CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT FROM
Alfred C. Barnes
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029308503
THE FIFTH BOOK OF MACCABEES:
CONTAINING A RECORD OF EVENTS FROM THE TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES INTO GREEK UNDER PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS, (B.C. 277,) TO THE DEATH OF HEROD’s TWO SONS, IN THE FIFTH OR SIXTH YEAR BEFORE CHRIST.
CHAPTER XVa
B.C. 163
An account of the dissolution of the treaty which Antiochus had made with Judas, and of his march (together with Lysias his cousin son) with a great army, and of his wars.
But when word was brought to Antiochus Eupator that Judas’ affairs had gained strength, and what victories he had gained, he was very angry and broke the treaty which he had made with Judas, and collected a large army, in which were twenty-two elephants: and he marched with Lysias his cousin’s son into the country of Judah, directing his course to the city Bethnerb, before which he pitched his camp, and besieged it. Now when this was reported to Judas, he and all the elders of the children of Israel met together, and prayed to the great and good God, offering many sacrifices; which being finished, Judas proceeded with the leaders of his forces, and came into the camp by night, and made a sudden attack upon it, and slew of the enemy four thousand men and one of the elephants: and he returned to his own camp until the dawn of day should begin to break. Then each army was drawn out, and the battle grew fierce between them. And Judas perceived one of the elephants with golden trappings, and he supposed that the king was sitting upon him: so, he called his men and said to them. Which of you will go out and kill this elephant?
And a young man, one of his servantsc, who was called Eleazar, went out and rushed upon the enemy’s line, slaying on the right and left, so that the men turned aside out of his view; and he went forward until he came even to the elephant; and creeping under him, he cut open his belly; and the elephant fell down upon him, and he died. So, the king perceiving this, commanded to sound a retreat; and it was done. And the number of men of the higher rank slain that day in the battle was eight hundred men, besides those of the common men who were slain, and those who had been killed during the night.
Then it was told the king, that a certain man of his friends named Philipd had revolted from him: and that Demetriuse the son of Seleucus had gone forth from Rome with a great army of Romans, intending to take the kingdom out of his hand. At which being much affrighted, he sent to Judas concerning making peace between them to which Judas assented; and Antiochus and Lysias his cousin’s son swore to him, that they would never more make war upon him. And the king displayed a large sum of money and gave it to Judas for a present to the house of God. The king also commanded Menelaus to be seized, one
of the threef wicked men who had brought evil on the Jews in the days of Antiochus his father and he ordered him to be carried up to a lofty tower, and to be thrown headlong thence; which was done. For by this the king designed to gratify the Jews, since this man was one of their chief enemies, and had slain great numbers of them.
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