FIRST MACCABEES

CHAPTER 5

When the nations round about heard that the altar had been rebuilt and the sanctuary restored as before, they were enraged. So they decided to destroy the descendants of Ya'akov who were among them, and they began to kill and eradicate the people.Then Yehudah attacked the Edomy at Akrabattene in Idumea, because they were blockading Yisrael; he dealt them a heavy blow, humbled and despoiled them. He also remembered the malice of the Baeany,who had become a snare and a stumbling block to the people by ambushing them along the roads. He forced them to take refuge in towers, which he besieged; he put them under the ban and burned down their towers along with all who were in them. Then he crossed over to the Ammony, where he found a strong army and a large body of people with Timotiyos as their leader. He fought many battles with them, routed them, and struck them down. After seizing Yazer and its villages, he returned to Yehudah.

The gentiles in Gilead assembled to destroy the Yisraeli who were in their territory; these then fled to the stronghold of Dathema. They sent a letter to Yehudah and his brothers saying: “The gentiles around us have assembled against us to destroy us, and they are preparing to come and seize this stronghold to which we have fled. Timotiyos is the leader of their army. Come at once to rescue us from them, for many of us have fallen. All our kindred who were in the territory of the Tobiads have been killed; the gentiles have captured their wives, their children and their belongings, and they have slain there about a thousand men.”

While they were reading this letter, suddenly other messengers, with garments torn, arrived from The Galil to deliver a similar message: that “the inhabitants of Ptolemais, Tyre, and Tzidon, and the whole of gentile The Galil have joined forces to destroy us.” When Yehudah and the people heard this, a great assembly convened to consider what they should do for their kindred who were in distress and being attacked by enemies.

Yehudah said to his brother Shimon: “Choose men for yourself, and go, rescue your kindred in The Galil; my brother Yonathan and I will go to Gilead.”

He left Yoseph, son of Zekaryah, and Azaryah, leader of the people, with the rest of the army in Yehudah to guard it. He commanded them, “Take charge of these people, but do not join battle against the gentiles until we return.” Three thousand men were allotted to Shimon to go into The Galil, and eight thousand men to Yehudah, for Gilead.

Shimon went into The Galil and fought many battles with the gentiles. They were crushed before him, and he pursued them to the very gate of Ptolemais. About three thousand of the gentiles fell, and he gathered their spoils. He took with him the Yehudym who were in The Galil and in Arbatta, with their wives and children and all that they had, and brought them to Yehudah with great rejoicing.

Yehudah Maccabeus and his brother Yonathan crossed the Yarden and marched for three days through the wilderness. There they met some Nabateans,who received them peaceably and told them all that had happened to their kindred in Gilead: “Many of them are shut up in Botzrah, in Bosor near Alema, in Chaspho, Maked, and Carnaim”—all of these are large, fortified cities - “and some are shut up in other cities of Gilead. Tomorrow their enemies plan to attack the strongholds and to seize and destroy all these people in one day.”

Thereupon Yehudah suddenly changed direction with his army, marched across the wilderness to Botzrah, and captured the city. He put every male to the sword, took all their spoils, and set fire to the city. He led his army from that place by night, and they marched toward the stronghold. When morning came, they looked ahead and saw a countless multitude, with ladders and machines for capturing the stronghold, beginning to attack. When Yehudah perceived that the struggle had begun and that the noise of the battle was resounding to heaven with trumpet blasts and loud shouting, he said to the men of his army, “Fight for our kindred today.” He came up behind them with three columns blowing their trumpets and crying out in prayer. When the army of Timotiyos realized that it was Maccabeus, they fled before him, and he inflicted on them a great defeat. About eight thousand of their men fell that day.

Then he turned toward Alema and attacked and captured it; he killed every male, took spoils, and burned it down. From there he moved on and took Chaspho, Maked, Bosor, and the other cities of Gilead.

After these events Timotiyos assembled another army and camped opposite Raphon, on the other side of the wadi. Yehudah sent men to spy on the camp, and they reported to him: “All the gentiles around us have rallied to him, making a very large force; they have also hired Arabians to help them, and have camped beyond the wadi, ready to attack you.” So Yehudah went forward to meet them.

As Yehudah and his army were approaching the flowing wadi, Timotiyos said to the officers of his army: “If he crosses over to us first, we shall not be able to resist him; he will certainly defeat us. But if he is hesitant and camps on the other side of the river, we will cross over to him and defeat him.” But when Yehudah reached the flowing wadi, he stationed the officers of the people beside it and gave them this order: “Do not allow anyone to encamp; all must go into battle.” He was the first to cross to the attack, with all the people behind him, and all the gentiles were crushed before them. They threw away their arms and fled to the temple enclosure at Carnaim. But Yehudah's troops captured the city and burnt the temple enclosure with all who were in it. So Carnaim was subdued, and Yehudah met with no more resistance.

Then Yehudah assembled all the Yisraeli, great and small, who were in Gilead, with their wives and children and their belongings, a very large company, to go into the land of Yehudah. When they reached Ephron, a large and strongly fortified city along the way, they found it impossible to go around it on either the right or the left; they would have to march right through it. But the people in the city shut them out and blocked up the gates with stones. Then Yehudah sent them this peaceful message: “Let us cross your territory in order to reach our own; no one will harm you; we will only march through.” But they would not open to him. So Yehudah ordered a proclamation to be made in the camp that everyone should take up positions where they were. When the men of the army took up their positions, he assaulted the city all that day and night, and it was delivered into his hand. He put every male to the sword, leveled the city, took spoils and passed through it over the slain.

Then they crossed the Yarden to the great plain in front of Beth-shan; and Yehudah kept gathering the stragglers and encouraging the people the whole way, until he reached the land of Yehudah. They ascended Mount Tzion in joy and gladness and sacrificed burnt offerings, because not one of them had fallen; they had returned in safety.

In those days when Yehudah and Yonathan were in the land of Gilead, and Shimon his brother was in The Galil opposite Ptolemais, Yoseph, son of Zekaryah, and Azaryah, the leaders of the army, heard about the brave deeds and the fighting that they were doing. They said, “Let us also make a name for ourselves by going out and fighting against the gentiles around us.” They gave orders to those of their army who were with them, and marched against Yamnia. But Gorgias and his men came out of the city to meet them in battle. Yoseph and Azaryah were routed and were pursued to the frontiers of Yehudah, and about two thousand Yisraeli fell that day. It was a great setback for the people, because they had not obeyed Yehudah and his brothers, thinking that they would do brave deeds. But they were not of the family through whom Yisrael’s deliverance was given.

The valiant Yehudah and his brothers were greatly honored in all Yisrael and among all the gentiles, wherever their name was heard; and people gathered about them and praised them.

Then Yehudah and his brothers went out and attacked the Edomy in the land toward the south; he took Chevron and its villages, and he destroyed its strongholds and burned the towers around it. He then set out for the land of the foreigners and passed through Marisa. On that day some kohanym fell in battle who had gone out rashly to fight in their desire to do brave deeds. Yehudah then turned toward Azotus in the land of the foreigners. He destroyed their altars and burned the carved images of their elohym; and after plundering their cities he returned to the land of Yehudah.