THE BOOK OF 1 MACCABEES
Lesson 4: Chapter 3
Judas Maccabaeus, Leader of the Jews
Judas Maccabaeus's faith in God
reminds us of the Christian resolve to trust God in all battles, both physical
and spiritual. St. Augustine preached: "Remember the concern that Christ the
Lord shows for his followers in the Gospel; recall that it is the King of
martyrs who furnishes his army with spiritual weapons, who shows them the way
to fight, who provides them with his help. Who promises them relief, who,
having told his disciples, In the world you shall have battles,' immediately
adds, in order to give them comfort and help them overcome their fear, But be
of good heart: I have overcome the world.'"
St. Augustine, Sermons, 276, 1
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Under pressure to give up their culture and religious beliefs, the Jews divided into two groups: those willing to comply with King Antiochus's edict (1:41-61) and those, like Mattathias and his sons, who refused (1:62-64). The Seleucids did not realize that the religious and cultural persecution they inflicted would produce a revival of religious commitment among the Jews. Their opposition to Hellenism took the form of passive resistance, physical violence, and ultimately a war for religious freedom led by Judas Maccabaeus, the third son of Mattathias.
1 Maccabees 3:1-9 ~ The Eulogy of Judas Maccabaeus
1 His son, Judas, known as Maccabaeus, then took his place. 2 All his brothers, and
all who had attached themselves to his father, supported him, and they fought
for Israel with a will. 3 He extended the fame of his people. Like a giant, he
put on the breastplate and buckled on his war harness; he engaged in battle
after battle, protecting the ranks with his sword. 4 He was like a lion in his
exploits, like a young lion roaring over its prey. 5 He pursued and tracked
down the renegades; he consigned those who troubled his people to the flames. 6
The renegades quailed with the terror he inspired; all evil-doers were utterly
confounded, and deliverance went forward under his leadership. 7 He brought
bitterness to many a king and rejoicing to Jacob by his deeds; his memory is
blessed for ever and ever. 8 He went through the towns of Judah, eliminating
the irreligious from them, and diverted the Retribution from Israel. 9 His name
resounded to the ends of the earth; he rallied those who were on the point of
perishing.
Judas, the third son of Mattiathias, known as "the Hammer," becomes the military leader of those Jews faithful to the Law of God (cf. 2:66). Judas is praised for two things in verses 3-9:
The first is cited as the reason God ceased to be angry with the people (verse 8; cf. 2:27). Judas's relentless pursuit of God's will for his people recalls Joshua's dedication to fulfilling God's plan to lead the Israelites to victory over the pagan Canaanites and take possession of the Promised Land in the Book of Joshua. Judas's name was enough to rally those who were on the point of perishing.
1 Maccabees 3:10-26 ~ Initial Successes of Judas
10 Next, Apollonius mustered the Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to make
war on Israel. 11 When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him and routed
and killed him. Many fell wounded, and the survivors took to flight. 12 Their
spoils were seized, and the sword of Apollonius was taken by Judas, who used it
to fight with throughout his life. 13 On hearing that Judas had raised a mixed
force of believers and seasoned fighters, 14 Seron, commander of the Syrian
troops, said, "I shall make a name for myself and gain honor in the kingdom if
I fight Judas and those supporters of his who are so contemptuous of the king's
orders."15 He therefore launched another expedition, with a strong army of
unbelievers to support him in taking revenge on the Israelites. 16 He had
nearly reached the descent of Beth-Horon when Judas went out to confront him
with a handful of men. 17 But as soon as these saw the force advancing to meet
them, they said to Judas, "How can we, few as we are, engage such overwhelming
numbers? We are exhausted as it is, not having had anything to eat today." 18 "It
is easy", Judas answered, for a great number to be defeated by a few; indeed,
in the sight of Heaven, deliverance, whether by many or by few, is all one; 19
for victory in war does not depend on the size of the fighting force: Heaven
accords the strength. 20 They are coming against us in full-blown insolence and
lawlessness to destroy us, our wives and our children, and to plunder us; 21
but we are fighting for our lives and our laws, 22 and he will crush them
before our eyes; do not be afraid of them." 23 When he had finished speaking,
he made a sudden sally against Seron and his force and overwhelmed them. 24
Judas pursued them down from Beth-Horon as far as the plain. About eight
hundred of their men fell, and the rest took refuge in the country of the
Philistines. 25 Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and alarm seized the
surrounding peoples. 26 His name even reached the king's ears, and among the
nations there was talk of Judas and his battles.
