Antiquities Book 12, Chapter 10
How Bacchides, The General Of Demetrius's Army, Made An Expedition Against Judea, And Returned Without Success; And How Nicanor Was Sent A Little Afterward Against Judas And Perished, Together With His Army; As Also Concerning The Death Of Alcimus And The Succession Of Judas.
1. About the same time Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, fled away from
Rome, and took Tripoli, a city of Syria, and set the diadem on his own
head. He also gathered certain mercenary soldiers together, and entered
into his kingdom, and was joyfully received by all, who delivered
themselves up to him. And when they had taken Autiochus the king, and
Lysias, they brought them to him alive; both which were immediately put
to death by the command of Demetrius, when Antiochus had reigned two
years, as we have already elsewhere related. But there were now many of
the wicked Jewish runagates that came together to him, and with them
Alcimus the high priest, who accused the whole nation, and particularly
Judas and his brethren; and said that they had slain all his friends,
and that those in his kingdom that were of his party, and waited for his
return, were by them put to death; that these men had ejected them out
of their own country, and caused them to be sojourners in a foreign
land; and they desired that he would send some one of his own friends,
and know from him what mischief Judas's party had done.
2. At this Demetrius was very angry, and sent Bacchides, a friend of
Antiochus Epiphanes, 25 a good man, and one that had been intrusted with
all Mesopotamia, and gave him an army, and committed Alcimus the high
priest to his care; and gave him charge to slay Judas, and those that
were with him. So Bacchides made haste, and went out of Antioch with his
army; and when he was come into Judea, he sent to Judas and his
brethren, to discourse with them about a league of friendship and peace,
for he had a mind to take him by treachery. But Judas did not give
credit to him, for he saw that he came with so great an army as men do
not bring when they come to make peace, but to make war. However, some
of the people acquiesced in what Bacchides caused to be proclaimed; and
supposing they should undergo no considerable harm from Alcimus, who was
their countryman, they went over to them; and when they had received
oaths from both of them, that neither they themselves, nor those of the
same sentiments, should come to any harm, they intrusted themselves with
them. But Bacchides troubled not himself about the oaths he had taken,
but slew threescore of them, although, by not keeping his faith with
those that first went over, he deterred all the rest, who had intentions
to go over to him, from doing it. But as he was gone out of Jerusalem,
and was at the village called Bethzetho, he sent out, and caught many of
the deserters, and some of the people also, and slew them all; and
enjoined all that lived in the country to submit to Alcimus. So he left
him there, with some part of the army, that he might have wherewith to
keep the country in obedience and returned to Antioch to king Demetrius.
3. But Alcimus was desirous to have the dominion more firmly assured to
him; and understanding that, if he could bring it about that the
multitude should be his friends, he should govern with greater security,
he spake kind words to them all, and discoursed to each of them after an
agreeable and pleasant manner; by which means he quickly had a great
body of men and an army about him, although the greater part of them
were of the wicked, and the deserters. With these, whom he used as his
servants and soldiers, he went all over the country, and slew all that
he could find of Judas's party. But when Judas saw that Alcimus was
already become great, and had destroyed many of the good and holy men of
the country, he also went all over the country, and destroyed those that
were of the other party. But when Alcimus saw that he was not able to
oppose Judas, nor was equal to him in strength, he resolved to apply
himself to king Demetrius for his assistance; so he came to Antioch, and
irritated him against Judas, and accused him, alleging that he had
undergone a great many miseries by his means, and that he would do more
mischief unless he were prevented, and brought to punishment, which must
be done by sending a powerful force against him.
4. So Demetrius, being already of opinion that it would be a thing
pernicious to his own affairs to overlook Judas, now he was becoming so
great, sent against him Nicanor, the most kind and most faithful of all
his friends; for he it was who fled away with him from the city of Rome.
