1 Maccabees 9
Demetrius sent Bacchides and Alcimus to Judea with a large army, and they set up camp near Jerusalem. Judas, with 3,000 men, saw the multitude of the enemy army and many of his men fled, leaving him with only 800. Despite being discouraged, Judas decided to fight, but his men dissuaded him, and he eventually led them into battle, where he was killed. Jonathan and Simon, Judas' brothers, buried him and mourned his death. After Judas' death, the wicked in Israel began to emerge, and a great famine occurred. Bacchides chose impious men as rulers and persecuted Judas' friends. Jonathan took Judas' place as leader and rose up against Bacchides, but he fled to the desert of Tekoa. Jonathan later avenged his brother John's death by killing the sons of Jambri. Bacchides heard about this and came to the Jordan, but Jonathan and his men fought against him, and Bacchides retreated. Jonathan later fortified cities in Judea and trained the people in warfare. Alcimus, who had been destroying the sanctuary, was struck and died. Bacchides returned to the king, and the land was quiet for two years. However, the wicked plotted against Jonathan, and Bacchides was sent to capture him, but Jonathan and his men withdrew to Bethbasi, where they fortified the city. Bacchides laid siege to the city, but Jonathan and his men fought against him, and he was crushed. Jonathan later made peace with Bacchides, and the captives were restored.
1 Meanwhile, when Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, he again positioned Bacchides and Alcimus in Judea, and the right horn of his army with them 2 And they traveled by the way that leads to Gilgal, and they set up camp in Mesaloth, which is in Arbela. And they occupied it, and they destroyed the lives of many men 3 In the first month of the one hundred and fifty-second year, they positioned the army near Jerusalem 4 And they rose up and went to Berea, with twenty thousand men and two thousand horsemen 5 Now Judas had stationed his camp in Elasa, and three thousand chosen men were with him 6 And they saw the multitude of the army, that they were many, and they became very afraid. And many withdrew themselves from the camp, and there remained of them no more than eight hundred men 7 And Judas saw that his army had slipped away and that the battle pressed upon him, and his heart was shattered, because he did not have time to gather them together, and he was very discouraged 8 And so, he said to those who were remaining, "Let us rise up and go against our enemies, perhaps we may be able to fight against them. 9 But they dissuaded him, saying: "We will not be able, but let us try to save our lives and return to our brothers, and then we will fight against them. For we are but few. 10 And Judas said: "Far be it from us, to do this thing, so as to flee away from them. But if our time has drawn near, let us die with virtue, on behalf of our brothers, and let us not inflict guilt upon our glory. 11 And the army moved from the camp, and they stood to meet them. And the horsemen were divided into two parts, and the stone-slingers and archers went before the army, and the first ones were all powerful men, experienced in combat 12 Moreover, Bacchides was with the right horn, and the legion drew near on both sides, and they sounded the trumpets 13 But those also who were from the side of Judas, these also now cried out, and the earth shook at the noise of the armies. And the battle was joined from morning, even until evening 14 And Judas saw that the stronger part of the army of Bacchides was on the right side, and all the steadfast in heart came together with him 15 And the right part was crushed by them, and he pursued them even to Mount Azotus 16 And those who were with the left horn saw that the right horn was crushed, and so they followed after Judas, and those who were with him, at their back 17 And the battle was hard fought, and there fell many wounded from one side and the other 18 And Judas fell, and the others fled away 19 And Jonathan and Simon carried Judas, their brother, and they buried him in the sepulcher of their fathers, in the city of Modin 20 And all the people of Israel wept for him with a great wailing, and they mourned him for many days 21 And they said, "Such a powerful man has fallen, who accomplished the salvation of the people of Israel! 22 But the rest of the words, about the wars of Judas, and the virtuous acts that he did, and his magnitude, have not been written. For they were very many 23 And it happened that, after the death of Judas, the iniquitous began to emerge in all the parts of Israel, and they began to encourage all those who worked iniquity 24 In those days, there occurred a very great famine, and the entire region handed itself over to Bacchides 25 And Bacchides chose impious men, and he appointed them as rulers of the region 26 And they sought out and persecuted the friends of Judas, and they led them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them and abused them 27 And there occurred a great tribulation in Israel, such as had never been, since the day that there was no prophet seen in Israel 28 And all the friends of Judas gathered together, and they said to Jonathan 29 "Since your brother Judas has fallen away, there is not a man like him to go forth against our enemies, against Bacchides and those who are the enemies of our nation 30 And so now, we have chosen you in his place, on this day, to be our leader and commander in order to wage our wars. 31 And so, at that time, Jonathan took upon himself the leadership, and he rose up in the place of Judas, his brother 32 And Bacchides knew of it, and he sought to kill him 33 And Jonathan and his brother Simon knew of this, and so did all who were with them. And they fled into the desert of Tekoa, and they settled by the water of lake Asphar 34 And