Part 2

Seron, the Syrian lieutenant, aroused by the news of Appolonius’s defeat, gathered a still larger army than that which had been defeated, and advanced against Judas. According to their usual custom before fighting, Judas and his men had fasted; and, weak with hunger and fatigue, the Jews despaired of success when they saw what a mighty host was coming to meet them. But Judas encouraged them to fight boldly against the oppressors of their people, saying that strength came from heaven and not from large numbers, and reminding them that they fought for their lives and their laws. When he had finished speaking he rushed upon the Syrians as they were ascending the rocky hills at Bethoron. Seron fell early in the battle, and his army, confused and without a commander, was routed with great loss of life.

THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT PLACED IN CHARGE OF LYSIAS.

When King Antiochus heard of the victories of Judas, he was greatly angered and raised a large army to crush him. But along with the news of the uprising of the Jews came the report that his eastern provinces, Armenia and Persia, had refused to pay their tribute. Finding his treasury almost empty, the King was forced to leave Antioch to collect the tribute from these provinces by force. He gave Lysias, one of the royal blood, one-half of all the Syrian forces; and placed him in charge of his kingdom, with orders to destroy the Jewish nation, and people their land with strangers.

JUDAS’S VICTORY OVER NICANOR AND GORGIAS.

In obedience to the King’s command, Lysias sent out, on the following year, forty thousand footmen and five thousand horse, under Nicanor and Gorgias. These generals set out for Judea, and encamped on the plains of Emmaus. So confident were the Syrians of victory, that Nicanor, one of their generals, announced before hand a sale of Jewish captives at ninety for a talent—about $1000. Many Slave-Merchants were in this way attracted to the camp, each supplied with large amounts of gold and silver and chains to lead off their slaves.

Judas, in the meantime, having heard that the Syrian armies had come to fight against him, assembled his six thousand men at Mizpah near Emmaus, where they fasted and prayed as in the days of Samuel. They opened the books of the Law, upon which the heathens had painted images of their gods; and they were reminded of the desolation of their holy city, the profaning of the Temple, and all the wicked deeds of Antiochus. Then Judas, in strict accordance with the Law, ordered all those who had recently married, built a house, planted a vineyard, or were afraid, to return to their homes. His army, as a result, was reduced from six thousand to three thousand men. Judas then encouraged the remaining men to fight bravely for their people, and ordered them to prepare for battle.

In the meantime, Gorgias with five thousand footmen and one thousand horse, had set out to surprise the Jewish army by night. But Judas was soon informed of this movement, and he immediately devised a plan by which he could take advantage of the separation of the two generals. Silently and quickly he gathered his men, and set out with them for Emmaus, where the remainder of the Syrian army under Nicanor lay encamped.

It was morning before he arrived; and, encouraging his men not to fear the large number of the enemy by reminding them how the Jews were saved from the Egyptians in the Red Sea, he rushed down upon the Syrians. The Syrian general, thinking that Gorgias would easily crush the small army of the Jews, had taken no steps to guard against a surprise. The Syrians, panic-stricken and confused, offered but feeble resistance, and fled from all sides. Several tents had been set on fire in the confusion, but Judas wisely forbade the Jews to extinguish the flames or to plunder the camps, for Gorgias had to be met and defeated.

Gorgias and his army, meanwhile, finding the camps of the Jews deserted, thought that they had fled to the mountains, and went to look for them. But what was their surprise when they beheld the smoke rising from the tents of their comrades! Thus deceived, the Syrians lost all their courage; and, upon seeing Judas marching toward them, they too turned their backs and fled.

It was a great victory for the Maccabaean soldiers, and they returned joyfully to the Syrian camps, where they examined their rich plunder, consisting not only of large quantities of food and clothing, but also of the large sums of money which the slave dealers had brought along with them. As a just punishment for the slave dealers who had come to buy, the Jews sold as many of them as they could find, as slaves. The next day was the Sabbath, and it was indeed a day of rest and rejoicing for the brave Jews.

THE RETREAT OF LYSIAS.

Nicanor, who had escaped from Judea disguised as a slave, now returned to Antioch, where he informed Lysias of his defeat. At this news, Lysias was aroused; and raised a still larger army than any that had been sent before against Judea, this time consisting of sixty thousand footmen and five thousand horse. At the head of this vast multitude, Lysias himself marched against the Jews. Judas with only ten thousand men met the Syrian army at Beth-Tsur, where the battle took place. Although Lysias lost but five thousand men, he was discouraged from continuing battle, for he saw that the Jews were determined to conquer or die. He therefore made his retreat from Judea and returned to Antioch.

THE PURIFICATION OF THE TEMPLE.

Now that Lysias, the strongest of the King’s generals, had been driven from Judea, the victorious Jews could turn their attention to the holy city, which had been defiled by the Syrians. Judas and his men now entered Jerusalem. They found the city in ruins, the altar profaned, the gates of the city burned up, and shrubs growing in the inner courts of the Temple. At the sight of this desolation, the Jews rent their clothes, put ashes on their heads, and cried towards heaven. But Judas did not allow his men to spend too much time in useless lamentation, and set out at once to cleanse the Temple. He then chose priests to enter the Temple to repair and purify it. The altar which had been defiled by the heathens, they set up anew. The holy vessels, which had been profaned by the Syrians, they replaced with new ones. So zealously was the work of the restoration carried on, that on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, the public worship could again be performed. With songs and thanksgiving, the Jews dedicated the Temple anew on that happy day.

The Talmud relates that when the purification of the Temple had been completed, no consecrated oil could be found with which to light the golden candlestick. After a careful search, however, a small bottle of oil, with the seal of a former High Priest still on it, was found. But it contained only a small quantity of oil, hardly sufficient to last for one day. But lo! a miracle happened. When the oil was lit, not only did it last for one day but for eight days! This was interpreted as a sure sign that God was looking upon the work of his people with favor, and served to increase their happiness.

What a change the condition of the Jews had undergone! Only three years before the Temple had been dedicated to Jupiter Olympus, and the flesh of swine sacrificed on the altar of incense. And now, the most powerful of the Syrian generals had been driven out from Judea. The bravest of them feared the terrible Maccabee, whose fame as a warrior was now spread far and wide. Public worship had been restored, not to be discontinued again until the capture of Jerusalem by the Romans, several hundred years later. Although the war continued for many years longer, yet with the dedication of the Temple and the public observance of the Jewish Laws, the actual rule of the Syrians may be said to have come to an end. Judea was now practically independent.

THE FESTIVAL OF CHANUKA.

The restoration of the public worship in the Temple was an event well worth remembering; and, for this reason, Judas and the Great Council decided that the eight days beginning with the 25th of Kislev should be celebrated henceforth, annually, as a festival of rejoicing and thanksgiving to commemorate the victory of the small band of Jews over the mighty hosts of the Syrians. To this day, this festival which is known as חנוכּה the “Feast of Dedication”, is celebrated by the Jews each year all over the world. On the eight days candles are lit, and special prayers are offered to the Lord for that He saved his people from being wiped out as a nation forever.

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Transcriber’s Notes

● The following issues should be noted, along with the resolution:

7 was deposited by widows and orphans for Joined. safe[-]keeping.

7 deprive the righ[t]ful owners of their property, and Added.

17 was not wrong, it was only a mark of r[e]spect to Added.

18 And thus, when the Jews were on [the] verge of Added.

28 [with] new ones. So zealously was the work of the Added. restoration

29 The restoration of the pu[p/b]lic worship in the Replaced.