577:
Eleazar somehow thought that Lysias or some other important commander must have been on the elephant, perhaps due to some impressive royal seal or decoration; if he did, this belief was likely incorrect, as
Hellenistic commanders almost always rode on horses in the style of Alexander the Great. 1 Maccabees also describes the elephant as dying "instantly"; this is likely an exaggeration from the fog of war. The elephant may have eventually died, but as elephant hunters can attest to, they do not die quickly or easily. With the technology of the era, only an arrow fired nearly point-blank from a powerful bow to the brain or heart could instantly fell an elephant, and even a grave abdominal wound could take a few hours to bleed the elephant to death.
505:, attempted to show his fellow soldiers that the elephants were vulnerable. Charging into the mouth of the Syrian forces, he attacked a large elephant. Eleazar cast himself under the animal and thrust his sword into its belly. The elephant crushed Eleazar, killing him, although the elephant eventually perished as well. This show of bravery was not enough to rally the Jewish forces, which collapsed under the heavy pressure of the Greek phalanx. The Maccabees retreated to mountainous and defensible Aphairema, near the original center of the revolt.
374:), although it focuses on a raid undertaken by Judas at night as well as a Jewish traitor Rhodocus who was caught passing secrets to the Seleucids. It seems the author knew the truth of the battle as 2 Maccabees describes Lysias's eventual retreat as due to political concerns and not the result of a military defeat, and did not want to linger on an embarrassing setback for the rebellion. 2 Maccabees also dates the expedition to 149 SE (163 BC), slightly earlier than 1 Maccabees; which date is preferred is disputed by scholars.
556:
566:
969:
39:
458:
573:) and notes that only 36–42 elephants were recorded by Polybius at the Daphne parade. Since elephants do not reproduce while in captivity and new elephants were likely difficult to procure due to losses in Seleucid territories closest to India, it is unlikely the Seleucids would have sent nearly all of those elephants that survived to 162 BCE to Judea, making a lower estimate more reasonable.
521:. He left around June or July 162 BC, although he may have sent some of his forces back earlier. According to Josephus, Philip was captured and executed; it is unknown whether Josephus had some unknown and lost source for Philip's eventual fate, or this was simply a conjecture based on the fact that Philip never did attain leadership of the Empire.
441:. 1 Maccabees describes an even larger infantry army but only 32 elephants; historians generally take the lesser and assume Josephus was more accurate on his infantry estimate, and 1 Maccabees was more accurate on the number of elephants. The size of the Jewish army is unknown, but they appear to have trained a
588:
comes to power, suggesting a later date of 162–161 BC. However, 2 Maccabees suggests
Alcimus was appointed during Antiochus V's reign. If the version in 2 Maccabees is trusted, then it is possible that Lysias arranged for Alcimus to be High Priest as part of the peace deal that concluded his
548:
1 Maccabees describes a larger army than
Josephus does, saying that the expedition consisted of one hundred thousand foot-soldiers, twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants. Scholars believe these numbers grossly exaggerated - such manpower likely exceeds the entire Seleucid army, and if
536:
were deployed as part of the expedition. As scythed chariots were generally used for lowland combat on flat plains, this information is doubtful; the ground in Judea is not very level, and it would be difficult to accelerate the chariots to the speed needed to make them effective. It is uncertain
605:
in 188 BC which had required the
Seleucids to give up their war elephants. The Seleucids generally considered the Treaty to only apply to the elephants they handed over at the time, however. The Romans sent a delegation in 162 BC a few months after the battle, and interpreting the treaty in the
508:
Lysias marched north to
Jerusalem and laid siege to the rebel forces there. However, Lysias was limited by time: he could not spend too long away from the capital without risking his position as leader. Both sides were running short on food. The siege eventually ended with a peace deal: Lysias
489:
Lysias sent a force to take the nearby ridges to cover his main force's advance and their flanks, likely his cavalry and possibly skirmishers. The high ground there would also provide scouting and better visibility to the battle's progress. The bulk of the troops marched through the valley path
678:
Some scholars believe that Lysias only made a single expedition to Judea, as 2 Maccabees suggests the Battle of Beth Zur happened after the cleansing of the temple, and that Lysias's expedition happened in 149 SE by the
Macedonian version of the year count (rather than 150 SE by the Babylonian
576:
A point of uncertainty on the conflict between
Eleazar and the elephant is that 1 Maccabees writes that "the king" was on the elephant that Eleazar attacked. The ten-year old king is not described as accompanying the expedition, though. It is possible that king really referred to regent, and
429:
year previously; the exact implications of that statement are unclear, but it appears food supplies were thin if not at famine level. The problem had been exacerbated by a wave of Jewish refugees from outlying regions that had been brought to Judea for their own safety as the outlying regions
485:
of earlier in the revolt, as this would likely mean ceding southern Judea and
Jerusalem without contest. Instead, he rallied an army to intercept the expedition and positioned his troops on the high ground on the main road to Jerusalem. The Seleucids would be required to enter via a valley
549:
actually sent, would have been even more of a logistics nightmare to feed and supply than
Josephus's suggestion of 50,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. The number of elephants is more unclear; Josephus writes that eighty elephants were with the expedition, although historian
430:
descended into disorder with raids and civilian violence and murders between the Jewish and
Gentile populations. Lysias's expeditionary force was quite large, and armies acquired a substantial amount of their provisions from local foraging and requisitions in antiquity.
