passing the Jordan, they came into the plains of Judea, the people all the way singing hymns of victory, and offering sacrifices for the success of the army. And that which was most remarkable, in these several expeditions and engagements was, that when they came to muster the Jews, there was not a man wanting.

While Judas and his brother Jonathan were thus successful, the other brother Simon was not idle in Galilee, whither Judas had ordered him with part of the army; for he defeated, the enemies of the Jews there, and brought away all the Jews that were in those parts. But Joseph, whom Judas had left to govern Jerusalem, in his absence, venturing out with too small a party to attack Jamnia, Gorgias, who was governor of the place, sallied out and repulsed them, putting two thousand to the sword; the rest being obliged to retreat to the frontiers.

Things going on in Judea so unsuccessfully under Antiochus's generals, he meets with little better success in Persia; for marching to the city of Elymais, or Persepolis, to plunder it, the inhabitants having notice of his design, prepared to give him a warm reception; which they did with such resolution, that they routed his forces, and obliged him to return to Babylon. After this, being at Ecbatane, he received the news of the ill success of his arms in Judea, which threw him into great perplexity; however, being resolute in his revenge for that disgrace, he hasted forward; but, by the way, falling from his chariot, his whole body was bruised, and his limbs crushed with the fall. This accident (or rather judgment upon him for his former cruelties) together with his vexation for the late disappointments, occasioned a corruption in his body in such a manner, that he swarmed with worms, his flesh rotted off, and his trunk was one entire mass of putrefaction. And now he repented, but too late, of the many barbarities he had practised against the Jews. Being at the point of death, he declared his son Antiochus Eupator his successor, and appointed his foster-brother and favourite, Philip, regent of the king

dom, who conveyed the dead body of the wicked Antiochus to Antioch.

The Jews reaped little advantage by the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, for his son and successor Antiochus Eupator continued the war. He sent his general Timotheus with a considerable army to take possession of Judea; which Judas hearing, he immediately marched out of Jerusalem, and gave him battle, in which he slew twenty thousand five hundred of his foot, and six hundred horse, Timotheus himself hardly escaping into the fortress of Gazara, where his brother Chæreas commanded. Judas pursued him thither, besieged the place, and in five days took it. Timotheus having hid himself in a ditch, was dragged thence and slain with his brothers Chæreas and Apollophanes. Lysias hearing how unsuccessfully affairs went on in Judea, gathered an army of above eighty thousand, with which he marched to Jerusalem but coming to Bethsura, he thought it necessary to take that place in his way. Whilst he was attacking Bethsura, Judas having notice of his approach, marched out of Jerusalem, and with his usual bravery fell upon Lysias's army, killed eleven thousand foot, sixteen hundred horse, and routed the rest. Lysias with much dif ficulty escaped to Antioch; where, considering the distracted condition of affairs, and despairing of present resources, he was obliged to grant the Jews peace, and the liberty of their religion.

This peace was but of short continuance; for the neighbouring people gave the Jews great and frequent disturbances; particularly the people of Joppa, who drowned two hundred of them; for which Judas soon took a severe revenge; for he burnt their port, and put to the sword all the inhabitants who had escaped the fire. Then, hearing that the people of Jamnia had very basely treated the Jews that lived among them, he came and burnt their harbour, and all the ships in it. After this, learning that Timotheus had collected some troops together, he marched against him; but on his way was at tacked by a party of five thousand Arabian foot and five hundred horse, whom he defeated, and afterwards con

cluded a peace with them. Then taking the strong town of Casphim, he attacked Characa, where Timotheus had left ten thousand men in garrison, and put them all to the sword. In fine he routed Timotheus,. took him prisoner, and dismissed him, upon condition that he should release the Jews he had taken prisoners. After which, he slew twenty-five thousand men at Carnion, retook Ephron, and defeated Gorgias, who, himself, narrowly escaped.

But notwithstanding these successes, the Jews could not call themselves entirely masters of Jerusalem, for the citadel still held out for the king of Syria; and the garrison, consisting of Macedonians and renegado Jews, was very troublesome to such as resorted to the temple. Therefore Judas thought it highly necessary to attempt the reduction of the place; and having prepared his engines and machines for besieging the citadel, he soon straitened the garrison. The besieged found means to acquaint king Antiochus with their distress, who promised to relieve them; and for that end gathered an army of a hundred and ten thousand foot, twenty thousand horse, and thirty elephants with castles on their backs, full of archers. Menelaus, whom we have mentioned before, and whom Antiochus had appointed highpriest, pretended to entreat the king for his people; but his prayers only tended to procure to himself the supreme authority. Lysias, who plainly saw through this hypocrite, cautioned the king against these villainous designs and practices of Menelaus, assuring him that Menelaus was the occasion of all those troubles: upon which the king caused him to be seized, and cast down headlong from the top of a tower.

