Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 13.djvu/438

422 ISRAEL traversed the country, demolished the altars of the false gods, circumcised the children, and persecuted the heathen and heathenishly disposed. The sect of the Asidoeans also entrusted itself to their warlike protection (1 Mace. ii. 42). Judas Mattathias soon died and left his leadership to Judas Macoa- Maccabseus, by whom the struggle was carried on in the nis " first instance after the old fashion; soon, however, it assumed larger dimensions, when regular armies were sent out against the insurgents. First Apollonius, the governor of Judaea, took the field ; but he was defeated and fell in battle. Next came Seron, governor of Ccelesyria, who also was routed, near Bethhoron (166). Upon this Lysias, the regent to whom Antiochus IV., who was busied in the far east, had entrusted the government of Syria and the charge of his son, Antiochus Philopator, a minor, sent a strong force under the command of three generals. Approaching from the west, it was their design to advance separately upon Jerusalem, but Judas anticipated their plan and com pelled them to quit the field (166). The regent now felt himself called on to interpose in person, Invading Judeea from the south, lie encountered the Jews at Bethsur, who, however, offered an opposition that was not easily overcome; lie was prevented from resorting to the last measures by the intelligence which reached him of the death of the king in Elymais (165). The withdrawal of Lysias secured the fulfilment of the desires of the defenders of the faith in so far as it now enabled them to restore the Jerusalem worship to its pre vious condition. They lost no time in setting about the accomplishment of this. They were not successful indeed in wresting Acra from the possession of the Syrians, but they so occapied the garrison as to prevent it from inter- 25th fering with the work of restoration. On 25th Kislev 165, Kislev the ver y d av on which, three years before, " the abomina- 165 n.c. t - on O j d eso i a tion" had been inaugurated, the first sacri fice was offered on the new altar, and in commemoration of this the feast of the dedication was thenceforth cele brated. As it was easy to see that danger still impended, the temple was put into a state of defence, as also was the town of Bethsur, where Lysias had been checked. But the favourable moment presented by the change of sovereign was made use of for still bolder attempts. Scattered over th.3 whole of southern Syria there were a number of Jewish localities on which the heathens now proceeded to wreak their vengeance. For the purpose of rescuing these oppressed coreligionists, and of bringing them in safety to .] udeea, the Maccabees made a series of excursions, extend-. ing in some cases as far as to Lebanon and Damascus. Ly.si is had his hands otherwise fully occupied, and perhaps did nut feel much disposed to continue the fight on behalf of the cultus of Jupiter Capitolinus. Daily gaining in boldness, the Jews now took in hand also to lay regular hiege to Acra. Then at last Lysias yielded to the pressure of Syrian and Jewish deputations and determined to take serious steps (162). Witha large force he entered Judrea, again from the south, and laid siege to Bethsur. Judas vainly attempted the relief of the fortress ; he sustained near Bethzachariah a defeat in which his brother Eleazar perished, Bethsur was unable to hold out, being short of provisions on account of the sabbatic year. The Syrians advanced next to Jerusalem, and besieged the temple ; it also was insufficiently provisioned, and would soon have been compelled to surrender had not Lysias been again called away at the critical moment by other exigencies. A certain Philip was endeavouring to oust him from the regency ; as it was necessary for him to have his hands free in dealing with this new enemy, he closed a treaty with, the temple garrison and the people at large, in accord ance with which at once the political subjection and the religious freedom of the Jews were to be maintained Thus Religio the situation as it had existed before Antiochus IV. was freedon restored. Only no attempt was made to replace Menelaus f 1 ^ 6 ^ as high priest and ethnarch ; this post was to be filled by JJ Alcimus. The concessions thus made by Lysias were inevitable ; and even King Demetrius I., son of Seleucus IV., who towards the end of 162 ascended the throne and caused both Lysias and his ward to be put to death, had no thought of interfering with their religious freedom. But the Maccabees desired something more than the status quo ante ; after having done their duty they were disinclined to retire in favour of Alcimus, whose sole claim lay in his The II? descent from the old heathenishly -disposed high-priestly monteai family. Alcimus was compelled to invoke the assistance *f^. of the king, who caused him to be installed by Bacchides. He was at once recognized by the scribes and Asidaeans, for whom, with religious liberty, everything they wished had been secured ; the claims to supremacy made by the Hasmonseans were of no consequence to them. Doubtless the masses also would ultimately have quietly accepted Alcimus, who of course refrained from interference with either law or worship, had he not abused the momentary power he derived from the presence of Bacchides to take a foolish revenge. But the consequence of his action was that, as soon as Bacchides had turned his back, Alcimus was compelled to follow him. For the purpose of restoring him a Syrian army once more invaded Judsea undei Nicanor (160), but first at Kapharsalama and afterwards at Bethhoron was defeated by Judas and almost annihilated in the subsequent flight, Nicanor himself being among the slain (13th Adar = Nicanor s day). Judas was now at the acme of his prosperity ; about this time he concluded his (profitless) treaty with the Eomans. But disaster was impending. ]n the month of Nisan, barely a month after the defeat of Nicanor, a new Syrian army under Bacchides entered Judrea from the north ; near Elasa, southward from Jerusalem, a decisive battle was fought which was lost by Judas, and in which he himself fell. The religious war properly so called had already been brought once for all to an end by the convention of Lysias. If the struggle continued to be carried on, it was not for the faith but for the supremacy,- less in the interests of War the community than in those of the Hasmonagans. After for the the death of Judas the secular character which the conflict had assumed ever since 162 continually became more con spicuous. Jonathan Apphus fought for his house, and in doing so used thoroughly worldly means. The high-priest hood, i.e., the ethnarchy, was the goal of his ambition. So long as Alcimus lived, it was far from his reach. Confined to the rocky fastnesses beside the Dead Sea, he had nothing for it but, surrounded by his faithful followers, to wait for better times. But on the death of Alcimus (159) the Syrians refrained from appointing a successor, to obviate the necessity of always having to protect him with military force. During the interregnum of seven years which followed Jonathan again came more and more to the front, so that at last Bacchides concluded an armistice with him on the basis of the status quo (I Mace. ix. 73). From his residence at Michmash Jonathan now exercised a de facto authority over the entire nation. When, accordingly, Alexander Balas, a reputed son of Antiochus IV., rose against Demetrius, both rivals exerted themselves to secure the alliance of Jonathan, who did not fail to benefit by their competition. First of all, Demetrius formally recognized him as prince of Judah; in consequence of this he removed to Jerusalem, and expelled the heathen and heathenishly disposed, who continued to maintain a footing only in Acra and Bethsur. Next, Alexander Balas conferred on him the title of "high priest of the nation and