He also gave him as many forces as he thought sufficient for him to
conquer Judas withal, and bid him not to spare the nation at all. When
Nicanor was come to Jerusalem, he did not resolve to fight Judas
immediately, but judged it better to get him into his power by
treachery; so he sent him a message of peace, and said there was no
manner of necessity for them to fight and hazard themselves; and that he
would give him his oath that he would do him no harm, for that he only
came with some friends, in order to let him know what king Demetrius's
intentions were, and what opinion he had of their nation. When Nicanor
had delivered this message, Judas and his brethren complied with him,
and suspecting no deceit, they gave him assurances of friendship, and
received Nicanor and his army; but while he was saluting Judas, and they
were talking together, he gave a certain signal to his own soldiers,
upon which they were to seize upon Judas; but he perceived the
treachery, and ran back to his own soldiers, and fled away with them. So
upon this discovery of his purpose, and of the snares laid for Judas,
Nicanor determined to make open war with him, and gathered his army
together, and prepared for fighting him; and upon joining battle with
him at a certain village called Capharsalama, he beat Judas, 26 and
forced him to fly to that citadel which was at Jerusalem.
5. And when Nicanor came down from the citadel unto the temple, some of
the priests and elders met him, and saluted him; and showed him the
sacrifices which they offered to God for the king: upon which he
blasphemed, and threatened them, that unless the people would deliver up
Judas to him, upon his return he would pull down their temple. And when
he had thus threatened them, he departed from Jerusalem. But the priests
fell into tears out of grief at what he had said, and besought God to
deliver them from their enemies But now for Nicanor, when he was gone
out of Jerusalem, and was at a certain village called Bethoron, he there
pitched his camp, another army out of Syria having joined him. And Judas
pitched his camp at Adasa, another village, which was thirty furlongs
distant from Bethoron, having no more than one thousand soldiers. And
when he had encouraged them not to be dismayed at the multitude of their
enemies, nor to regard how many they were against whom they were going
to fight, but to consider who they themselves were, and for what great
rewards they hazarded themselves, and to attack the enemy courageously,
he led them out to fight, and joining battle with Nicanor, which proved
to be a severe one, he overcame the enemy, and slew many of them; and at
last Nicanor himself, as he was fighting gloriously, fell:—upon whose
fall the army did not stay; but when they had lost their general, they
were put to flight, and threw down their arms. Judas also pursued them
and slew them, and gave notice by the sound of the trumpets to the
neighboring villages that he had conquered the enemy; which, when the
inhabitants heard, they put on their armor hastily, and met their
enemies in the face as they were running away, and slew them, insomuch
that not one of them escaped out of this battle, who were in number nine
thousand This victory happened to fall on the thirteenth day of that
month which by the Jews is called Adar and by the Macedonians Dystrus;
and the Jews thereon celebrate this victory every year, and esteem it as
a festival day. After which the Jewish nation were, for a while, free
from wars, and enjoyed peace; but afterward they returned into their
former state of wars and hazards.
6. But now as the high priest Alcimus, was resolving to pull down the
wall of the sanctuary, which had been there of old time, and had been
built by the holy prophets, he was smitten suddenly by God, and fell
down. 27 This stroke made him fall down speechless upon the ground; and
undergoing torments for many days, he at length died, when he had been
high priest four years. And when he was dead, the people bestowed the
high priesthood on Judas; who hearing of the power of the Romans, and
that they had conquered in war Galatia, and Iberia, and Carthage, and
Libya; and that, besides these, they had subdued Greece, and their
kings, Perseus, and Philip, and Antiochus the Great also; he resolved to
enter into a league of friendship with them. He therefore sent to Rome
some of his friends, Eupolemus the son of John, and Jason the son of
Eleazar, and by them desired the Romans that they would assist them, and
be their friends, and would write to Demetrius that he would not fight
against the Jews. So the senate received the ambassadors that came from
Judas to Rome, and discoursed with them about the errand on which they
came, and then granted them a league of assistance. They also made a
decree concerning it, and sent a copy of it into Judea. It was also laid
up in the capitol, and engraven in brass. The decree itself was this:
"The decree of the senate concerning a league of assistance and
friendship with the nation of the Jews. It shall not be lawful for any
that are subject to the Romans to make war with the nation of the Jews,
nor to assist those that do so, either by sending them corn, or ships,
or money; and if any attack be made upon the Jews, the Romans shall
assist them, as far as they are able; and again, if any attack be made
upon the Romans, the Jews shall assist them. And if the Jews have a mind
to add to, or to take away any thing from, this league of assistance,
that shall be done with the common consent of the Romans. And whatsoever
addition shall thus be made, it shall be of force." This decree was
written by Eupolemus the son of John, and by Jason the son of Eleazar,
28 when Judas was high priest of the nation, and Simon his brother was
general of the army. And this was the first league that the Romans made
with the Jews, and was managed after this manner.
