Books Jesus Read

48

Books Jesus Read

Mount Zion and seeing the newly fortified walls built by Judas, he commanded them to be pulled down. By the time Lysias and the king arrived at Antioch, the city had already fallen to Philip’s army. Antiochus Jr. led the troops and retook the city. 1 Maccabees 7 In the 151st year of the Greek kingdom, Demetrius, son of Seleucus, left Rome with a small force and made his way to the seaport near Antioch. He then invaded the royal palace and took control of the army. Some of his men captured Lysias and young King Antiochus to bring them to Demetrius. “May I never see their faces,” he said, so they killed them both and Demetrius took the throne of his ancestor’s kingdom. Now Alcimus, who hoped to be appointed high priest in Jerusalem, led all the apostates from Israel to Demetrius and complained, “Judas and his brothers have killed your friends and driven us from our own land. Send anyone you trust to look into this matter, and he will see what chaos they have sparked among us. Let them be punished with all who support them!” Demetrius agreed to appoint Alcimus high priest. He also directed him to accompany Bacchides, a renowned general from beyond the river, to take vengeance on Israel. His legions moved quickly into Judea while Alcimus and Bacchides themselves came with a smaller force to Jerusalem, pretending they had come in peace. Judas and his brothers realized this was a trick and stayed away. Nevertheless, some scribes from Jerusalem met with