Judas led his army of faithful Jews to defeat the Syrian leader Apollonius, the governor of Samaria (northern Israel), who was killed, and Seron, the commander of the Syrian troops. According to the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, the two battles took place north of Jerusalem (Antiquities of the Jews, 12.5.5; 12.7.1).
Beth-Horon (verses 16 and 24) is about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Jerusalem. Apollonius and Seron, with much larger armies, and Judas entered the battle with different attitudes: Both Apollonius and Seron believed they would be victorious because of their superior forces, but Judas put his faith and trust in God. Judas's faith and trust anticipated the faith and trust of Christians who know, in the light of Jesus's death, that they are already victors (see St. Augustine's quote in the introduction). After his victories, Judas's fame as a commander spread throughout the neighboring nations (verse 26).
1 Maccabees 3:27-37 ~ Antiochus Prepares to Invade Persia and Judaea, and the Regency
of Lysias
27 The news of these events infuriated Antiochus, and he ordered mobilization of
all the forces in his kingdom, a very powerful army. 28 Opening his treasury,
he distributed a year's pay to his troops, telling them to be prepared for any
eventuality. 29 He then found that the money in his coffers had run short and
that the tribute of the province had decreased, as a result of the dissension
and disaster brought on the country by his own abrogation of laws that had been
in force from antiquity. 30 He began to fear that, as had happened more than
once, he would not have enough to cover the expenses and the lavish bounties he
had previously been accustomed to make on a larger scale than his predecessors
on the throne. 31 In this grave quandary, he resolved to invade Persia, there
to levy tribute on the provinces and so accumulate substantial funds. 32 He
therefore left Lysias, a nobleman and member of the royal family, to manage the
royal affairs between the River Euphrates and the Egyptian frontier, 33 making
him responsible for the education of his son Antiochus, until he should come
back. 34 To him Antiochus made over half his forces, with the elephants, giving
him instructions about what he wanted done, particularly with regard to the inhabitants
of Judaea and Jerusalem, 35 against whom he was to send a force, to crush and
destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, to wipe out their
very memory from the place, 36 to settle foreigners in all parts of their
territory and to distribute their land into lots. 37 The king took the
remaining half of his troops with him and set out from Antioch, the capital of
his kingdom, in the year 147; he crossed the River Euphrates and made his way
through the Upper Provinces.
The revolt began with what we call today guerrilla-style warfare, but it later shifted to full-scale formal battles between two organized armies. Antiochus was furious over his losses to the Maccabean army and intended to build a larger army to defeat Judas and his forces. However, Antiochus lacked the funds he needed because of mismanagement and failed policies that had disrupted the kingdom's revenues (verses 28-29).
Before going to Persia, which was part of his domains, to raise tribute money from the people there, Antiochus put Lysias, a Syrian nobleman and member of the royal family, in charge as temporary regent of his kingdom and guardian of his son. He also ordered him to destroy Jerusalem and Judah and bring in outsiders to occupy the land (verses 32-36). It was a common practice to displace conquered people and bring in others to settle their territory. The Assyrians did this when they conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 701 BC, deporting the citizens and resettling five groups of foreigners on their lands, who came to be called Samaritans after Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kng 17:24-41).
