Early life Judah was the third son of
Mattathias, the
Hasmonean, a
Jewish priest from the village of
Modi'in. In 167 BCE, Mattathias, together with his sons Judah,
Eleazar,
Simon,
John, and
Jonathan, started a revolt against the
Seleucid ruler
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who since 169/8 BC had issued decrees that forbade
Jewish religious practices. After Mattathias died in 166 BC, Judah assumed leadership of the revolt per the deathbed disposition of his father. The
First Book of Maccabees praises Judah's valor and military talent, suggesting that those qualities made Judah a natural choice for the new commander.
Origin of the name "The Hammer" In the early days of the rebellion, Judah received the surname Maccabee. It is not known whether this name should be understood in Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic. Several explanations have been put forward for this name. One suggestion is that the name derives from the
Aramaic maqqaba ("makebet" in modern
Hebrew), "hammer" or "sledgehammer" (
cf. the cognomen of
Charles Martel, the 8th century Frankish leader), in recognition of his ferocity in battle. According to
Jewish folklore, the name
Maccabee is an
acronym of the verse ''
Mi
kamokha
ba'elim Adonai (
YHWH)
, "Who is like you, O God, among the gods that are worshiped?", the Maccabean battle-cry to motivate troops (Exodus 15:11) as well as a part of daily Jewish prayers (see Mi Chamocha). Some scholars maintain that the name is a shortened form of the Hebrew maqqab-Yahu
(from naqab'', "to mark, to designate"), meaning "the one designated by God." Although contextualized as a modern-day "surname" (Jews didn't start having surnames until the Middle Ages) exclusive to Judah, Maccabee came to signify all the Hasmoneans who fought during the Maccabean revolt.
Early victories '' Mindful of the superiority of Seleucid forces during the first two years of the revolt, Judah's strategy was to avoid any engagement with their regular army and resort to
guerrilla warfare to give them a feeling of insecurity. The strategy enabled Judah to win a string of victories. At the
battle of Nahal el-Haramiah (wadi haramia), he defeated a small Seleucid force under the command of Apollonius, governor of
Samaria, who was killed. Judah took possession of Apollonius's sword and used it until his death as a symbol of vengeance. After Nahal el-Haramiah, recruits flocked to the Jewish cause. Shortly after that, Judah
routed a larger Seleucid army under the command of Seron near
Beth-Horon, largely thanks to a good choice of battlefield. Then, in the
Battle of Emmaus, Judah proceeded to defeat the Seleucid forces led by generals
Nicanor and
Gorgias. This force was dispatched by
Lysias, whom Antiochus left as
viceroy after departing on a campaign against the
Parthians. By a forced night march, Judah succeeded in eluding Gorgias, who had intended to attack and destroy the Jewish forces in their camp with his cavalry. While Gorgias was searching for him in the mountains, Judah attacked the Seleucid camp, taking the Seleucids by surprise, and defeated them at the Battle of Emmaus. The Seleucid commander had no alternative but to withdraw to the coast. The defeat at
Emmaus convinced Lysias that he must prepare for a serious and prolonged war. He accordingly assembled a new and larger army and marched with it on
Judea from the south via
Idumea. After several years of conflict, Judah drove out his foes from Jerusalem, except for the garrison in the citadel of
Acra. He purified the defiled
Temple of Jerusalem and, on the 25th of
Kislev (December 14, 164 BCE), restored the service in the Temple. The reconsecration of the Temple became a permanent Jewish holiday,
Hanukkah, which continued even after the
Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. Hanukkah is still celebrated annually. The liberation of Jerusalem was the first step on the road to ultimate independence.
