71. B.C. 167 to 163

B.C. 167 to 163

Chapter I

Timeline View:

1. The persecution by Antiochus had raged about half a year, when God raised up deliverance for his people in the noble family of the Asamoncans, Mattathias and his sons, better known as the Maccabees. Asamoneus, from whom the family took its name, was the great-grandfather of Mattathias, a priest descended from Phinehas, the son of Eleazer, the elder branch of the family of Aaron. This Mattathias was a person of consequence and influence in his native city of Modin, for which reason the king’s commissioner at that place was anxious that he should there set the example of compliance with the royal mandate. But Mattathias, on his own behalf and that of his sons, repelled with indignation the inducements which were offered; and in a transport of holy zeal, he ran and smote down a Jew who at that moment advanced to offer sacrifice at the idol altar. By this act the sword was drawn, which was to be sheathed no more till Israel was free. Animated by the same impulse, his sons and a few others gathered around Mattathias, and fell upon and slew the commissioner himself and his attendants; after which they passed through the city, calling upon all who were zealous for the law of God to follow them. Many were roused by their call; but as the number was as yet small to meet the enemy, they withdrew for a time into the wilderness. They were speedily followed thither by the king’s troops, and being attacked on the Sabbath day, many suffered themselves to be slain without offering the least resistance. Mattathias saw the final consequences of this scruple, as it had for a long time been usual for the enemies of the Jews to attack them on a day when it was known they would not fight. He therefore directed that henceforth they should stand on their defence even on the Sabbath day; and this order, being properly confirmed, guided the future practice of the Jewish people, who still, however, refused to act, except on the defensive, on the sacred day.

2. The standard of revolt being now erected, all who were zealous for liberty and truth repaired to it, so that Mattathias soon found himself sufficiently strong to act on the offensive. They then left their retreat, and went, chiefly by night, throughout the country, pulling down the idolatrous altars, and destroying their persecutors wherever they met with them. They also re-opened the synagogues, enforced the rites enjoined by the law, and recovered many of the sacred books which had fallen into the hands of the heathen. A year of such exertions greatly improved the aspect of affairs, when death arrested the career of the heroic priest. He left five sons, John, Simon, Judas, Eleazer, and Jonathan. The dying advice of the father was, that the judicious Simon should be their counsellor, and the valiant Judas their captain. Judas is said to have derived his surname of Maccabeus from a cabalistic word formed out of M.C.B.J., the initial letters of the words contained in the sacred text which he bore upon his standard.[*] He proved himself a bold and able commander, and, in many respects, may be considered one of the greatest heroes which the Jewish nation ever produced. With a force not exceeding 6000 men he took the field against the large and well-disciplined armies of Antiochus, commanded by warriors of reputation, and defeated them all. In the first instance, the defeat of Apollonius the governor of Samaria, enabled him to make himself master of some of the principal towns and fortresses of Judaea, from which he expelled the Jews who had turned to idolatry. Then a powerful army under a great general called Seron, took the field against Judas. After encouraging his men, who were somewhat alarmed at the immense disparity of numbers, the hero fell upon the enemy with great fury, so that their force was broken and they fled before him. This victory made the name of Judas renowned in all the neighboring states. Antiochus himself saw that this revolt required more attention than he had given to it, and resolving to crush it, he repeatedly sent formidable armies into Judea, commanded by his most able officers. But the valiant Maccabeus maintained his ground, and in one year defeated the Syrians five times, in as many pitched battles. The last of these engagements was with Lysias the regent of Syria, during the absence of Antiochus in Persia, whose army amounted to 60,000 choice infantry and 5000 horse. This formidable army was met by Judas with only 10,000 men to Bethzur; and after calling an God—“Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee”—he assailed them with such vigor that thousands of them were slain and the rest put to Night. Lysias was astonished at the desperate valour of the Jews, and conducted the remnant of his army back to Antioch.

[*] The text wasExo 15:11.Mi Chamoka Baalim Jehovah, “Who is like unto thee among the gods, O Lord!”

