Judas Массаbaeus. these surnames, whether given in their lifetimes or afterwards from their exploits, the only one which has survived to later times and covered the whole clan with glory is that of the third brother, Judas, who, like Charles the Martel' of the Moors, and Edward the Malleus Scotorum,' received the name of the 'Hammer,' Maccab1-possibly connected with the name of the ancestor of the family Asmon-possibly also commemorated in the original Hebrew name of the book which described his fame-The Avenging Rod of the Prince of the Sons of God."2 He it was whom Mattathias in his last moments recommended as the military leader-as mighty and strong from 'his youth up. Let him be your captain, and fight the battle ' of the people.' At once he took the vacant place. At once he became the Jewish ideal of the Happy Warrior.' There was a cheerfulness' diffused through the whole army when he appeared. His countrymen delighted to remember the stately appearance, as of an ancient giant, when he fastened on his breast-plate, or tightened his military sash around him, or waved his protecting sword-a sword itself renowned, as we shall see, both in history and legend-over the camp of his faithful followers. They listened with delight for the loud cheer, the roar as of a young lion-the race not yet extinct in the Jordan valley 3-with which he scented out the Israelite renegades, chasing them into their recesses, and John. On their wedding-day, the This derivation of Maccabi is other is that of Dr. Curtiss (Leipsic) to the effect that the original spelling of the word is Machabee, as in Jerome (Prolog. Galeat. p. xxviii.), and that, if so, it is derived from chahah, 'to extinguish,' and that it was applied to Judas as the extinguisher' of the Pagan worship. This seems the most probable explanation (Ewald, v. 463) of Sarbath sar Bene El, as given by Origen in Eus. E.H. vi. 25. 1 Macc. iii. 4. B.C. 166. Battle of Beth smoking or burning them out. They exulted in his victory over the three, the many,' kings. But the lasting honour which they pathetically regarded as the climax of all was that with a true chivalry 'he received such as were ready to perish.'' Three decisive victories in the first two years of the campaign secured his fame and his success. The first was against the Syrian general Apollonius, apparently near Samaria. The trophy which Judas retained of the battle was the sword of the distinguished general, which he carried, as David did that of the Philistine giant, to the end of his life.2 And the second was in the mountains near his native place, and on the spot already ennobled by the overthrow of the Canaanite kings by Joshua, in the Pass of Beth-horon. Battle of The third and most decisive struggle brings before us in a horon. lively form the various elements of the war. The King was absent on an expedition into Persia, but no less than three generals, Ptolemy, Nicanor, and Gorgias, are mentioned by name under Lysias, the Governor of the whole Syrian province, and the young Antiochus, the heir of the throne. Their head-quarters were at Emmaus, 'the hot baths' in the Philis- The tine plain; and the interest of the merchants in the seaport Emmaus. towns of Philistia was engaged by the hope of the sale of the Israelite insurgents for slaves. In this crisis Judas led his scanty host over the mountains to the ridge of Mizpeh, the spot where Alexander had met Jaddua, where, after the Chaldæan capture of Jerusalem, the pilgrims had come to wail over the holy city. It was a mournful scene. They could see from that high, rocky platform the deserted streets, the walls and gates closed as if of a besieged town, the silent 3 precincts of the Temple, the Greek garrison in the fortress. Before that distant presence of the holy place, to which they could gain no nearer access, the mourners came wrapt in tatters of black Battle of hair-cloth, with ashes on their heads. They spread out the copies of the Law, on which the Greeks had painted in mockery the pictures of heathen deities. They waved the sacerdotal vestments, for which there was now no use. They showed the animals and the vegetables due for firstfruits and tithes. They passed in long procession the Nazarites1 with their flowing tresses, who were unable to dedicate themselves in the sanctuary. And at the close of this sorrowful ceremony there was a blast of trumpets, and the army was sifted of its timid or pre-engaged members. To the gallant remainder Judas addressed his stirring harangue. He reminded them of their ancient and their recent deliverances amongst those same hills and vales-in ancient days of the overthrow of Sennacherib-in recent days of the battle in which the comparative prowess of the Israelite and the Macedonian troops was tested by an encounter with the Celtic invaders of Asia, in which the Jews turned the fortunes of the day when the Greeks fled. The army was placed in four parts under himself