1 Maccabees 6:18-32
New Catholic Bible
18 Meanwhile, the men garrisoned in the citadel were blockading the Israelites in the sanctuary, taking advantage of every opportunity to harm them and thereby further the cause of the Gentiles. 19 Judas therefore resolved to bring about their destruction, and he mobilized all the people to besiege them. 20 They assembled and stormed the citadel in the year one hundred and fifty, employing catapults and engines of war whose construction he had ordered. 21 Some of those besieged in the garrison escaped, joined by some godless Israelites. 22 They approached the king and said:
“How much longer are you going to delay in your pursuit of justice and avenging our comrades? 23 We were happy to serve your father, to follow his instructions, and to obey his commands. 24 As a result, our own kindred have besieged the citadel and turned against us. They have put to death as many of us as they have been able to capture, and they have plundered our property. 25 Furthermore we are not the only ones against whom they have taken action, for they have attacked all the lands throughout your territory. 26 At this very moment they are besieging the citadel in Jerusalem, determined to capture it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Beth-zur. 27 Unless you quickly make some move to impede them, they will do far worse things than these, and you will not be able to stop them.”
28 The Battle of Beth-zur. The king became enraged when he heard this, and he summoned all his Friends, his generals, and the commanders of his cavalry. 29 He also recruited mercenary forces from other kingdoms and from the islands of the seas. 30 His forces numbered one hundred thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry, and thirty-two elephants trained for war. 31 They advanced through Idumea and besieged Beth-zur, continuing the attack for many days. They also constructed engines of war, but the defenders made a raid and set them on fire, fighting courageously.
32 Then Judas left the citadel and encamped at Beth-zechariah,[a] opposite the camp of the king.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Maccabees 6:32 Beth-zechariah was located six miles from Beth-zur and ten miles southwest of Jerusalem.