37 The king took the remaining half of his troops with him and set out from
Antioch, the capital of his kingdom, in the year 147; he crossed the River
Euphrates and made his way through the Upper Provinces.
Leaving half his troops and his war elephants with Lysias, Antiochus crossed the
Euphrates River and made his way across the Iranian Plateau. In our time, the
147th year translates to the Spring of 165 BC, the year before Antiochus
died in 164 BC.
Antiochus recognized the potential danger in the eastern region but was unwilling to give up control of Judea. He sent Lysias to suppress the Maccabee revolt while he led the main Seleucid army against the Parthians of Persia. Initially, Antiochus succeeded in his eastern campaign, capturing King Artaxias I, the founder of the Artaxiad dynasty of Armenia (ruled 189-160 BC), and reconquering the Kingdom of Armenia.
Antiochus campaigned through Ecbatana and Persepolis in Persia, but the populace eventually drove him out. He died at Isfahan in 164 BC. Antiochus relied on material wealth to build up his armies and make alliances with his neighbors, while Judas relied on prayer and God's divine intervention.
1 Maccabees 3:38-45 ~ Gorgias and Nicanor Lead the Syrian Army into Judaea
38 Lysias chose Ptolemy son of Dorymenes, with Nicanor and Gorgias, influential
men from among the Friends of the King, 39 and, under their command, dispatched
forty thousand foot and seven thousand horse to invade the land of Judah and
devastate it, as the king had ordered. 40 The entire force set out and reached
the neighborhood of Emmaus in the lowlands, where they pitched camp. 41 The
local merchants, hearing the news of this, arrived at the camp, bringing with
them a large amount of gold and silver, and fetters as well, proposing to buy
the Israelites as slaves; they were accompanied by a company from Idumaea and
the Philistine country. 42 Judas and his brothers saw that the situation was
going from bad to worse and that armies were camping in their territory; they
were also well aware that the king had ordered the people's total destruction.
43 So they said to each other, "Let us restore the ruins of our people and
fight for our people and our sanctuary." 44 The Assembly was summoned to
prepare for war, to offer prayer and to implore compassion and mercy. 45
Jerusalem was as empty as a desert, none of her children to go in and out. The
sanctuary was trodden underfoot; men of an alien race held the Citadel, which
had become a lodging for Gentiles. There was no more rejoicing for Jacob; the
flute and lyre were mute.
Ptolemy was the general of the provinces of Coeli-Syria and Phoenicia (2 Mac 8:8). Gorgias was a general in a limited military sense as a director of operations, with Nicanor taking precedence over him as the king's "first friend" (2 Mac 8:9).
The city of Emmaus is mentioned twice (cf. 3:40 and 57) in connection with Judas's victory over the Seleucid general Gorgias (1 Macc 3:40-57; 4:1-15). You may recall the importance of Emmaus in the New Testament: a town in the Shephelah (the lowlands of western Judah between the coastal plain and the central hill country (Dt 1:7; Josh 10:40; 11:1-3, 16; 12:8; Judg 1:9). Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on their way home to Emmaus after His Resurrection (Lk 24:13-35). The Gospel of Luke locates the town sixty stadia (7 miles) west of Jerusalem (Lk 24:13).
The Idumeans (descendants of Jacob-Israel's brother Esau), who occupied territory south and east of the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba (verse 41), were traditional enemies of the Israelites. The Philistines were a maritime people who migrated into coastal southwest Canaan in the early 12th century BC and also had a long history of warfare against Israel. They strengthened the enemy's ranks. Judas and his men saw the situation go from bad to worse (verse 42) and knew Antiochus had ordered the destruction of the people and Jerusalem. Despite what seemed like a total disaster, they decided it was better to die fighting for the people and their holy sanctuary.