Rome, and took Tripoli, a city of Syria, and set the diadem on his own
head. He also gathered certain mercenary soldiers together, and entered
into his kingdom, and was joyfully received by all, who delivered
themselves up to him. And when they had taken Autiochus the king, and
Lysias, they brought them to him alive; both which were immediately put
to death by the command of Demetrius, when Antiochus had reigned two
years, as we have already elsewhere related. But there were now many of
the wicked Jewish runagates that came together to him, and with them
Alcimus the high priest, who accused the whole nation, and particularly
Judas and his brethren; and said that they had slain all his friends,
and that those in his kingdom that were of his party, and waited for his
return, were by them put to death; that these men had ejected them out
of their own country, and caused them to be sojourners in a foreign
land; and they desired that he would send some one of his own friends,
and know from him what mischief Judas's party had done.
2. At this Demetrius was very angry, and sent Bacchides, a friend of
Antiochus Epiphanes, 25 a good man, and one that had been intrusted with
all Mesopotamia, and gave him an army, and committed Alcimus the high
priest to his care; and gave him charge to slay Judas, and those that
were with him. So Bacchides made haste, and went out of Antioch with his
army; and when he was come into Judea, he sent to Judas and his
brethren, to discourse with them about a league of friendship and peace,
for he had a mind to take him by treachery. But Judas did not give
credit to him, for he saw that he came with so great an army as men do
not bring when they come to make peace, but to make war. However, some
of the people acquiesced in what Bacchides caused to be proclaimed; and
supposing they should undergo no considerable harm from Alcimus, who was
their countryman, they went over to them; and when they had received
oaths from both of them, that neither they themselves, nor those of the
same sentiments, should come to any harm, they intrusted themselves with
them. But Bacchides troubled not himself about the oaths he had taken,
but slew threescore of them, although, by not keeping his faith with
those that first went over, he deterred all the rest, who had intentions
to go over to him, from doing it. But as he was gone out of Jerusalem,
and was at the village called Bethzetho, he sent out, and caught many of
the deserters, and some of the people also, and slew them all; and
enjoined all that lived in the country to submit to Alcimus. So he left
him there, with some part of the army, that he might have wherewith to
keep the country in obedience and returned to Antioch to king Demetrius.
3. But Alcimus was desirous to have the dominion more firmly assured to
him; and understanding that, if he could bring it about that the
multitude should be his friends, he should govern with greater security,
he spake kind words to them all, and discoursed to each of them after an
agreeable and pleasant manner; by which means he quickly had a great
body of men and an army about him, although the greater part of them
were of the wicked, and the deserters. With these, whom he used as his
servants and soldiers, he went all over the country, and slew all that
he could find of Judas's party. But when Judas saw that Alcimus was
already become great, and had destroyed many of the good and holy men of
the country, he also went all over the country, and destroyed those that
were of the other party. But when Alcimus saw that he was not able to
oppose Judas, nor was equal to him in strength, he resolved to apply
himself to king Demetrius for his assistance; so he came to Antioch, and
irritated him against Judas, and accused him, alleging that he had
undergone a great many miseries by his means, and that he would do more
mischief unless he were prevented, and brought to punishment, which must
be done by sending a powerful force against him.
4. So Demetrius, being already of opinion that it would be a thing
pernicious to his own affairs to overlook Judas, now he was becoming so
great, sent against him Nicanor, the most kind and most faithful of all
his friends; for he it was who fled away with him from the city of Rome.
He also gave him as many forces as he thought sufficient for him to
conquer Judas withal, and bid him not to spare the nation at all. When
Nicanor was come to Jerusalem, he did not resolve to fight Judas
immediately, but judged it better to get him into his power by
treachery; so he sent him a message of peace, and said there was no
manner of necessity for them to fight and hazard themselves; and that he
would give him his oath that he would do him no harm, for that he only
came with some friends, in order to let him know what king Demetrius's
intentions were, and what opinion he had of their nation. When Nicanor
had delivered this message, Judas and his brethren complied with him,
and suspecting no deceit, they gave him assurances of friendship, and
received Nicanor and his army; but while he was saluting Judas, and they
were talking together, he gave a certain signal to his own soldiers,
upon which they were to seize upon Judas; but he perceived the
treachery, and ran back to his own soldiers, and fled away with them. So
upon this discovery of his purpose, and of the snares laid for Judas,
Nicanor determined to make open war with him, and gathered his army
together, and prepared for fighting him; and upon joining battle with
him at a certain village called Capharsalama, he beat Judas, 26 and
forced him to fly to that citadel which was at Jerusalem.
