How do deceitful peace offers lead to battle?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Broken trust under Alcimus precedes Nicanor’s deception, threats and defeat.

Chapter breakdown

In year 151 Demetrius son of Seleucus leaves Rome with few men, reaches a coastal city and reigns. Entering his fathers’ royal house, he learns the army has seized Antiochus and Lysias, says he will not see their faces, and the army kills them. Wicked Israelites led by Alcimus, who desires high priesthood, accuse Judas and brothers of destroying royal friends and expelling them. They request a trusted investigator and punishment. Demetrius sends faithful Bacchides, ruler beyond the great river, makes Alcimus high priest and commands vengeance. Their great army and deceitful peaceful messengers meet no heed from Judas and brothers, who see the force.

Scribes assemble seeking justice, with Assideans first seeking peace. They reason that an Aaronic priest will not deceive them. He promises under oath not to harm them or friends, and they believe. He takes sixty and kills them in one day, followed by the written lament of saints’ flesh and blood shed around Jerusalem without burial. Fear follows the broken covenant and oath. Bacchides moves from Jerusalem to Bethzecha, takes fugitives, kills some people and casts them in a great pit. He leaves troops and country with Alcimus and returns to the king. Alcimus strives to retain office while disturbers gain power and harm Israel. Judas sees worse evils from them than from Gentiles, takes vengeance through Judea and halts the revolted men’s further movements. Alcimus recognizes inability to stand and returns to the king with accusations.

The king sends Nicanor, a principal lord and Israel’s enemy, to destroy the people. Nicanor brings a great army to Jerusalem and deceitful friendly words, proposing no fighting and a meeting with few men. He and Judas salute peaceably while enemies prepare to seize Judas. When deceit becomes known to Judas, he fears and refuses further meetings. Nicanor recognizes discovery and fights near Capharsalama; almost five thousand of his army fall and the survivors flee into David’s city. Nicanor then ascends Sion. Priests and people greet him and show holocausts for the king. He mocks, despises and abuses them and threatens to burn the house on his peaceful return unless Judas and army are surrendered. Weeping priests stand before altar and temple, invoke the chosen house of prayer and ask vengeance against his blasphemies and army.

Nicanor camps near Bethoron with Syrian reinforcements. Judas camps at Adarsa with three thousand and prays, recalling the angel’s destruction of 185,000 sent by Sennacherib for blasphemy and requesting judgment against this army. Battle on 13 Adar defeats Nicanor’s host, with Nicanor himself first slain. His army drops weapons and flees. Pursuit continues a day’s journey from Adazer to Gazara with trumpet signals. People from surrounding towns push the fugitives with horns; they turn back and are all slain without survivor. Spoils are taken, and Nicanor’s head and proudly extended right hand are severed and hung opposite Jerusalem. Joyful celebration leads to annual observance on 13 Adar. Juda is quiet for a short time. The record’s prayers and victories remain particular events rather than an unconditional guarantee for later battles.

The story inside

The Assideans give a stated reason for trust. Judas refuses further meetings after discovering deceit. Annual 13Adar observance accompanies only short quiet.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The Assideans give a stated reason for trust.
2
Judas refuses further meetings after discovering deceit.
3
Annual 13Adar observance accompanies only short quiet.

Test your recall

From what place does the day’s pursuit begin?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 105923–105943
7:12. Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of the scribes, to require things that are just: 7:13. And first the Assideans, that were among the children of Israel, and they sought peace of them. 7:14. For they said: One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come, he will not deceive us. 7:15. And he spoke to them peaceably: and he swore to them, saying: We will do you no harm, nor your friends. 7:16. And they believed him. And he took threescore of them, and slew them in one day, according to the word that is written: 7:17. The flesh of thy saints, and the blood of them they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them. 7:18. Then fear and trembling fell upon all the people: for they said: There is no truth, nor justice among them: for they have broken the covenant, and the oath which they made.
Lines 105971–105988
7:27. And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, and he sent to Judas and to his brethren deceitfully, with friendly words, 7:28. Saying: Let there be no fighting between me and you: I will come with a few men, to see your faces with peace. 7:29. And he came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably: and the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by force. 7:30. And the thing was known to Judas that he was come to him with deceit: and he was much afraid of him, and would not see his face any more. 7:31. And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered: and he went out to fight against Judas, near Capharsalama. 7:32. And there fell of Nicanor’s army almost five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David.
Lines 105990–106010
7:33. And after this Nicanor went up into mount Sion: and some of the priests and the people came out to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the holocausts that were offered for the king. 7:34. But he mocked and despised them, and abused them: and he spoke proudly, 7:35. And swore in anger, saying: Unless Judas and his army be delivered into my hands, as soon as ever I return in peace, I will burn this house. And he went out in a great rage. 7:36. And the priests went in, and stood before the face of the altar and the temple: and weeping, they said: 7:37. Thou, O Lord, hast chosen this house for thy name to be called upon therein, that it might be a house of prayer and supplication for thy people. 7:38. Be avenged of this man, and his army, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.
Lines 106015–106050
7:40. But Judas pitched in Adarsa with three thousand men: and Judas prayed, and said: 7:41. O Lord, when they that were sent by king Sennacherib blasphemed thee, an angel went out, and slew of them a hundred and eighty-five thousand: 7:42. Even so destroy this army in our sight today and let the rest know that he hath spoken ill against thy sanctuary: and judge thou him according to his wickedness. 7:43. And the armies joined battle on the thirteenth day of the month, Adar: and the army of Nicanor was defeated, and he himself was first slain in the battle. 7:44. And when his army saw that Nicanor was slain they threw away their weapons, and fled: 7:45. And they pursued after them one day’s journey from Adazer, even till ye come to Gazara, and they sounded the trumpets after them with signals. 7:46. And they went forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and they pushed them with the horns, and they turned again to them, and they were all slain with the sword, and there was not left of them so much as one. 7:47. And they took the spoils of them for a booty, and they cut off Nicanor’s head, and his right hand, which he had proudly stretched out, and they brought it, and hung it up over against Jerusalem. 7:48. And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day with great joy. 7:49. And he ordained that this day should be kept every year, being the thirteenth of the month of Adar.