3. This great success encouraged Judas to march at once to Jerusalem. He gained possession of the city and the Temple, and after purifying both from every trace of the Syrian idolatries, the Temple was consecrated anew to the service of God, and the daily sacrifices and worship were resumed after a calamitous interruption of three years. This new dedication of the Temple and revival of their worship, was ever after celebrated by a feast which occurred about the winter solstice. John 10:22.

4. The Jews were not, however, able to expel the Syrian garrison from the fortress which had been built by Apollonius to overlook the Temple. They therefore protected the Temple itself by surrounding it with high walls and towers, within which they kept a valiant and watchful garrison.

5. In the east, Antiochus appears to have been little more successful than were his generals in the west. He was repulsed in an attempt to plunder the rich temple at Elymais in Persia, and withdrew in anger and shame to Ecbatana. There news reached him of the repeated losses which his arms had sustained in Judaea, and that the country was in possession of the Jews. On receiving this intelligence, his rage passed all bounds, and he denounced the most horrible vengeance upon that land and people. But while the words were in his mouth, he was smitten with a loathsome and incurable disease, in which he lingered under the most excruciating torments. In his last days, he confessed to those around him that he was smitten by the hand of God, in punishment for his desecration of the Temple and his persecution of the Jews. “I perceive, therefore,” he said, “that for this cause these troubles come upon me; and behold, I perish through grief in a strange land.” He died in the beginning of b.c. 164.

6. Although the Jews were thus delivered from the most Inveterate enemy they had ever known, the war was still carried on by the regent Lysias, in the name of Antiochus Eupator, a child, the son of the late king. But although this army was much stronger than the last, it was completely routed; and then the regent, confessing the wickedness of contending with the mighty God who defended the Jewish people, offered peace on reasonable terms, which the Jewish leaders thought it right to accept, and in obtaining which the Roman ambassadors used their commanding influence. The high-priest Menelaus took this occasion to return home and resume his pontificate. 2 Maccabees 11.

7. The Jews at Jerusalem were, however, still much annoyed by the presence of the Syrian garrison in the castle. Judas, therefore, laid siege to this fortress, determined, if possible, to rid the capital of so serious an inconvenience. There were many apostate Jews in the castle; and they, dreading the treatment they might expect from the orthodox Jews, if it fell into their hands, withdrew secretly and hastened to Antioch, where their representations invited the regent and the young king to undertake a new war against Judaea. The army which was raised for this purpose, was evidently intended to extinguish the nation. It consisted of 100,000 foot, 20,000 horse, 32 war elephants, and 300 chariots armed with scythes. With this mighty host, Lysias proceeded southward and besieged Bethsura, a strong fortress which had been built to protect the frontier towards Idumea Judas could not induce his men to risk a pitched battle with such a host; but they fell upon the invaders by night, and before they knew who had entered their camp, four thousand of them were dead men. The Jews drew off in safety by break of day. The next morning they came to battle; and Judas, to avoid being surrounded by the Syrians, was forced to withdraw to Jerusalem, which had by this time been put in a good state of defence. In this battle Judas lost his brother Eleazer, who was crushed to death by the fall of an elephant, which he himself slew under the erroneous impression that the king rode upon it. 1Ma 6:18-47; 2Ma 13:15-22.

8. The Jews were now in great peril; for the Syrian army, after taking Bethsura, and placing a strong garrison there, advanced to Jerusalem, which they closely besieged, and, in all human probability, would have soon taken. But at this juncture the regent received intelligence that Philippians a rival regent, whom the late king had appointed on his deathbed, had entered Syria with a large army, and had taken possession of Antioch. He therefore concluded a hasty treaty with the Jews, granting all their demands. He then threw down the strong walls around the Temple mount, in violation of the treaty, and hastened to encounter Philippians whom he utterly overthrew (1Ma 6:48-63; 2Ma 13:3-23). Menelaus, the apostate high-priest, who had again deserted to the Syrians, and had encouraged the expedition in the hope of obtaining the government of Judaea, being viewed by them as the real author of their disasters, was, by the royal of order smothered, by being thrown into an ash-pit at Berea. Judas himself was now recognized as governor of Judea; and it is from this year (b.c. 163) that his accession to the principality is usually dated.