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In the one hundred and forty-ninth year, news was brought to Yehudah and his company that Antiyokhos Eupator was coming with multitudes against Yehudah,
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and with him Lysias his guardian and chancellor, each having a Yevani force of one hundred and ten thousand infantry, five thousand and three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with scythes.
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And Menelaus also joined himself with them, and with great hypocrisy encouraged Antiyokhos, not for the saving of his country, but because he thought that he would be set over the government.
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But the King of kings stirred up the anger of Antiyokhos against the wicked wretch. When Lysias informed him that this man was the cause of all the evils, the king commanded to bring him to Beroea, and to put him to death in the way customary in that place.
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Now there is in that place a tower that is fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it had all around it a circular rim sloping steeply on every side into the ashes.
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Here one who is guilty of sacrilege or notorious for other crimes is pushed down to destruction.
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By such a fate it happened that the breaker of the Torah, Menelaus, died, without obtaining so much as a grave in the earth, and that justly;
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for inasmuch as he had perpetrated many sins against the altar, whose fire and whose ashes were set-apart, he received his death in ashes.
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Now the king, infuriated in spirit, was coming with intent to inflict on the Yehudim the very worst of the sufferings that had been done in his father’s time.
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But when Yehudah heard of these things, he commanded the multitude to call upon Yahuah day and night, if ever at any other time, so now to help those who were at the point of being deprived of the Torah, their country, and the set-apart temple,
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and not to allow the people who had just begun to be revived to fall into the hands of those profane nations.
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So when they had all done the same thing together, begging the merciful Yahuah with weeping and fastings and prostration for three days without ceasing, Yehudah exhorted them and commanded they should join him.
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Having consulted privately with the elders, he resolved that before the king’s army entered into Yehudah and made themselves masters of the city, they should go out and decide the matter by the help of Elohim.
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And committing the decision to Yahuah of the world, and exhorting those who were with him to contend nobly even to death for laws, temple, city, country, and way of life, he pitched his camp by Modi’in.
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He gave out to his men the watchword, “VICTORY IS ELOHIM’S”, with a chosen force of the bravest young men he attacked the king’s pavilion by night, and killed as many as two thousand men from his army, and brought down the leading elephant with him who was in the tower on him.
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At last they filled the army with terror and alarm, and departed with good success.
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This had been accomplished when the day was just dawning, because of Yahuah’s protection that gave Yehudah help.
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But the king, having had a taste of the exceeding boldness of the Yehudim, made strategic attacks on their positions,
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and on a strong fortress of the Yehudim at Beit-Tzur. He advanced, was turned back, failed, and was defeated.
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Yehudah sent the things that were necessary to those who were within.
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But Rhodokos, from the Yehudi ranks, made secrets known to the enemy. He was sought out, arrested, and shut up in prison.
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The king negotiated with them in Beit-Tzur the second time, gave his hand, took theirs, departed, attacked the forces of Yehudah, was put to the worse,
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heard that Philippos who had been left as chancellor in Antiyokhiya had become reckless, was confounded, made to the Yehudim an overture of peace, submitted himself and swore to acknowledge all their rights, came to terms with them and offered a slaughter-offering, honoured the sanctuary and the place,
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showed kindness and graciously received Maqabi, left Hegemonides governor from Akko even to the Gerrenians,
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and came to Akko. The men of Akko were displeased at the treaty, for they had exceedingly great indignation against the Yehudim. They desired to annul the articles of the agreement.
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Lysias came forward to speak, made the best defence that was possible, persuaded, pacified, gained their good will, and departed to Antiyokhiya. This was the issue of the attack and departure of the king.