1 Maccabees 3:46-60 ~ The Jews Muster at Mizpah
46 After mustering, they made their way to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, since
Mizpah was traditionally a place of prayer for Israel. 47 That day they fasted
and put on sackcloth, covering their heads with ashes and tearing their
garments. 48 For the guidance that the Gentiles would have sought from the
images of their false gods, they opened the Book of the Law. 49 They also
brought out the priestly vestments, with first-fruits and tithes, and marshaled
the Nazirites who had completed the period of their vow. 50 Then, raising their
voices to Heaven, they cried, "What shall we do with these people, and where
are we to take them? 51 Your holy place has been trampled underfoot and
defiled, your priests mourn in their humiliation, 52 and now the Gentiles are
in alliance to destroy us: you know what they have in mind for us. 53 How can
we stand up and face them if you do not come to our aid?" 54 Then they sounded
the trumpets and raised a great shout. 55 Next, Judas appointed leaders for the
people, to command a thousand, a hundred, fifty or ten men. 56 Those who were
in the middle of building a house, or were about to be married, or were planting
a vineyard, or were afraid, he told to go home again, as the Law allowed. 57
The column then marched off and took up a position south of Emmaus. 58 "Stand
to your arms," Judas told them, "Acquit yourselves bravely, in the morning be
ready to fight these Gentiles massed against us to destroy us and our
sanctuary. 59 Better for us to die in battle than to watch the ruin of our
nation and our Holy Place. 60 Whatever be the will of Heaven, he will perform
it."
Mizpah (verse 46) was a traditional rallying-place for Israel (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 7:15; 10:17; Jer 40:6). In Hebrew, the place name means "watchtower." There were several sites with the name that provided a place of observation, but this Mizpah appears to refer to the one located c. 8 miles (13 km) north of Jerusalem. Judas and his army prepared for battle through lamentation, penance, and prayer. Since they had no access to the Jerusalem Temple, they prepared at Mizpah, a place of prayer in the past (Judg 20:1). They fasted and repented of their sins by wearing sackcloth and ashes, and brought priests in their vestments, first-fruits offerings, and tithes, and read from the Book of the Law. 2 Maccabees 8:23 explains that since there were no prophets in Israel, the Book of the Law of Moses (Leviticus through Deuteronomy) was opened at random to seek divine guidance on beginning the battle and to discover God's will.
They also marshaled the Nazirites who had completed the period of their vow (verse 49). Both men and women could take a Nazirite vow, dedicating themselves to Yahweh (cf. Num 6:1-21). Those who had completed their vows were brought to dedicate their prayers for the success of the coming battle.
59 Better for us to die in battle than to watch the ruin of our nation and our
Holy Place. 60 Whatever be the will of Heaven, he will perform it."
Judah and the army would trust in God's will for Israel/Judah's future history (verse
60), which is why not everyone was conscripted into the ranks (verse 56; cf.
Dt 20:5-9). They willingly offered their lives to fulfill God's divine will for
His covenant people.
History is the arena in which God's purpose is fulfilled. It is the stage on which God reveals Himself. That revelation can only be received by faith. Some see but do not perceive or receive the revelation. Yet the movement from the divine side must be accompanied by a movement from the human side. Looking ahead to the light of Christian belief, the history narrated in 1 Maccabees is an inspired testimony to how God guided the history of His chosen covenant people up to the time He sent the Redeemer-Messiah, His divine Son, Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God, to lead His people to victory over the forces of sin and death. From the perspective of Biblical history, no other Old Testament book is as close to the New Testament as 1 Maccabees, since the New Testament reflects the spiritual values that helped shape the story told in 1 Maccabees. However, Jesus heightened and transformed those values. Jesus was an adherent of Mosaic Law, and he taught that every jot of it would be fulfilled (cf. Mt 5:17-19). However, he reinterpreted and renewed the Law by offering a new, spiritual way to internalize it (cf. Mt 5:20-48). He focused on "brotherly love," which challenges the law of vengeance, as seen in the Maccabean campaigns (cf. 5:28-47).
Catechism references:
Desire to fulfill God's will (CCC 2823, 2825)
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