15 - The march to Beith-Zacharia (162 B.C.)

Summary

After the relative abundance of information about the battles of Antiochus III, references to expeditions and military operations of his Successors are vague and given in general terms. Only the campaigns against the Jews are described in any detail but, unfortunately, only in Jewish sources, most of which do not match up to the historiographical standard of those discussed so far. Of all the campaigns against the Jews, the most detailed and interesting from the tactical point of view is the second expedition of Lysias to Judaea and the battle of Beith-Zacharia in 162 B.C.

Judas Maccabaeus had in the past frustrated four Seleucid attempts to invade Judaea (I Mace. 3.10–26, 38–4.35), and when Lysias abandoned his first expedition Judas reoccupied Jerusalem, purified the temple, and evacuated the Jews who lived in the neighbourhood of the Hellenized cities (ibid. 4.34–5.68). Although a part of the army was still stationed in the eastern satrapies (ibid. 6,7.55–6), Lysias decided to try once more to subdue the revolt, perhaps in order to establish his position on the domestic front. Antiochus V Eupator, aged 9 or 12 (App. Syr. 66; Euseb. I p.254), also took part in the expedition (I Mace. 6.28ff.).

As he had already done on the previous expedition (I Mace. 4.29), Lysias avoided the dangerous passes to the Judaean plateau on the north and northwest, which were surrounded by a hostile Jewish population, and took a southwestern route, which passed through the territory of the Edomeans who supported the Seleucids against the Jews.