Demetrius, Alcimus and the Struggle for Judea

In the one hundred and fifty-first year, Demetrius son of Seleucus came out of Rome with only a few men and began to reign in a city by the sea. As he moved toward the royal house of his fathers, the army seized Antiochus and Lysias to bring them to him. Demetrius refused to see them, and they were killed. Then Demetrius took the throne.

Then lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to Demetrius, with Alcimus leading them because he wanted to be high priest. They accused Judas and his kindred before the king and asked him to send a trusted man to inspect the damage and punish them. Demetrius chose Bacchides, a powerful and loyal official, sent him with Alcimus, made Alcimus high priest, and ordered vengeance against the children of Israel.

Bacchides and Alcimus came into Judah with a great army. They sent Judas and his kindred words of peace, but the message was deceitful, and Judas's side paid no attention because they saw the army. A group of scribes came to seek just terms, and the Hasidaeans were the first to look for peace. They believed that a priest from Aaron's line would not harm them.

Words of peace were spoken, and an oath was given that they and their friends would not be harmed. They trusted that promise. But sixty of them were seized and killed in one day. The passage remembers this sorrow by recalling that the saints' flesh and blood were left around Jerusalem with no one to bury them. Fear spread, because the people saw that the oath had been broken.

After that, Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem and camped in Bezeth. He seized many deserters who were with him, along with some of the people, and killed them, throwing them into a large pit. He left Alcimus in charge of the country with a force to support him and returned to the king. Alcimus struggled to hold his high priesthood, gathered harmful men, and damaged the land. Judas answered by moving through Judea against deserters, and when Alcimus could not withstand him, he returned to the king with more accusations.