nto the territory of the Idumeans, capturing the old Hebrew
capital of Hebron and carrying his victories as far as Ashdod on the
western borders of the Philistine plain. Within a few months he had
overrun and partially conquered a territory larger than the kingdom of
David. In an incredibly short time this peasant warrior had won more
victories against greater odds than any other leader in Israel's
history. The results of these victories were necessarily ephemeral. They
accomplished, however, three things: (1) Judas intimidated his foes and
established his prestige; (2) he was able to rescue thousands of Jews from
the hands of the heathen; and (3) by bringing them back to Judea he
increased its population and laid the foundations of that kingdom which
rose as the result of his patriotic achievements.

IV. The Battle of Beth-zacharias. There was still a Syrian outpost in
the heart of Judea: it was the citadel at Jerusalem, which looked down
upon the temple area. This Judas attempted to capture, but in so doing
incited to action the Syrian king, Antiochus Eupator, who had succeeded
to the throne after the death of his father Antiochus Epiphanes. Under
the direction of his prime-minister Lysias he collected a huge army of one
hundred thousand infantry and twenty thousand cavalry. To this was added
thirty-two elephants with full military equipment--the heavy ordinance
used in the warfare of the period. The approach from the plain was along
the valley of Elah and up past Bethsura, as in the last Syrian campaign.
Judas, who was able at this time to rally an army of ten thousand men, met
the Syrian host near the town of Beth-zacharias, a little north of
Bethsura on the central highway from Hebron to Jerusalem. This time the
natural advantages were with the Syrians, one wing of whose army rested
upon a declining hill and the other on the level plain. Thus they were
able to utilize their entire fighting force and to launch against the
valiant Jews their elephants against which the heroism of an Eleazar was
fruitless. For the first time during this struggle Judas was defeated and
fell back upon Jerusalem, where he was closely besieged. Soon the Jews
were obliged to surrender, and the Maccabean cause would have been lost
had not complications at Antioch compelled the Syrians to retire.

V. Victories Over Nicanor. In the treaty which followed the surrender
of Jerusalem the religious liberty of the Jews was assured. This
concession