Outline History Of The Seventy Weeks Nation - Chapter 6

CHAPTER VI

THE MACCABEES

During the dark days referred to at the end of the previous chapter there arose the Asmonean revolt which, under the distinguished leadership of Judas Maccabeus, resulted in the overthrow of the Syrian hosts and the recovery of Jewish [sic Judaean] independence. The epic struggle deserves far greater recognition than it has received, while the genius of its most distinguished leader and the valour of his brave army are worthy of places of honour in the world’s temple of fame. Like their brethren of Israel, the Jews [sic Judaeans] have seen their proudest exploits left unrecorded on the broadsheets of popular history, or dismissed by only faint notice by sycophants whose chief aim was to glorify their masters. While such exploits as those of Leonidas and his brave band of Spartans have justly received the praise of men, the still greater exploits of Judas Maccabeus have lain buried under the lumber of forgotten things. The highest tribute the modern world has paid to Judas Maccabeus came from Handel, and is enshrined in his oratorio of that name. Literature generally has failed to appreciate the great military genius and political liberator whose name was Judas Maccabeus.

In furtherance of his hellenising policy, Antiochus sent Appeles to enforce his will against Modin, a town on a lofty eminence on the road from Joppa to Jerusalem. In Modin dwelt Mattathias, an old man of distinguished priestly line, of the course of Joarib, the first of David’s twenty-four courses, and a descendant of Eleazar, the elder son of Aaron. He had five sons in the flower of their manhood: Johanan, Simon, Judas surnamed Maccabeus, Eleazar, and Jonathan. All were inspired with a fiery

zeal for the cause of the Lord and His people. Appeles addressed Mattathias with flattering words, and dangled before his aged eyes the bait of royal favour if he would fulfil the king’s commands. With dignified hauteur the patriarch spurned the offer and declared that he, his sons, and his brethren would walk in the covenant of their fathers. “God forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances. We will not hearken to the king’s words.”

At this juncture a renegade Jew [sic Judaean] advanced to the altar to offer sacrifice after the fashion desired by the king. The indignant patriarch rocked under the stress of an emotional storm, “Wherefore he ran and slew him upon the altar.” The king’s commissioner met with a similar fate, after which Mattathias pulled down the altar and raised the standard of revolt. Inspired by his example, his sons and the braver spirits gathered around Mattathias and, leaving all their possessions behind them, sought refuge in the mountains. The king’s forces in Jerusalem followed and overtook them, and on the Sabbath day attacked and slew a thousand unresisting people. More than once the Jews [sic Judaeans] had borne disaster rather than violate what they had regarded as a principle of Sabbath observance. In view of their recent experience and of the great task ahead of them Mattathias and his followers resolved henceforth not to allow themselves to be chopped to pieces without an effort to defend themselves. They would defend themselves on the Sabbath.

Among the first to join the patriotic band were the Assideans, whom we must identify with the Pharisees. Spurred on by zeal for the Law, “Mattathias and his friends were round about, and pulled down the altars.” They embarked on a campaign of compulsory circumcision for children “found

within the coast of Israel.” The stage was set for an organised revolt against their Syrian masters, but advancing age and weakness rendered Mattathias unfit for effective leadership. Calling his sons around him, he exhorted them to be loyal to the noblest ideals of their race, and for their inspiration he pointed to the example of the ancient worthies: from Abraham to Daniel. “And thus consider ... that none that put their trust in him shall be overcome.” He nominated Judas as the leader, saying, “Let him be your captain, and fight the battle of the people.” Shortly after Mattathias died. ^l

Judas “the hammerer” – for such appears to be the meaning of the word “Maccabeus” – combining earnest prayer with vigorous action, proved to be a hammerer indeed. “Then Judas Maccabeus, and they that were with him, went privily into the towns, and called their kinsfolk together, and took unto them all such as continued in the Jews’ [sic Judaean’s] religion, and assembled about six thousand men. And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon the people that was trodden down of all; and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly men; and that he would have compassion upon the city, sore defaced, and ready to be made even with the ground; and hear the blood that cried unto him, and remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants, and blasphemies committed against his name.” ² Judas and his valiant band did exploits. In an engagement with Appolonius of Samaria he defeated “the great host out of Samaria,” slew Appolonius, and ever after wore his victim’s sword. Then Seron, “a prince of the army of Syria,” measured his strength against Judas but was routed with a loss of 800 men.