Antiochus, preparing to march to the relief of the citadel of Jerusalem, passed through Idumea, where, in his way, he laid siege to Bethsura, a strong town, which not long before held out against his general Lysias. Antiochus with great fury attacks the place, which made a good defence, for the inhabitants by their bold sallies burnt and disordered his engines, so that he spent much time about it to no purpose. At last, Judas, who had

pressed the citadel with all his might, fearing the Bethsurans would be forced to submit to the superior force of the enemy, left the siege of the citadel, and came to the relief of Bethsura. Intending, if he could, to surprise the king's forces, he marched in the night, and attacking one quarter of the army in the dark, he killed four thousand, and struck a terror into the whole camp. The next morning, notwithstanding their numbers, and the terrible appearance of the elephants, Judas gave them battle, in which Eleazar, the brother of Judas, performed an act of astonishing bravery; for seeing an elephant larger than the rest with the royal arms, and thinking the king had been upon him; he rushed into the thickest of the enemies, killing all that stood in his way, and getting under the belly of the elephant, he thrust his sword into his body; the beast fell, and he himself was crushed to death with the fall. But how resolute and brave soever the Jews were, they were so overpowered by the unequal numbers of the king's troops, that they were obliged to retire to Jerusalem. Whereupon, Antiochus dividing his army, with one part carried on the siege of Bethsura, and with the other himself marched to Jerusalem.

The Bethsurans seeing no prospect of relief from their friends, surrendered the town upon terms, and no acts of hostility were offered to them. From Bethsura the king's forces marched to Jerusalem; where Judas had shut up himself and friends in the temple. They defended the place with great resolution, but must inevitably have surrendered, or been taken by storm, or for want of provision, if a fortunate circumstance had not relieved them; which was this. While king Antiochus and Lysias were busy in reducing the Jews, Philip, whom the old king had constituted Regent during the young king's minority, returning from Media and Persia with an army, usurped the government of the kingdom. Whereupon, Lysias advised the king to grant the Jews peace, and permit them to be governed by their own laws, that he might with more safety look after his own affairs. This proposal pleased the king, who immediately sent to offer

peace to the Jews, who readily accepted of it; which being ratified by oath, they came out of the temple. But when Antiochus had entered the temple, and saw the strength of the wall that encompassed it, he, contrary to his oath, caused the walls and fortifications to be demolished. Then deposing Onias, he made Alcimus Highpriest in his room, and took Onias along with him to Antioch, whither he hastened, and found Philip had made himself master of the city; but giving him battle he recov

ered it.

Antiochus Eupator did not sit long on the throne; for Demetrius Philopater, the son of Seleucus, going from Rome to Syria by sea with forces, seized the port of Tripolis; and having possessed himself of a great part of the kingdom, he entered Antioch; where the army secured Antiochus and Lysias, with intent to deliver them up to Demetrius: but he refusing to see them, they were put death by the soldiers, and Demetrius took possession of the whole kingdom.

Alcimus, whom Antiochus Eupator had created Highpriest, and who had voluntarily defiled himself at the time when the Jews mixed with the Gentiles, and was thereby become unworthy of the priesthood, of which he had been deprived, to insinuate himself into the favour of Demetrius, accused Judas the Maccabee, and his party, of carrying on the war, of exciting sedition, of being enemies to the kings of Syria, and of persecuting his faithful servants. Then advising Demetrius to send some person to Judea to enquire into the posture of affairs, Demetrius gave that commission to Bacchides, a favourite of Antiochus Epiphanes, a very powerful man, and prætor of Mesopotamia; and recommending Alcimus to him, he gave him power to treat Judas and his followers as he pleased. Then confirming Alcimus in the priesthood, he and Bacchides at the head of an armed force came to Judea. The doctors of the law, meeting together to consult what to do on this occasion, at last agreed to wait on Bacchides and Alcimus to offer peace. Being promised safe conduct, they accordingly attended; but the treacherous Alcimus having got them in his power,