5. And when Nicanor came down from the citadel unto the temple, some of
the priests and elders met him, and saluted him; and showed him the
sacrifices which they offered to God for the king: upon which he
blasphemed, and threatened them, that unless the people would deliver up
Judas to him, upon his return he would pull down their temple. And when
he had thus threatened them, he departed from Jerusalem. But the priests
fell into tears out of grief at what he had said, and besought God to
deliver them from their enemies But now for Nicanor, when he was gone
out of Jerusalem, and was at a certain village called Bethoron, he there
pitched his camp, another army out of Syria having joined him. And Judas
pitched his camp at Adasa, another village, which was thirty furlongs
distant from Bethoron, having no more than one thousand soldiers. And
when he had encouraged them not to be dismayed at the multitude of their
enemies, nor to regard how many they were against whom they were going
to fight, but to consider who they themselves were, and for what great
rewards they hazarded themselves, and to attack the enemy courageously,
he led them out to fight, and joining battle with Nicanor, which proved
to be a severe one, he overcame the enemy, and slew many of them; and at
last Nicanor himself, as he was fighting gloriously, fell:—upon whose
fall the army did not stay; but when they had lost their general, they
were put to flight, and threw down their arms. Judas also pursued them
and slew them, and gave notice by the sound of the trumpets to the
neighboring villages that he had conquered the enemy; which, when the
inhabitants heard, they put on their armor hastily, and met their
enemies in the face as they were running away, and slew them, insomuch
that not one of them escaped out of this battle, who were in number nine
thousand This victory happened to fall on the thirteenth day of that
month which by the Jews is called Adar and by the Macedonians Dystrus;
and the Jews thereon celebrate this victory every year, and esteem it as
a festival day. After which the Jewish nation were, for a while, free
from wars, and enjoyed peace; but afterward they returned into their
former state of wars and hazards.
6. But now as the high priest Alcimus, was resolving to pull down the
wall of the sanctuary, which had been there of old time, and had been
built by the holy prophets, he was smitten suddenly by God, and fell
down. 27 This stroke made him fall down speechless upon the ground; and
undergoing torments for many days, he at length died, when he had been
high priest four years. And when he was dead, the people bestowed the
high priesthood on Judas; who hearing of the power of the Romans, and
that they had conquered in war Galatia, and Iberia, and Carthage, and
Libya; and that, besides these, they had subdued Greece, and their
kings, Perseus, and Philip, and Antiochus the Great also; he resolved to
enter into a league of friendship with them. He therefore sent to Rome
some of his friends, Eupolemus the son of John, and Jason the son of
Eleazar, and by them desired the Romans that they would assist them, and
be their friends, and would write to Demetrius that he would not fight
against the Jews. So the senate received the ambassadors that came from
Judas to Rome, and discoursed with them about the errand on which they
came, and then granted them a league of assistance. They also made a
decree concerning it, and sent a copy of it into Judea. It was also laid
up in the capitol, and engraven in brass. The decree itself was this:
"The decree of the senate concerning a league of assistance and
friendship with the nation of the Jews. It shall not be lawful for any
that are subject to the Romans to make war with the nation of the Jews,
nor to assist those that do so, either by sending them corn, or ships,
or money; and if any attack be made upon the Jews, the Romans shall
assist them, as far as they are able; and again, if any attack be made
upon the Romans, the Jews shall assist them. And if the Jews have a mind
to add to, or to take away any thing from, this league of assistance,
that shall be done with the common consent of the Romans. And whatsoever
addition shall thus be made, it shall be of force." This decree was
written by Eupolemus the son of John, and by Jason the son of Eleazar,
28 when Judas was high priest of the nation, and Simon his brother was
general of the army. And this was the first league that the Romans made
with the Jews, and was managed after this manner.