Antiochus was roused, and embarrassed. The hellenising policy he had followed in Judea he had

¹ See 1 Maccabees, ii.                       ² 2 Maccabees viii, 1-4.

pursued with equal vigour in other provinces. His exchequer was depleted. Armenia and Persia refused to pay tribute. Despite his paucity of funds he “Opened his treasure and gave his soldiers pay for a year” and then turned to Persia to avenge himself on his recalcitrant subjects, with the hope of replenishing his treasury. Dividing his forces, he placed Lysias in charge of the army west of the Euphrates while he himself prepared to advance against Persia with the remaining troops. Lysias was instructed to “destroy and root out the strength of Israel” and people the land with strangers. “Lysias chose Ptolemy ... and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men” to lead the undertaking and supplied them with 40,000 infantry and 7,000 cavalry. So confident were they of victory that slave dealers accompanied the army by invitation of Nicanor with gold and silver “to buy the children of Israel for slaves,” ¹ but, like Haman, it was their fate to suffer the lot they had planned for others.

With 5,000 footmen and 1,000 horse Gorgias planned a surprise attack on Judas by night. As ever, the intelligence service of Judas was alert and news of the contemplated surprise was conveyed to the leader. Judas quietly removed his camp under cover of darkness. At daybreak, with 3,000 men, Judas met and routed Gorgias. The defeated enemy retreated with a loss of 3,000 men. Much spoil fell to the victors, including “much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.”

The following year, with 60,000 infantry and 5,000 horse, Lysias made a still more desperate effort to subdue Judas and his band. “They came into

¹ “So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews [sic Judaeans] as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romans” (2 Maccabees viii, io).

Idumea and pitched their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met them with 10,000 men.” Once again victory was with Judas. Lysias lost 5,000 men and retreated to Antioch for reinforcements.

This victory gave Judas possession of Jerusalem. In less than three years he had overcome the might of Antiochus and wrested the independence of Judea from the grip of the Syrians. His first act was to cleanse the polluted sanctuary. The altar of burnt offerings was pulled down and newly built. The desecrated Temple was cleansed and re-dedicated “on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called Casleu,” ¹ (December), three years and ten days after its spoliation by Antiochus Epiphanes.

The success of Judas embittered the surrounding nations and systematic persecution of the Jews [sic Judaeans] in their midst arose. In Joppa, two hundred Jews [sic Judaeans] were treacherously murdered. They were decoyed on to the ships in the harbour and then deliberately drowned. Judas attacked Joppa and burned both houses and ships. Similar treatment was meted out to Jamnia. He chastened the Idumeans and the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem to learn that his kinsfolk in Galilee and Gilead were in grave peril. Dividing his forces, Judas entrusted his brother Simon with the command of an expedition against Galilee while he and his brother Jonathan marched into Gilead. Both expeditions were successful.

Shortly after this, Antiochus Epiphanes died, as related on page 56, and his young son, Antiochus V, Eupator, was enthroned by Lysias.

