1 Maccabees

When Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judah a second time, and with them the right wing of the army.

They went by the road that leads to Gilgal and encamped against Mesaloth in Arbela, and they took it and killed many people.

In the first month of the one hundred fifty-second year they encamped against Jerusalem;

then they marched off and went to Berea with twenty thousand foot soldiers and two thousand cavalry.

Now Judas was encamped in Elasa, and with him were three thousand picked men.

When they saw the huge number of the enemy forces, they were greatly frightened, and many slipped away from the camp, until no more than eight hundred of them were left.

When Judas saw that his army had slipped away and the battle was imminent, he was crushed in spirit, for he had no time to assemble them.

He became faint, but he said to those who were left, “Let us get up and go against our enemies. We may have the strength to fight them.”

But they tried to dissuade him, saying, “We do not have the strength. Let us rather save our own lives now, and let us come back with our kindred and fight them; we are too few.”

But Judas said, “Far be it from us to do such a thing as to flee from them. If our time has come, let us die bravely for our kindred, and leave no cause to question our honor.”

Then the army of Bacchides marched out from the camp and took its stand for the encounter. The cavalry was divided into two companies, and the slingers and the archers went ahead of the army, as did all the chief warriors.

Bacchides was on the right wing. Flanked by the two companies, the phalanx advanced to the sound of the trumpets; and the men with Judas also blew their trumpets.

The earth was shaken by the noise of the armies, and the battle raged from morning until evening.

Judas saw that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on the right; then all the stouthearted men went with him,

and they crushed the right wing, and he pursued them as far as Mount Azotus.

When those on the left wing saw that the right wing was crushed, they turned and followed close behind Judas and his men.

The battle became desperate, and many on both sides were wounded and fell.

Judas also fell, and the rest fled.

Then Jonathan and Simon took their brother Judas and buried him in the tomb of their ancestors at Modein,

and wept for him. All Israel made great lamentation for him; they mourned many days and said,

“How is the mighty fallen, the savior of Israel!”

Now the rest of the acts of Judas, and his wars and the brave deeds that he did, and his greatness, have not been recorded, but they were very many.

After the death of Judas, the renegades emerged in all parts of Israel; all the wrongdoers reappeared.

In those days a very great famine occurred, and the country went over to their side.

Bacchides chose the godless and put them in charge of the country.

They made inquiry and searched for the friends of Judas, and brought them to Bacchides, who took vengeance on them and made sport of them.

So there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that prophets ceased to appear among them.

Then all the friends of Judas assembled and said to Jonathan,

“Since the death of your brother Judas there has been no one like him to go against our enemies and Bacchides, and to deal with those of our nation who hate us.

Now therefore we have chosen you today to take his place as our ruler and leader, to fight our battle.”

So Jonathan accepted the leadership at that time in place of his brother Judas.

When Bacchides learned of this, he tried to kill him.