614:
The Maccabees were a more common topic in Christian art and literature than Jewish works from the Roman era to the Industrial age, as the Hasmoneans were not well-regarded by the Jewish rabbis and sages who compiled the Jewish canon after the fall of the
351:
Book 1.1.41–46. 1 Maccabees is considered the main source on the battle; its detailed description of the Seleucid forces suggests that the author either was an eyewitness, or was able to interview an eyewitness in detail.
422:), Judas laid siege to the Acra, attempting to eradicate the most prominent symbol of Seleucid power in Judea. This drew a strong Seleucid response: Lysias left Antioch and made a second expedition to Judea to relieve the Acra.
610:
the remaining elephants they could find and burnt some Seleucid warships. As a result, this battle was one of the last ones where the Seleucids could deploy a major force of war elephants; their use afterward was rarer.
679:
version). In this scenario, the events of the first expedition happen immediately before the Battle of Beth Zechariah. Still, most scholars favor the 1 Maccabees version of two expeditions separated by two years.
623:
for his selfless sacrifice. European Christian artists also made works at least partially due to the opportunity to draw an elephant, an exotic and exciting subject in the medieval and Renaissance era.
509:
agreed to end his siege of Jerusalem, and the Maccabees ended their siege of the Acra. Lysias confirmed the repeal of Antiochus IV's anti-Jewish decrees. The Greeks also tore down a defensive wall at "
464:
trampled by a war elephant. Adasa would be the last battle with significant war elephant use for the Seleucids, as the Romans would hamstring the remaining elephants in the next months. Illustration by
537:
that the Seleucids even had so many chariots to send even if they wanted to. Neither 1 Maccabees nor Josephus mention chariots, both sources more interested in military details than 2 Maccabees is.
394:. Whether from losses in the battle or from news of the death of King Antiochus IV reaching Judea, Lysias left Judea and negotiated a compromise. He returned to the Seleucid capital of
517:. With the peace deal in place, Lysias was able to return to Antioch to fend off a renewed challenge from Philip for leadership of the Seleucid empire and guardianship of the young
360:
contains new material that is absent from and sometimes contradicts 1 Maccabees, however, suggesting other Greek sources were used by Josephus in its composition, such as
545:, but does not indicate scythes on them; it is possible that these were merely ceremonial and utilitarian chariots meant for normal transportation rather than warfare.
81:
210:
356:
largely echoes 1 Maccabees, Josephus's main source, although he adds additional details based on his first-hand knowledge of Judean topography and geography;
627:
Jews did eventually return to the topic of the Maccabean Revolt, but largely in the 19th and 20th centuries. Eleazar's heroism was commemorated in a
481:. After Beth-zur surrendered, they continued northward toward Jerusalem, about 32 kilometres (20 mi) away. Judas declined to revert to the
1019:
486:
approach, restricting their numeral advantage. Near the end of May 162 BC, the two armies clashed at a narrow pass near Beth Zechariah.
203:
498:, behind. The light infantry could remove any obstacles found in the elephant's path, and slow any surprise attack on the formation.
1009:
975:
402:
in the eastern half of the Empire who claimed Antiochus IV had appointed him regent before his death. The Maccabees captured
721:
196:
418:
while the Seleucid government was concerned with internal politics in the capital. Around April 162 BC (Year 150 of the
906:
769:
398:
to fend off a political challenge for leadership from Philip (Greek: Philippus), a prominent Seleucid official from
303:) to the Macedonian conquests that controlled Syria and Babylonia. The battle was fought at Beth Zechariah (modern
406:, cleansed the temple, and rededicated the altar for Jewish worship. However, Seleucid forces still controlled the
234:
371:
951:
332:
986:
239:
529:
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Tropper, Amram (2017). "The Battle of Beth Zechariah in Light of a Literary Study of 1 Maccabees 6:32–47".
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254:
419:
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The war elephants unnerved Judas's troops. As the Jews began to break for the rear, Judas's brother,
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315:. The defeat allowed the Seleucids to continue their campaign and besiege the Jewish holy city of
980:
341:
307:) and was a Seleucid victory, with the rebels driven from the field in retreat. Judas's brother
304:
602:
646:
was named after the son of Mattathias, since it is on the road to Beit Zur (near present-day
449:. Historians speculate that the Jews may have had anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers.
