speed along the road to Bethzacharias. His forces made themselves ready to battle and sounded their trumpets. 34 They offered the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries, that they might prepare them for the battle. 35 They distributed the animals amongst the phalanxes. They set by each elephant a thousand men armed with coats of mail and helmets of brass on their heads. Five hundred chosen cavalry were appointed for each elephant. 36 These were ready beforehand, wherever the elephant was. Wherever the elephant went, they went with it. They didn’t leave it. 37 Strong, covered wooden towers were upon them, one upon each elephant, fastened upon it with secure harnesses. Upon each were four valiant men who fought upon them, beside his Indian driver. 38 The rest of the cavalry he set on this side and that side on the two flanks of the army, striking terror into the enemy, and protected by the phalanxes. 39 Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains lit up, and blazed like flaming torches.
40 A part of the king’s army was spread upon the high hills and some on the low ground, and they went on firmly and in order. 41 All who heard the noise of their multitude, the marching of the multitude, and the rattling of the weapons trembled; for the army was exceedingly great and strong. 42 Judas and his army drew near for battle, and six hundred men of the king’s army fell. 43 Eleazar, who was called Avaran, saw one of the animals armed with royal breastplates, and it was taller than all the animals, and the king seemed to be on it. 44 He gave his life to deliver his people, and to get himself an everlasting name. 45 He ran upon him courageously into the midst of the phalanx, and killed on the right hand and on the left, and they parted away from him on this side and on that. 46 He crept under the elephant, and stabbed it from beneath, and killed it. The elephant fell to the earth upon him, and he died there. 47 They saw the strength of the kingdom and the fierce attack of the army, and turned away from them.
48 But the soldiers of the king’s army went up to Jerusalem to meet them, and the king encamped towards Judea and towards mount Zion. 49 He made peace with the people of Bethsura. He came out of the city because they had no food there to endure the siege, because it was a Sabbath to the land. 50 The king took Bethsura, and appointed a garrison there to keep it. 51 He encamped against the sanctuary many days; and set there mounds to shoot from, and engines of war, and machines for throwing fire and stones, and weapons to throw darts, and slings. 52 The Jews also made engines of war against their engines, and fought for many days. 53 But there was no food in the sanctuary, because it was the seventh year, and those who fled for safety into Judea from amongst the Gentiles had eaten up the rest of the stores. 54 There were only a few people left in the sanctuary, because the famine prevailed against them, and they were scattered, each man to his own place.
55 Lysias heard that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, while he was yet alive, appointed to raise his son Antiochus to be king, 56 had returned from Persia and Media, and with him the forces that went with the king, and that he was seeking to take control of the government. 57 He made haste, and gave orders to depart. He said to the king and the leaders of the army and to the men, “We get weaker daily, our food is scant, the place where we encamp is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom lie upon us. 58 Now therefore let’s negotiate with these men, and make peace with them and with all their nation, 59 and covenant with them, that they may walk after their own laws, as before; for because of their laws which we abolished they were angered, and did all these things.”
60 The speech pleased the king and the princes, and he sent to them to make peace; and they accepted it. 61 The king and the princes swore to them. On these conditions, they came out from the stronghold. 62 Then the king entered into mount Zion. He saw the strength of the place, and broke the oath which he had sworn, and gave orders to pull down the wall all around. 63 Then he left in haste and returned to Antioch, and found Philip master of the city. He fought against him, and took the city by force.
7
1 In the one hundred and fifty first year,† Demetrius the son of Seleucus came out of Rome, and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and reigned there. 2 It came to pass, when he would go into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army laid hands on Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him. 3 The thing became known to him, and he said, “Don’t show me their faces!” 4 So the army killed them. Then Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom.
5 All the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him. Alcimus was their leader, desiring to be high priest. 6 They accused the people to the king, saying, “Judas and his kindred have destroyed all your friends, and have scattered us from our own land. 7 Now therefore send a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the destruction which he has brought on us and the king’s country, and how he has punished them and all who helped them.” 8 So the king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s‡ friends, who was ruler in the country beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king. 9 He sent him and that ungodly Alcimus, whom he made the high priest; and he commanded him to take vengeance upon the children of Israel.
10 They marched away and came with a great army into the land of Judah. He sent messengers to Judas and his kindred with words of peace deceitfully. 11 They paid no attention to their words; for they saw that they had come with a great army. 12 A group of scribes gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides to seek just terms. 13 The§ Hasidaeans were the first amongst the children of Israel who sought peace from them, 14 for they said, “One who is a priest of the seed of Aaron has come with the army, and he will do us no wrong.” 15 He spoke with them words of peace, and swore to them, saying, “We won’t seek to harm you or your friends.” 16 They trusted him. Then he seized sixty men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which was written,
17 † The flesh of your saints
and their blood was shed all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
18 The fear and the dread of them fell upon all the people, for they said, “There is neither truth nor justice in them; for they have broken the covenant and the oath which they swore.” 19 Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem, and encamped in Bezeth. He sent and seized many of the deserters who were with him, and some of the people, and he killed them, throwing them into a large pit. 20 He placed Alcimus in charge of the country and left with him a force to aid him. Then Bacchides went away to the king.
21 Alcimus struggled to maintain his high priesthood. 22 All those who troubled their people joined him, and they took control of the land of Judah, and did great damage in Israel. 23 Judas saw all the wrongs that Alcimus and his company had done amongst the children of Israel, even more than the Gentiles. 24 He went out into all the borders of Judea and took vengeance on the men who had deserted from him, and they were restrained from going out into the country. 25 But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had grown strong, and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the king, and brought evil accusations against them.
26 ‡Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man who hated Israel and was their enemy, and commanded him to destroy the people. 27 Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army. He sent to Judas and his kindred deceitfully with words of peace, saying, 28 “Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace.” 29 He came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. The enemies were ready to seize Judas by violence. 30 This was known to Judas, that he came to him with deceit, and he was very afraid of him, and would see his face no more. 31 Nicanor found out that his plan was disclosed; and he went out to meet Judas in battle beside Capharsalama. 32 About five hundred men of Nicanor’s army fell, and the rest fled into the city of David.
33 After these things, Nicanor went up to mount Zion. Some of the priests came