How does Judas prepare for a larger army?

Judas Machabeus succeeds Mathathias, assisted by brothers and his father’s companions in cheerful battle. The account likens his armor to a giant and action to lion and whelp: he pursues and burns the wicked, drives enemies by fear, makes Jacob glad, grieves kings, clears Juda’s cities and gathers the perishing. Apollonius gathers Gentiles and a Samarian army. Judas meets, defeats and kills him, takes spoils and uses his sword throughout his life. Seron, Syria’s captain, hears of Judas’s company and expressly seeks a name and royal glory by overthrowing those rejecting the edict.

At Bethoron Judas’s small company asks how few, faint from fasting, can fight so many. He replies that heaven gives strength rather than army size, names enemies’ intent against lives, wives, children and spoils, and declares they fight for lives and laws with God’s promised overthrow. He suddenly rushes them; Seron is defeated, and pursuit descends Bethoron to the plain, with 800 slain and the rest fleeing to Philistine land. Fear and fame spread to nations and king. The descent belongs to pursuit, not an invented first downhill charge.

Angry Antiochus gathers forces, pays for a year and orders readiness. Treasury money fails and tribute is small because of dissension and evils from his attack on old laws. He fears insufficient expenses and gifts compared with former liberality, and plans Persian tribute gathering. He leaves royal kinsman Lysias overseeing from Euphrates to Egypt’s river and educating his son, with half the army and elephants. Orders are to destroy Israel’s strength and Jerusalem’s remnant and memory, and settle strangers on land divided by lot. In year 147 the king leaves Antioch with the other half, crosses Euphrates and enters upper countries.

Lysias sends Ptolemee son of Dorymenus, Nicanor and Gorgias with 40,000 men and 7,000 horsemen to destroy Juda. They camp near Emmaus in the plain. Merchants bring abundant silver, gold and servants to buy Israelites as slaves; Syrian and strangers’ forces join. Judas and brothers see growing evils, approaching armies and know the destruction orders. They summon fighting for people and sanctuary alongside prayer for mercy. Jerusalem is deserted, sanctuary trodden, castle held by strangers, and pipe and harp cease.

They gather at Maspha, formerly Israel’s prayer place, fast, wear haircloth, scatter ashes and rend garments. Law books are opened where Gentiles searched for their idols’ likeness; the text does not say images were painted in them. Priestly ornaments, firstfruits and tithes are brought, and Nazarites with fulfilled days stirred up. Prayer asks what to do with these objects amid profanation and lowered priests, and how to stand without help. Trumpets and cries precede Judas’s captains over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Those building houses, betrothing wives, planting vineyards or fearful are sent home according to law. The camp moves south of Emmaus and prepares for morning. Judas calls death in battle better than witnessing the nation’s and holy places’ evils, concluding that God’s heavenly will be done. No newly married exemption, chains brought by merchants or automatic military guarantee is added.