991:
819:
425:
An issue both sides would struggle with was food shortages. The sources say that it was a
361:
473:
Lysias and the Seleucid army of Syrian Greeks approached Judea from the southwest through
8:
639:
518:
347:
386:
launched an expedition to Judea to defeat the Maccabean rebellion. The Maccabees under
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249:
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with light infantry at the front, and war elephants and the heavy infantry, a Greek
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30:
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argues for a lower figure. He suggests that Josephus might have misread an "8" (
533:
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would come to power as High Priest. According to 1 Maccabees, it is only after
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151:
67:
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for a number of reasons. Eleazar was seen in Christian works as prefiguring
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in the year and a half since taking Jerusalem, as Josephus mentions a Jewish
180:
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83:
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658:(sitting on an ancient Byzantine site), and the large single oak tree of
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1698 illustration of Eleazar fighting an elephant at the battle by
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According to Josephus, the Seleucids had an army of about 50,000
395:
764:. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press. p. 212.
651:
426:
944:
Judas Maccabaeus: The Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids
560:
901:. University Press America, Inc. p. 143–144.
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The Battle of Beth Zechariah is recorded in the book of
946:. Cambridge University Press. p. 291–358.
370:
describes Lysias's expedition in very general terms (
291:
fought between Jewish rebels under the leadership of
662:, are the location of ancient Zechariah / Zakariya.
597:
The use of war elephants was possibly banned by the
410:, a strong fortress within the city that faced the
1001:
880:
878:
841:
839:
837:
739:
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733:
716:. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 8.
543:military parade at Daphne in 166–165 BC
414:. The Maccabees participated in a number of
204:
875:
857:
437:, about 5,000 cavalry, and approximately 80
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211:
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295:(Judah Maccabee) against an army of the
287:took place around May 162 BC during the
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828:10.15650/hebruniocollannu.88.2017.0001
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1020:2nd century BC in the Seleucid Empire
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580:A final point of uncertainty is when
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218:
13:
762:2 Maccabees: A Critical Commentary
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601:, the peace treaty that ended the
416:campaigns across greater Palestine
322:
14:
1036:
961:
884:Bar-Kochva 1989, p. 306–309
863:Bar-Kochva 1989, p. 343–346
845:Bar-Kochva 1989, p. 334–337
793:Bar-Kochva 1989, p. 341–342
967:
784:Bar-Kochva 1989, p.275–282
743:Bar-Kochva 1989, p.291–296
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899:Alcimus, Enemy of the Maccabees
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541:describes 140 chariots at the
1:
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513:", possibly referring to the
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299:, the Greek successor state (
654:). The small Arab hamlet of
606:harshest possible way, they
7:
808:Hebrew Union College Annual
524:
420:Ancient Macedonian calendar
10:
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390:fought the Greeks at the
382:In autumn 164 BC, Regent
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179:Est. 50,000 infantry, 30
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141:
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97:31.6640000°N 35.1232500°E
50:
36:
28:
23:
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285:Battle of Beth Zechariah
176:Est. 10,000–20,000
24:Battle of Beth Zechariah
981:Antiquities of the Jews
872:Bar-Kochva 1989, p. 305
854:Bar-Kochva 1989, p. 551
345:Book 12, Chapter 9 and
342:Antiquities of the Jews
305:Khirbet Beit Zakariyyah
470:
443:Hellenistic-style army
311:died in combat with a
142:Commanders and leaders
102:31.6640000; 35.1232500
972:Texts on Wikisource:
650:and the Arab town of
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992:The Wars of the Jews
372:2 Maccabees 13:13–26
362:Nicolaus of Damascus
940:Bar-Kochva, Bezalel
758:Attridge, Harold W.
631:coin issued by the
519:Antiochus V Eupator
453:Lysias's expedition
348:The War of the Jews
333:1 Maccabees 6:28–47
255:Campaigns of 163 BC
93: /
923:Histories, Book 31
603:Roman–Seleucid War
551:Bezalel Bar-Kochva
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392:Battle of Beth Zur
70:, near modern day
895:Scolnic, Benjamin
723:978-0-19-964602-9
704:Josephus, Flavius
617:Hasmonean kingdom
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534:scythed chariots
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530:2 Maccabees 13:2
335:) and in two of
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183:, 5,000 cavalry
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329:1 Maccabees
100: /
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953:0521323525
687:References
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511:Mount Zion
378:Background
240:Beth Horon
72:Alon Shvut
58:May 162 BC
45:Jan Luyken
706:(2017) .
644:West Bank
635:in 1961.
608:hamstrung
404:Jerusalem
317:Jerusalem
76:West Bank
976:Book XII
942:(1989).
897:(2004).
756:(2012).
629:Hanukkah
539:Polybius
525:Analysis
496:sarissas
479:Beth-zur
469:in 1866.
435:infantry
337:Josephus
301:diadochi
250:Beth Zur
171:Strength
63:Location
978:of the
760:(ed.).
642:in the
582:Alcimus
492:phalanx
447:phalanx
396:Antioch
235:Lebonah
158:†
1015:162 BC
987:Book I
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905:
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640:Elazar
593:Legacy
427:fallow
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245:Emmaus
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113:Result
824:JSTOR
814:: 7.
666:Notes
559:, an
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364:.
270:Elasa
265:Adasa
948:ISBN
903:ISBN
766:ISBN
718:ISBN
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283:The
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561:Eta
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732:^
695:^
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