egard how many they were against whom they were going
to fight, but to consider who they themselves were, and for what great
rewards they hazarded themselves, and to attack the enemy courageously,
he led them out to fight, and joining battle with Nicanor, which proved
to be a severe one, he overcame the enemy, and slew many of them; and at
last Nicanor himself, as he was fighting gloriously, fell:--upon whose
fall the army did not stay; but when they had lost their general, they
were put to flight, and threw down their arms. Judas also pursued them
and slew them, and gave notice by the sound of the trumpets to the
neighboring villages that he had conquered the enemy; which, when
the inhabitants heard, they put on their armor hastily, and met their
enemies in the face as they were running away, and slew them, insomuch
that not one of them escaped out of this battle, who were in number nine
thousand This victory happened to fall on the thirteenth day of that
month which by the Jews is called Adar and by the Macedonians Dystrus;
and the Jews thereon celebrate this victory every year, and esteem it
as a festival day. After which the Jewish nation were, for a while, free
from wars, and enjoyed peace; but afterward they returned into their
former state of wars and hazards.

6. But now as the high priest Alcimus, was resolving to pull down the
wall of the sanctuary, which had been there of old time, and had been
built by the holy prophets, he was smitten suddenly by God, and fell
down. [27] This stroke made him fall down speechless upon the ground;
and undergoing torments for many days, he at length died, when he had
been high priest four years. And when he was dead, the people bestowed
the high priesthood on Judas; who hearing of the power of the Romans,
and that they had conquered in war Galatia, and Iberia, and Carthage,
and Libya; and that, besides these, they had subdued Greece, and their
kings, Perseus, and Philip, and Antiochus the Great also; he resolved to
enter into a league of friendship with them. He therefore sent to Rome
some of his friends, Eupolemus the son of John, and Jason the son of
Eleazar, and by them desired the Romans that they would assist them, and
be their friends, and would write to Demetrius that he would not fight
against the Jews. So the senate received the ambassadors that came from
Judas to Rome, and discoursed with them about the errand on which they
came, and then granted them a league of assi