1 Maccabees 3–4: Strength Is from Heaven": Judas Maccabaeus, and the Dedication of the Temple

His son Judas, who was called Maccabaeus, rose up in his place. All his kindred helped him, and so did all those who joined with his father, and they fought with gladness the battle of Israel. He got his people great glory, and put on a breastplate like a giant, and bound his warlike harness around him, and set battles in array, protecting the army with his sword. He was like a lion in his deeds, and like a lion’s cub roaring for prey. He hunted and pursued the lawless, and he burned up those who troubled his people. The lawless shrunk back for fear of him, and all the workers of lawlessness were very troubled, and deliverance prospered in his hand. He angered many kings and made Jacob glad with his acts. His memory is blessed forever. He went through the cities of Judah, destroyed the ungodly out of the land, and turned away wrath from Israel. He was renowned to the utmost part of the earth. He gathered together those who were ready to perish.

Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together with a great army from Samaria to fight against Israel. Judas learned of it, and he went out to meet him, struck him, and killed him. Many fell wounded to death, and the rest fled. They took their spoils, and Judas took Apollonius’ sword, and he fought with it all his days.

Seron, the commander of the army of Syria, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful men who stayed with him, went out to war. He said, “I will make myself a name and get myself glory in the kingdom. I will fight against Judas and those who are with him, who despise the king’s command. A mighty army of the ungodly went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the children of Israel.

He came near to the ascent of Bethhoron, and Judas went out to meet him with a small company. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, “What? Shall we be able, being a small company, to fight against so great and strong a multitude? We for our part are faint, having tasted no food this day.”

Judas said, “It is an easy thing for many to be hemmed in by the hands of a few. With heaven it is all one, to save by many or by few; for victory in battle stands not in the multitude of an army, but strength is from heaven. They come to us in fullness of insolence and lawlessness, to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to plunder us, but we fight for our lives and our laws. He himself will crush them before our face; but as for you, don’t be afraid of them.

Now when he had finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were defeated before him. They pursued them down the descent of Bethhoron to the plain, and about eight hundred men of them fell; but the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.

The fear of Judas and his kindred, and the dread of them, began to fall on the nations around them. His fame reached the king, and every nation told of the battles of Judas.

But when King Antiochus heard these words, he was full of indignation; and he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, an exceedingly strong army. He opened his treasury and gave his forces pay for a year, and commanded them to be ready for every need. He saw that the money was gone from his treasures, and that the tributes of the country were small, because of the dissension and disaster which he had brought upon the land, to the end that he might take away the laws which had been from the first days. He was afraid that he wouldn’t have enough as at other times for the charges and the gifts which he used to give with a liberal hand, more abundantly than the kings who were before him. And he was exceedingly perplexed in his mind, and he determined to go into Persia, and to take the tributes of those countries, and to gather much money. He left Lysias, an honorable man, and one of royal lineage, to be over the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt, and to bring up his son Antiochus, until he came again. He delivered to Lysias half of his forces and the elephants, and gave him charge of all the things that he would have done, and concerning those who lived in Judea and in Jerusalem, that he should send an army against them to root out and destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away their memory from the place, and that he should make foreigners live in all their territory, and should divide their land to them by lot. The king took the half that remained of the forces, and left Antioch, his royal city, in the one hundred forty seventh year; and he passed over the river Euphrates, and went through the upper countries.

Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s friends; and with them, he sent forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and to destroy it, according to the word of the king. They set out with all their army, and came and encamped near Emmaus in the plain country. The merchants of the country heard of their fame, and took silver and gold in large quantities, and fetters, and came into the camp to take the children of Israel for slaves. Forces of Syria and of the land of the Philistines joined with them.

Judas and his kindred saw that evils were multiplied, and that the forces were encamping in their borders. They learned about the king’s words which he had commanded, to destroy the people and make an end of them. Then they each said to his neighbor, “Let’s repair the ruins of our people. Let’s fight for our people and the holy place.” The congregation was gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray and ask for mercy and compassion. Jerusalem was without inhabitant like a wilderness. There was none of her offspring who went in or went out. The sanctuary was trampled down. Children of foreigners were in the citadel. The Gentiles lived there. Joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and the harp ceased. They gathered themselves together, and came to Mizpeh, near Jerusalem; for in Mizpeh there used to be a place of prayer for Israel. They fasted that day, put on sackcloth, put ashes on their heads, tore their clothes, and opened the book of the law, to learn about the things for which the Gentiles consulted the images of their idols. They brought the priests’ garments, the first fruits, and the tithes. They stirred up the Nazarites, who had accomplished their days. They cried aloud toward heaven, saying, “What should we do with these men? Where should we carry them away? Your holy place is trampled down and profaned. Your priests mourn in humiliation. Behold, the Gentiles are assembled together against us to destroy us. You know what things they imagine against us. How will we be able to stand against them, unless you help us?” They sounded with the trumpets, and gave a loud shout.

And after this Judas appointed leaders of the people: captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, and captains of tens. He said to those who were building houses, were betrothing wives, were planting vineyards, and were fearful, that they should return, each man to his own house, according to the law. The army marched out and encamped upon the south side of Emmaus. Judas said, “Arm yourselves and be valiant men! Be ready in the morning to fight with these Gentiles who are assembled together against us to destroy us and our holy place. For it is better for us to die in battle than to see the calamities of our nation and the holy place. Nevertheless, as may be the will in heaven, so shall he do.