After Jerusalem Upon hearing the news that the Jewish communities in
Gilead,
Transjordan, and
Galilee were under attack by neighboring
Greek cities, Judah immediately went to their aid. Judah sent his brother, Simeon, to Galilee at the head of 3,000 men; Simeon was successful, achieving numerous victories. He transplanted a substantial portion of the Jewish settlements, including women and children, to Judea. Judah led the campaign in Transjordan, taking his brother Jonathan with him. After fierce fighting, he defeated the Transjordanian tribes and rescued the Jews concentrated in fortified towns in Gilead. The Jewish population of the areas taken by the Maccabees was evacuated to Judea. After the fighting in Transjordan, Judah turned against the
Edomites in the south, captured and destroyed
Hebron and
Maresha. He then marched on the coast of the Mediterranean, destroyed the altars and statues of the pagan gods in
Azotus, and returned to Judea with many spoils. Judah then laid siege to the Seleucid garrison at the
Acra, the Seleucid citadel of Jerusalem. The besieged, who included not only Syrian-Greek troops but also
Hellenistic Jews, appealed for help to Lysias, who effectively became the regent of the young king
Antiochus V Eupator after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes at the end of 164 BC during the
Parthian campaign. Lysias and Eupator set out for a new campaign in Judea. Lysias skirted Judea as he had done in his first campaign, entering it from the south and besieging
Beth-Zur. Judah raised the siege of the Acra and went to meet Lysias. In the
Battle of Beth-zechariah, south of
Bethlehem, the Seleucids achieved their first major victory over the Maccabees, and Judah was forced to withdraw to Jerusalem. Beth-Zur was compelled to surrender, and Lysias reached Jerusalem and laid siege on the city. The defenders found themselves in a precarious situation because their provisions were exhausted; it was a
sabbatical year during which the fields were left uncultivated. However, just as capitulation seemed imminent, Lysias and Eupator had to withdraw when Antiochus Epiphanes's commander-in-chief Philip, whom the late ruler appointed regent before his death, rebelled against Lysias and was about to enter
Antioch and seize power. Lysias proposed a peaceful settlement, which was concluded at the end of 163 BC. The peace terms were based on the restoration of religious freedom, the permission for the Jews to live per their own laws, and the official return of the Temple to the Jews. Lysias defeated Philip, only to be overthrown by
Demetrius, son of the late
Seleucus IV Philopator, who returned from years as a hostage in Rome. Demetrius appointed Alcimus (Jakim), a
Hellenistic Jew, as high priest, a choice the Hasidim (Pietists) might have accepted since he was of priestly descent.
Internal conflict When war against the external enemy ended, an internal struggle broke out between the party led by Judah and the Hellenist party. The influence of the Hellenizers all but collapsed in the wake of the Seleucid defeat. The Hellenizing
High Priest Menelaus was removed from office and executed. His successor was another Hellenizer
Alcimus. When Alcimus executed sixty priests who were opposed to him, he found himself in open conflict with the Maccabees. Alcimus fled from Jerusalem and went to the Seleucid king, asking for help. Meanwhile,
Demetrius I Soter, son of
Seleucus IV Philopator and nephew of the late Antiochus IV Epiphanes, fled from Rome in defiance of the
Roman Senate and arrived in Syria. Declaring himself the rightful king, he captured and killed Lysias and Antiochus Eupator, taking the throne. It was thus Demetrius to whom the delegation, led by Alcimus, complained of the persecution of the Hellenist party in Judea. Demetrius granted Alcimus's request to be appointed High Priest under the protection of the king's army and sent to Judea an army led by
Bacchides. The weaker Jewish army could not oppose the enemy and withdrew from Jerusalem, so Judah returned to wage guerrilla warfare. Soon after, the Seleucid Army needed to return to
Antioch because of the turbulent political situation. Judah's forces returned to Jerusalem, and the Seleucids dispatched another army led by Nicanor. In a
battle near Adasa, on the 13th
Adar 161 BC, the Seleucid army was destroyed, and Nicanor was killed. The annual "Day of Nicanor" was instituted to commemorate this victory.
Agreement with Rome and death The
Roman–Jewish Treaty was an agreement made between Judah Maccabee and the
Roman Republic in 161 BC according to and
Josephus. It was the first recorded contract between the
Jewish people and the
Romans. The agreement with Rome failed to affect Demetrius' policy. On receiving the news of Nicanor's defeat, he dispatched a new army, again commanded by Bacchides. This time, the Seleucid forces of 20,000 men were numerically so superior that most of Judah's men left the battlefield and advised their leader to do likewise and await a more favorable opportunity. However, Judah decided to stand his ground. In the
Battle of Elasa, Judah and those who remained faithful to him were killed. His body was taken by his brothers from the battlefield and buried in the family sepulcher at
Modiin. The death of Judah Maccabee (d. 160 BCE) stirred the Jews to renewed resistance. After several additional years of war under the leadership of two of Mattathias' other sons (Jonathan and Simon), the Jews finally achieved independence and the liberty to worship freely. == In the arts ==