Lysias had his hands otherwise fully occupied, and
perhaps did not feel much disposed to continue the fight on behalf
of the cultus of Jupiter Capitolinus. Daily gaining in boldness,
the Jews now took in hand also to lay regular siege to Acra. Then
at last Lysias yielded to the pressure of Syrian and Jewish
deputations and determined to take serious steps (162). With a
large force he entered Judaea, again from the south, and laid siege
to Bethsur. Judas vainly attempted the relief of the fortress;
he sustained near Bethzachariah a defeat in which his brother Eleazar
perished. Bethsur was unable to hold out, being short of provisions
on account of the sabbatic year. The Syrians advanced next to Jerusalem
and besieged the temple; it also was insufficiently provisioned, and
would soon have been compelled to surrender, had not Lysias been again
called away at the critical moment by other exigencies. A certain
Philip was endeavouring to oust him from the regency; as it was
necessary for him to have his hands free in dealing with this new
enemy, he closed a treaty with the temple garrison and the people at
large, in accordance with which at once the political subjection
and the religious freedom of the Jews were to be maintained; Thus
the situation as it had existed before Antiochus IV.
Pages:
1125
1126
1127
1128
1129
1130
1131
1132
1133
1134
1135
1136
1137
1138
1139
1140
1141
1142
1143
1144
1145
1146
1147
1148
1149