Eleazar and the Royal Elephant

Men in the citadel near the sanctuary kept harming Israel and helping the Gentiles grow stronger. Judas gathered the people to besiege the citadel, building mounds and war machines. Some who were trapped inside slipped out, and some ungodly men of Israel joined them. They went to the king and warned him about the siege and the fortified places.

The king grew angry and gathered a huge force: foot soldiers, cavalry, and elephants trained for war. They marched through Idumaea and camped against Bethsura. Judas then moved away from the citadel and camped at Bethzacharias near the king. Early in the morning the king arranged his army for battle, and the elephants were prepared and assigned among the troops.

The army looked terrifying. Sunlight flashed on gold and brass shields, and the mountains seemed to blaze. The noise of marching soldiers and rattling weapons made people tremble. Judas and his army came forward to fight, and six hundred of the king's men fell. During the battle, Eleazar Avaran noticed one elephant with royal armour, taller than the others. It seemed to him that the king was on it.

Eleazar gave his life to try to deliver his people and gain an enduring name. He rushed boldly into the middle of the phalanx, striking on both sides as the soldiers parted around him. Then he went under the elephant and killed it from beneath. The animal fell on him, and Eleazar died there. When Judas's forces saw the kingdom's strength and the fierce attack, they turned back.

The king's army moved on toward Jerusalem and Mount Zion. Bethsura made peace and came out because food had run out during the siege, and the king placed a garrison there. He besieged the sanctuary for many days with engines and weapons, while the Jews fought back with machines of their own. But famine grew severe, and only a few people were left in the sanctuary before they scattered.

Then Lysias heard that Philip had returned from Persia and Media and was trying to take control of the government. Their food was short, the siege was difficult, and trouble in the kingdom was urgent. So he urged the king to make peace and let the Jews live by their own laws again. They accepted the agreement and came out, but after entering Mount Zion and seeing its strength, the king broke his oath and ordered the wall torn down before hurrying away to fight Philip.