Bacchides knew of it, and on the day of the Sabbath, he himself arrived, with all his army, across the Jordan 35 And Jonathan sent his brother, a commander of the people, to ask the Nabateans, his friends, to lend them their equipment, which was abundant 36 And the sons of Jambri went forth from Medeba, and they captured John, and all that he had, and they went away in possession of these 37 After these events, it was reported to Jonathan and his brother Simon that the sons of Jambri were having a great marriage celebration, and that they would be leading the bride, a daughter of one of the great leaders of Canaan, out of Medeba with great fanfare 38 And they remembered the blood of John, their brother. And they went up and hid themselves under the cover of the mountain 39 And they lifted up their eyes and saw. And behold, a tumult and a well-prepared multitude. And the bridegroom proceeded, with his friends and his brothers, to meet them with timbrels, and musical instruments, and many weapons 40 And they rose up against them out of ambush, and they killed them, and there fell many wounded, and the remainder fled into the mountains, and they took all their spoils 41 And the marriage celebration was turned into mourning, and the voice of their musical instruments into lamentation 42 And they took revenge for the blood of their brother, and they returned to the bank of the Jordan 43 And Bacchides heard about this, and he came on the day of the Sabbath all the way to the coast of the Jordan, with a great force 44 And Jonathan said to his own: "Let us rise up and fight against our enemies. For it is not today, as it was yesterday, or the day before 45 For behold, the war is before us, and truly, with the water of the Jordan here and there, and the banks, and the marshes, and the woods: there is no place for us to turn aside 46 Therefore, cry out now to heaven so that you may be freed from the hand of your enemies." And they joined together in warfare 47 And Jonathan extended his hand to strike Bacchides, but he turned away from him in retreat 48 And Jonathan, and those who were with him, leaped forward into the Jordan, and they swam across the Jordan to them 49 And there fell from the side of Bacchides on that day one thousand men. And they returned to Jerusalem 50 And they built fortified cities in Judea: the fortification that was in Jericho, and in Emmaus, and in Bethhoron, and in Bethel, and Timnath, and Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls, and gates, and bars 51 And he stationed garrisons in them, so that those in Israel became trained in warfare 52 And he fortified the city of Bethzur, and of Gazara, and the stronghold, and he stationed auxiliaries in them, with supplies of rations 53 And he took the sons of the leaders of the region for hostages, and put them in the stronghold in Jerusalem under guard 54 Now in the second month of the one hundred and fifty-third year, Alcimus instructed that the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary be destroyed, and that the works of the prophets be destroyed. And he began to destroy them 55 At that time, Alcimus was struck, and his works were hindered, and his mouth was closed shut, and he was weakened with paralysis, so that he was no longer able speak a word, nor to give orders concerning his house 56 And Alcimus died at that time, in great torment 57 And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead. And he returned to the king. And the land was quiet for two years 58 And all the iniquitous considered together, saying, "Behold, Jonathan, and those who are with him, live in quietude and confidence. Now, therefore, let us bring forth Bacchides, and he will capture them all, in one night. 59 So they went and gave counsel to him 60 And he rose up, so as to advance with a great army. And he secretly sent letters to his associates who were in Judea, to seize Jonathan and those who were with him. But they were not able, for their plan became known to them 61 And he apprehended, from the men of the region, those who were the leaders of this malice, fifty men. And he killed them 62 And Jonathan, and Simon, and those who were with him, withdrew into Bethbasi, which is in the desert. And he repaired its breaches, and they fortified it 63 And Bacchides knew about it, and he gathered together all his multitude. And he reported it to those who were from Judea 64 And he came and made camp above Bethbasi, and he fought against it for many days, and he made machines of war 65 But Jonathan left behind his brother Simon in the city, and he went out into the country, and he approached with a number of men 66 and he struck Odomera and his brothers, and the sons of Phasiron, in their tents. And he began to slaughter and to increase in forces 67 In truth, Simon, and those who were with him, went forth from the city and burned the machines of war 68 and they fought against Bacchides, and he was crushed by them. And they afflicted him greatly, because his counsel and his meetings were in vain 69 And he was angry with the men of iniquity who had given him counsel to come into their region, and he killed many of them. But he decided to depart with the remainder into their country 70 And Jonathan knew of it, and he sent ambassadors to him to arrange a peace with him, and to restore the captives to him 71 And he accepted it willingly, and he acted according to his words, and he swore that he would do him no evil all the days of his life 72 And he restored to him the captives which he previously had been given from the land of Judah. And he turned back and went away into his own land, and he no longer drew near, in order to enter into their borders 73 And so the sword ceased from Israel. And Jonathan lived in Michmash, and, in that place, Jonathan began to judge the people, and he destroyed the impious out of Israel