The new king led an army of 100,000 foot and 20,000 horse against Bethsura and besieged it. In this attack the Syrians used elephants, an arm of war

¹ 1 Maccabees iv. 52.

with which the Maccabeans were not acquainted. Eleazer, the fourth of the Maccabean brothers, crept under the flank of one of these animals and slew it, but the elephant fell upon Eleazer and crushed him to death. Against this overwhelming force Judas was powerless. He retreated to Jerusalem. It was the Sabbatic year and Bethsura was faced with famine for food was scarce. Bethsura capitulated, and soon Jerusalem was in the throes of a siege. Relief came in an unexpected way. The army which Antiochus Epiphanes had led into Persia returned, after his death, under Philip, who was a rival of Lysias. Both claimed the guardianship of the young king. Under these circumstances, Lysias advised his master to make peace with the Jews [sic Judaeans]. This was done; but Antiochus basely broke the terms of peace as soon as he was admitted to Jerusalem by breaking down the wall Judas had built. ¹

Now arose a period of internal strife among the Syrians. By ascending the throne of Syria Antiochus Epiphanes had usurped the right of Demetrius, son of Seleucus IV. On the death of the usurper, Demetrius emerged from Rome, where he had lived as a hostage, slew the youthful Antiochus and Lysias, and took the throne as Demetrius I, Soter (i.e. saviour). Demetrius was shrewd enough to take advantage of the divisions which were beginning to show themselves in the ranks of the Jews [sic Judaeans] at Jerusalem.

Onias III, who had fled to Antioch to escape from the intrigues of Menelaus, left a son, the rightful heir to the high-priesthood, whom, for convenience, we may call Onias IV. During the illegal high-priesthood of Jason and Menelaus Onias IV courted the help of Egypt. He fled thither and enjoyed the protection of the Egyptian king, Ptolemy Philometor

¹ On this period see 1 Maccabees vi.

(181-146 B.C.). Onias appears to have favoured hellenism, and Egypt, with its large Jewish [sic Judaean] population and Greek Bible, the Septuagint, offered a fertile soil for that cult. He appealed to Ptolemy for permission to build a temple in Egypt at a place he had selected “replenished with sacred animals,” “for the prophet Isaiah foretold that ‘there should be an altar in Egypt’.” Ptolemy, judging by the nature of his reply, was not very enthusiastic. “We cannot but wonder that it should be pleasing to God to have a temple erected in a place so unclean, and so full of sacred animals. But since thou sayest that Isaiah the prophet foretold this long ago, we give thee leave to do it.” ¹ “So Onias took the place, and built a temple, and an altar to God, like indeed to that at Jerusalem, but smaller and poorer.” ²

There were now three temples: the Temple in Jerusalem, the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim, and the hellenistic temple in Egypt. Rivalries sprang up, and disputes followed as to which was the Temple. The case was argued before Ptolemy and his court. Strangely enough, no claim seems to have been made for the pre-eminence of the Egyptian Temple. Sabbeus and Theodosius were counsel for the Samaritan party. The Alexandrian Jews [sic Judaeans] sided with the Jerusalem party and “took it very ill that any should take away the reputation” of the sacred edifice in Jerusalem. In the end, Ptolemy decided in favour of Jerusalem, and Sabbeus and Theodosius forfeited their lives for their pains. ³

Amid the changes in the personnel of the high-priesthood, a more serious change was made. When, by order of Antiochus Eupator, Menelaus was put to death (circa 163 B.C.) the high-priesthood of Jerusalem, which, since the return from exile, had

¹ For full correspondence see Josephus, Antiq. xiii, 3.

² Ibid.                               ³ Ibid. xiii, iii, 4.

remained in the family of Jozadak, passed to another family. Alcimus became high-priest. He held the office for four years, when “he was smitten by God” and died. ¹

Alcimus assumed the leadership of the hellenistic party. He had long aspired to the high-priesthood, and took an early opportunity of canvassing the support of the new king Demetrius. He had attached to his cause “all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel,” and if the Assideans (Pharisees) were not actually identified with that cause their later deeds suggest that they were in sympathy with it. Alcimus gained the ear of Demetrius before he had come near Jerusalem and represented to the king that “Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land. Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havoc he hath made among us.” Flattered by this seeming zeal for his interests, Demetrius sent his friend Bacchides, who “was a great man in the kingdom,” “that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.” Alcimus was made high-priest.

