l and by all the
heathen wherever their name was heard.

[Sidenote: I Macc. 6:18-27]
Now those who were in the citadel were hindering Israel round about the
sanctuary and were always seeking to do them harm and were a support to
the heathen. But Judas determined to destroy them and called all the
people together to besiege them. And they were gathered together and
besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth year, and he made mounds from
which to shoot and engines of war. Then some of those who were shut up
came out and certain apostate Israelites joined them. And they went to the
king and said, When will you finally satisfy justice and avenge our
brothers? We were willing to serve your father and to live as he enjoined,
and to obey his commands; but because of this our own people besieged us
in the citadel and were alienated from us; and as many of us as they could
find, they killed and despoiled our inheritances. And not against us only
have they stretched out their hand, but also against all that bordered on
them. And now they are to-day encamped against the citadel at Jerusalem,
to take it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Bethsura. And if you
do not quickly anticipate them, they will do greater things than these,
and you will not be able to check them.

[Sidenote: I Macc. 6:28-41]
When the king had heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his
Friends, the officers of his army, and those who commanded the cavalry.
There came to him also from other kingdoms and from isles of the sea,
bands of hired soldiers. So the number of his forces was a hundred
thousand footmen and twenty thousand horsemen and thirty-two elephants
trained for war. Then they went through Idumea and encamped against
Bethsura and carried on the siege a long time and made engines of war.
The besieged, however, sallied out and burned them and fought valiantly.
And Judas departed from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zacharias,
opposite the king's camp. Then the king rose early in the morning and had
his army set out at full speed along the road to Beth-zacharias and his
forces prepared for battle and the trumpets were sounded. And they showed
the elephants the blood of grapes and mulberries, in order to excite them
for the battle. Then they distributed the beasts among the phalanxes and
stationed by each elephant a thousand men armed with coats of mail and
helmets, with brass on their heads; and to each beast five hundred chosen
ho