and his three brothers Simon, John, and Jonathan, whilst the fifth, Eleazar, was commissioned to recite the 'Holy Book' and to proclaim his own name as the watchword-Eleazar, the help of God.' 6 After these preparations, Judas descended from the hills by night, and, leaving his empty camp as a prey to Gorgias, the commander of the garrison at Jerusalem, suddenly attacked the forces of Nicanor at Emmaus. Once more was heard the well-known trumpet-blast of the Israelite host, and a complete rout followed. Nothing could stand the enthusiastic ardour of the insurgents, slightly armed as they were. It was a Friday afternoon, and Judas gave the command to halt from pursuing the flying enemy. From the ridge of the mountain which overlooked the plain, the Grecian army 3 saw the columns of smoke rising from the plains, which 11 Macc. iii. 46-49. 2 Macc. viii. 23. 1 Macc. iv. 20. 3 announced that their countrymen's camp had been stormed, The Sabbath, on whose eve the battle closed, had now set in; and as the gorgeous spoils of gold, and silver, and blue silk, and Tyrian purple were spread out, they sang the hundred and thirty-sixth Psalm--the national anthem, it may be called, of the Jewish1 race, which enumerates the examples of the neverending goodness of God. It would hardly have been in keeping with the national character if this day had passed without some terrible vengeance. One of the subordinate officers 2 was caught and slain. Callisthenes, who had set fire3 to the gateways of the Temple, they forced into a village hut and there burned him alive. BC. 165 Battle of Beth-zur. cation. Yet another victory was needed to secure their entrance into Jerusalem, It was won in the course of the next year over Lysias himself, in the immediate vicinity of the capital, at Beth-zur- the House of the Rock '—a fort which commanded the Idumæan border, possibly represented by the lone tower which now overhangs the stony passes on the way to Hebron. From that moment they were masters of Jerusalem. The desolation, which before could only be seen from the The Dediheight of Mizpeh, they now were able to approach without impediment. The Greek garrison was still in the fortress, but the Temple was left open. They entered, and found the scene of havoc which the Syrian occupation had left. The corridors of the Priests' chambers which encircled the Temple were torn down; the gates were in ashes, the altar was disfigured, and the whole platform was overgrown as if with a mountain jungle or forest glade. It was a heart-rending spectacle. Their first impulse was to cast themselves headlong on the pavement, and blow the loud horns which accompanied all mournful as well as all joyous occasionsCompare 1 Chron. xvi. 41, not (as in A.V.) Philarches. 2 Macc. Chron. xx. 21, Jer. xxxiii. 11, Song of viii. 32. the Three Children, 67, Psalms cvi. 1, crii. 1, cxviii. 1. 2 φυλάρχης, an officer of the tribes, 4 32 Macc. viii. 33. the tocsin as well as the chimes of the nation. Then, whilst the foreign garrison was kept at bay, the warriors first began the elaborate process of cleansing the polluted place. Out of the sacerdotal tribe those were chosen who had not been compromised with the Greeks. The first object was to clear away every particle which had been touched by the unclean animals. On the 22nd of Marchesvan they removed the portable altar which had been erected. On the 3rd of Chisleu they removed the smaller altars from the court in front of the Temple, and the various Pagan statues.1 With the utmost care they pulled down, as it would seem, the great platform of the altar itself, from the dread lest its stones should have been polluted. But, with the scrupulosity which marked the period, they considered that stones once consecrated could never be entirely desecrated, and accordingly hid them away in a corner of the Temple (it was believed in one of the four closets of the fireroom of the Priest at the north-west corner), there to remain till the Prophet-it may be Elijah, the solver of riddles,-should come and tell what was to be done with them. How many stones of spiritual or intellectual edifices excite a like perplexed fear lest they have been so misused that they cannot be employed againat least till some prophet comes to tell us how and when! For the interior of the Temple everything had to be furnished afresh,-vessels, and candlesticks, and tables, and curtains, and incense altar. At last all was completed, and on the 25th of Chisleu, the same day that three years before the profanation had occurred, the Temple was re-dedicated. It was the very time, either predicted or 1 2 Macc. x. 2, 3. Sigura = grate. Simothanuela. Derenbourg, 62. ? Middoth, Mishna iv. 46. 31 Macc. iv. 46. Dan. vii. 25; ix. 24-27; xii. 6, 7; Jos. B. J. i. 1, 1; Ewald (v. 305) and Herzfeld (ii. 416) suppose the Book of Daniel to have appeared in B.C. 167, thus about three years before the coincidence of the time had been |