Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Transliteration of Hebrew
- Acknowledgements
- Prologue
- PART I HISTORICAL EVALUATION
- PART II ACCOUNTS OF THE BATTLES: INTRODUCTION, TEXT AND COMMENTARY
- 8 The sources: their date, provenance and characteristics
- 9 The beginning of the Revolt and the battle against Apollonius
- 10 The ambush for Seron at the Beth Horon Ascent
- 11 The ceremony at Mizpah and the Ammaus campaign
- 12 Lysias' first expedition and the raid near Beth Zur
- 13 Lysias' second expedition and the battle at Beth Zacharia
- 14 The negotiations with Nicanor and the encounter at Kafar Salama
- 15 The battle of Adasa and Nicanor Day
- 16 Bacchides' second expedition and the battle of Elasa
- Conclusion
- PART III APPENDICES
- EXCURSUS
- Plates
- Abbreviations
- References
- Indexe locorum
- General index
- Index of Greek terms
- Index of Hebrew words and phrases
11 - The ceremony at Mizpah and the Ammaus campaign
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Transliteration of Hebrew
- Acknowledgements
- Prologue
- PART I HISTORICAL EVALUATION
- PART II ACCOUNTS OF THE BATTLES: INTRODUCTION, TEXT AND COMMENTARY
- 8 The sources: their date, provenance and characteristics
- 9 The beginning of the Revolt and the battle against Apollonius
- 10 The ambush for Seron at the Beth Horon Ascent
- 11 The ceremony at Mizpah and the Ammaus campaign
- 12 Lysias' first expedition and the raid near Beth Zur
- 13 Lysias' second expedition and the battle at Beth Zacharia
- 14 The negotiations with Nicanor and the encounter at Kafar Salama
- 15 The battle of Adasa and Nicanor Day
- 16 Bacchides' second expedition and the battle of Elasa
- Conclusion
- PART III APPENDICES
- EXCURSUS
- Plates
- Abbreviations
- References
- Indexe locorum
- General index
- Index of Greek terms
- Index of Hebrew words and phrases
Summary
The battle at Ammaus took place sometime in September 165 b.c. (see p. 472 below), that is, at least half a year after the failures of Apollonius and Seron (p. 200), and about three years after the start of the religious persecutions. At that stage the suppression of the Revolt in Judaea did not have a prominent place in the plans of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was occupied with more serious problems. The Ammaus campaign was preceded by important events in the history of the Seleucid realm. Antiochus Epiphanes had gathered his whole army (apart from that of the Upper Satrapies) in Syria, and even displayed it at the famous festival at Daphne. When preparations were completed he set out on a great expedition to subdue the Upper Satrapies. The western part of the kingdom was put in charge of the regent Lysias. The new acting ruler began to turn his attention to the military situation in Judaea, and the initiative and supervision passed from low-ranking officers and officials to Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, who was in charge of the satrapy of Coele Syria and Phoenicia, which included Judaea.
The background and phases of the battle of Ammaus are given in I Maccabees 3.38–4.25 and II Maccabees 8.8–29,34–6. The two sources differ in important points relating to the preparations before the battle: the hierarchy and staffing of the Seleucid command, the size of the contending armies, and the tactical division of the Jewish force. An examination of the differences indicates that in administrative details concerning the Seleucid army the information in II Maccabees is preferable, while I Maccabees is more accurate in regard to the organization of the Jewish force.
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- Judas MaccabaeusThe Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids, pp. 219 - 274Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1989