Gorgias took five thousand infantry, a thousand chosen cavalry, and the army moved out at night, that it might fall upon the army of the Jews and strike them suddenly. The men of the citadel were his guides. Judas heard of this, and he and the valiant men moved, that he might strike the king’s army which was at Emmaus while the forces were still dispersed from the camp. Gorgias came into the camp of Judas at night and found no man. He sought them in the mountains; for he said, “These men are running away from us.”

As soon as it was day, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men. However they didn’t have the armor and swords they desired. They saw the camp of the Gentiles strong and fortified, with cavalry all around it; and these were expert in war. Judas said to the men who were with him, “Don’t be afraid of their numbers, or when they charge. Remember how our fathers were saved in the Red sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with an army. Now let’s cry to heaven, if he will have us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and destroy this army before our face today. Then all the Gentiles will know that there is one who redeems and saves Israel.

The foreigners lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming near them. They went out of the camp to battle. Those who were with Judas sounded their trumpets and joined battle. The Gentiles were defeated, and fled into the plain. But all those in the rear fell by the sword. They pursued them to Gazara, and to the plains of Idumaea, Azotus, and Jamnia. About three thousand of those men fell. Then Judas and his army returned from pursuing them; and he said to the people, “Don’t be greedy for the spoils, because there is a battle before us. Gorgias and his army are near us on the mountain. But stand now against our enemies and fight against them, and afterwards take the spoils with boldness.” While Judas was finishing this speech, a part of them appeared looking out from the mountain. They saw that their army had been put to flight, and that the Jews were burning the camp; for the smoke that was seen declared what was done. But when they perceived these things, they were very afraid. Perceiving also the army of Judas in the plain ready for battle, they all fled into the land of the Philistines. Judas returned to plunder the camp, and they took much gold, silver, blue, sea purple, and great riches. Then they returned home, and sang a song of thanksgiving, and gave praise to heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endures forever. Israel had a great deliverance that day.

The foreigners who had escaped came and told Lysias all the things that had happened. When he heard of it, he was confounded and discouraged, because the things he desired had not been done to Israel, nor had such things happened as the king commanded him.

In the next year, he gathered together sixty thousand chosen infantry and five thousand cavalry, that he might subdue them. They came into Idumaea and encamped at Bethsura. Judas met them with ten thousand men. He saw that the army was strong, and he prayed and said, “Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who defeated the attack of the mighty warrior by the hand of your servant David, and delivered the army of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and of his armor bearer. Hem in this army in the hand of your people Israel, and let them be ashamed for their army and their cavalry. Give them faintness of heart. Cause the boldness of their strength to melt away, and let them quake at their destruction. Strike them down with the sword of those who love you, and let all who know your name praise you with thanksgiving.”

They joined in battle; and about five thousand men of Lysias’ army fell. They fell down near them. But when Lysias saw that his troops were put to flight, and the boldness that had come upon those who were with Judas, and how they were ready either to live or to die nobly, he withdrew to Antioch, and gathered together hired soldiers, that he might come again into Judea with an even greater army.

But Judas and his kindred said, “Behold, our enemies are defeated. Let’s go up to cleanse the holy place and to rededicate it.” All the army was gathered together, and they went up to mount Zion. They saw the sanctuary laid desolate, the altar profaned, the gates burned up, shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest or as on one of the mountains, and the priests’ chambers pulled down; and they tore their clothes, made great lamentation, put ashes upon their heads, fell on their faces to the ground, blew with the solemn trumpets, and cried toward heaven. Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those who were in the citadel until he had cleansed the holy place.

He chose blameless priests who were devoted to the law; and they cleansed the holy place and carried the defiled stones out to an unclean place. They deliberated what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which had been profaned. A good plan came into their mind, that they should pull it down, lest it would be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it. So they pulled down the altar and laid up the stones on the temple hill in a convenient place, until a prophet would come to give an answer concerning them. They took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar like the former. They built the holy place and the inner parts of the house; and they consecrated the courts. They made new holy vessels, and they brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. They burned incense on the altar, and they lit the lamps that were upon the lampstand, and they gave light in the temple. They set loaves upon the table, hung up the curtains, and finished all the work which they had done.

They rose up early in the morning, on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month Chislev, in the one hundred forty eighth year, and offered sacrifice according to the law on the new altar of burnt offerings which they had made. At the time and day the Gentiles had profaned it, even then it was dedicated with songs, harps, lutes, and with cymbals. All the people fell on their faces, worshiped, and gave praise toward heaven, which had given them good success. They celebrated the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. They decorated the front of the temple with crowns of gold and small shields. They dedicated the gates and the priests’ chambers, and made doors for them. There was exceedingly great gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.

Judas and his kindred and the whole congregation of Israel ordained that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their seasons from year to year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev, with gladness and joy.

At that time, they fortified mount Zion with high walls and strong towers around it, lest perhaps the Gentiles might come and trample them down, as they had done before. Judas stationed a garrison to guard it. They fortified Bethsura to keep it, that the people might have a stronghold near Idumaea.