered Mount Sion and saw the strength of the place, he broke the oath which he had sworn and gave orders to pull down the wall round about. 63Then he set out in haste and returned to Antioch and found Philip master of the city; and he fought against him and took the city by force. Traditional History they desired to annul the articles of agreement. 26 Lysias mounted the rostrum, made the best defence that was possible, persuaded, pacified, made them well disposed, and then departed to Antioch. This was the issue of the invasion and departure of the king. § 186. Appointment and Rule of Alcimus as High Priest, I Mac. 71-28 II Mac. 141-14 § 186 Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, had been carried as a boy of nine years to Rome, where he was held as a hostage. At last escaping the vigilance of the Romans he appeared in Syria to be at once hailed as the rightful king. I Mac. 71 162 B.C. d I Mac. 7 Cf. II Mac. 141, Tripolis. II Mac. 143 Some MSS. read, of separation, but this was probably due to later scribes who would admit no period of general fusion. In 38 they have apparently for the same reason changed it in all MSS. I Mac. 75 Alcimus is a Gk. name substituted for the Heb., Eliakim. * II Mac. 144 Cf. I Mac. 1337, Herod. vii, 27. |