The Last Stand and Death of Judah Maccabee

Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha Chronicles of Jerahmeel C
Curated by The Jewish Mythology Team ·

The Lord ordained that Judah Maccabee would not die in bed. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle preserved by Moses Gaster in 1899, at the end of six years of leading Israel, the Macedonian general Baqidos (Bacchides) descended upon Judah with 30,000 soldiers while he was camped at Laish. Judah's 3,000 men looked at the opposing army and fled as one. Only his brothers and 800 veterans remained—men who had fought beside him in every war.

Baqidos split his 30,000 troops into two wings: 15,000 on Judah's right, 15,000 on his left. The shouting from both sides was overwhelming. Judah saw that Baqidos commanded the right wing personally, and he did what he had always done—he charged straight at the strongest point.

The beginning of the battle was pure Judah. He and his brothers, the Hasmoneans, tore through the Macedonian lines. Heaps of enemy dead piled up so thick that Judah had to walk on the bodies of the slain to keep advancing. He reached Baqidos himself, sword unsheathed and soaked in blood. The general looked at Judah's face and saw what every enemy had seen—a lion robbed of its prey. Baqidos turned and ran toward Ashdod with his entire right wing collapsing behind him. Judah pursued and cut down all 15,000 men.

But Baqidos escaped into the city. And Judah was now faint and exhausted. The left wing—the second 15,000—found him weakened and surrounded him. Baqidos emerged from Ashdod, and war closed in from every side. Judah Maccabee fell among the men he had already killed.

His brothers Simeon and Jonathan carried his body to Mount Mod'aith and buried him there. All Israel mourned for many days. The chronicle records that Judah served Israel for six years, "and the Lord caused him to prosper all the days of his life." The Book of the Maccabee ends here—with a warrior who never lost a battle until the last one, buried on the mountain where his father's revolution began.

Themes

Creation Angels War Maccabees

Continue Reading

Philo Why the Cherubim and Flaming Sword Guard Eden's Entrance why? What was the point of this divine bouncer? That's the question the Midrash of Philo 24 wrestles with. Midrash (rabb... Apocrypha How Light And Darkness Were Created We read the first chapter of Genesis and it feels so…orderly. But there are other stories, wilder tales, that offer a gl... Apocrypha The Spirit Of The Firmament It offers a rather…unique take on the second day of Creation. We all know the story: God creates the rakia, the firmamen... Apocrypha The Fall of Helel ben Shachar One figure looms large in this discussion: Satanael. In the ancient text of 2 Enoch, this was the name of the highest an... Apocrypha Satan Cast From Heaven Jewish tradition offers some pretty fascinating, and sometimes unsettling, answers. Take the story of Satan's fall from ... Apocrypha Anafiel, The Creator Of The Beginning Let’s talk about Anafiel. Now, Anafiel isn't exactly a household name, even in circles that discuss angels. But, accordi... Apocrypha Adam The Angel We often think of Adam as simply the first man, made of dust. But some ancient traditions paint a far more…celestial pic... Apocrypha The Enthronement Of Adam We often think of him in the Garden of Eden, or perhaps being expelled from it. But Jewish tradition holds some truly fa... Apocrypha Adam's Body Formed By An Angel We often picture God directly shaping him from dust, but some fascinating traditions tell a slightly different story, in...