The envoys “came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.” Judas declined the bait. But the Assideans, trusting in the sacred character of the high-priesthood, “were the first ... that sought peace of them,” and though assured of peace and safety, had the mspan style=span style=ortification of seeing sixty of their number treacherously murdered in one day. Entrusting the governorship to Alcimus, Bacchides returned to the king at Antioch.

Distrustful of the new regime, Judas went around the villages to rally the patriots. “When Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had gotten the

¹ Antiq. xii, 10, 6.

upper hand, and knew that he was not able to abide the force, he went again to the king, and said all the worst of them that he could. Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare a deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.” Again there was an attempt to ensnare Judas with flattering words; but without success. At the battle of Capharsalama Judas discomfited Nicanor, who retreated to the citadel of Zion with a loss of 5,000 men. Certain priests met him peaceably, but Nicanor “abused them shamefully.” He threatened to “burn up this house” unless Judas and his army were delivered into his hand. A decisive battle was fought at Adasa at the end of February, 161 B.C., when Nicanor was slain. The independence of Judea was won. ¹

At this juncture, Judas made his one fatal mistake. He entered into alliance with Rome. He who all through his brilliant career had trusted in the God of Israel, now made a treaty with a heathen power. ² His messengers returned from Rome carrying with them the brazen tablets on which the terms of the treaty were inscribed, but the career of Judas was ended. To avenge the death of Nicanor, Demetrius sent Bacchides with an army of 20,000 foot and 2,000 horse, against which Judas could muster only 3,000. Even this small number was reduced by continuous desertions. The treaty with Rome was not popular with the Assideans and the Jews [sic Judaeans] of the stricter sort. In the end Judas had only 800 men. The result was a foregone conclusion. “If the time be come,” said Judas to his men, “let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our honour.” Victory fell to Bacchides. The crowning disaster for the Jews [sic Judaeans] was the death of their stalwart leader, whereon

¹ On this period see 1 Maccabees vii.         ² See 1 Maccabees viii.

his followers fled. ¹ Thus ended a noble life, honourable alike to the man who lived it and to the race that gave him birth. “How is the valiant man fallen, that delivered Israel.”

Judas was slain in 161 B.C. Thence followed a time of distress for the Jews [sic Judaeans]. Driven from Jerusalem, the followers of Judas sought refuge in the wilderness of Tekoa, where famine added to their terrors. Jonathan, the youngest of the five brothers, was elected leader, while Simon aided with his wise counsel. Their first act was to avenge the death of their brother Johanan, who had been treacherously murdered by the Arabs. Angered by this deed, Bacchides attacked them on the sabbath day in the marshes of the Jordan, but was repulsed with a loss of a thousand men. The Jews [sic Judaeans] escaped by swimming the river.

The hellenising party of Jerusalem found fresh hope and confidence when they learned that Jonathan and his men had been driven into the wilderness, and persuaded Bacchides that it would be an easy matter to capture them. Bacchides, however, was again checked by Jonathan, “Wherefore he was very wroth at the wicked men that gave him counsel to come to the country, insomuch that he slew many of them, and prepared to return to his own country.” ² Jonathan felt himself strong enough to suggest terms of peace to Bacchides, “which thing he accepted and did according to his demands and sware unto him that he would never do him harm all the days of his life.” ³ Prisoners of war were restored, and Bacchides appeared pleased to end his fruitless conflict.

While these events were passing at a distance from the city, other events of far-reaching importance were

¹ See 1 Maccabees ix.                        ² 1 Maccabees ix, 69.

³ Ibid. 70.

transpiring in the city itself. Elated at the success of Bacchides in the overthrow of Judas, Alcimus was in the act of destroying the wall of the inner sanctuary, which Judas had built, when he had a seizure and died. “Now when Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead he returned to the king: whereupon the land of Judea had rest for two years.” ¹ Alcimus died in 159 B.C., and for six years the sacred office was vacant. In 153 B.C. Jonathan, who was already the national leader, became high-priest as well. Thus arose the order of Asmonean priest-kings, the high-priest being both the civil and the religious head of the State.

¹ 1 Maccabees ix, 57.