attempts were made to force it down his throat. The seven brethren courageously suffered the most exquisite torments, in the presence of their mother, who stood by and exhorted them to bear their sufferings with becoming resolution : their bodies were mutilated in every part, their limbs hacked away, their tongues cut out, and fried in pans before their faces, the skin of their heads torn off with the hair, and a variety of other refined and exquisite tortures were practised upon them, such only as monsters can devise. The mother, having seen the last of her sons die in this manner, laid down her own life also for her religion and her God.

Mattathias, before he died, encouraged his sons to oppose valiantly the persecutors of them and their religion, and he nominated Judas to be their general, but Simon their man of counsel. He was interred at Modin, (as his ancestors had been before him,) about 166 years before Jesus Christ. Antiochus, in imitation of Paulus Æmilius, after his defeating Perseus, and conquest of Macedonia, solemnized games at Daphne, near Antioch, with immense expense and excessive pomp. Whilst he was engaged in the celebration of these games, Judas raised an army, fortified various places,

strongly garrisoned them, and inspired the sur rounding country with awe. Appollonius, go vernor of Samaria, endeavoured to put a check to his progress, but Judas defeated him with great slaughter; he also defeated and slew Seron, another of Antiochus's generals. Antiochus, enraged beyond measure by these victories of Judas, raised an immense army, intending to exterminate the whole Jewish nation, but was prevented carrying his design into effect, through want of money, his coffers having been drained by his foolish expenses. After this he divided his forces into two parts, he himself leading one into Persia, to enforce the payment of their tribute which they had for some time discontinued, and the command of the other division being entrusted to Lysias, with orders for utterly subduing the Jews. The government of all the countries on this side the Euphrates, was left to this Lysias, who had also the care of the education of Antiochus's son, afterwards called Antiochus Eupator. Lysias received advices from Ptolemy Macron, governor of Cœlo Syria and Palestine, of the continued successes of Judas, which information induced him to commence operations immediately he made Macron generalissimo of his

forces; Nicanor, his intimate friend, he constituted his lieutenant-general, and this Nicanor, accompanied by Georgias, an officer of great experience, was sent in advance, with 20,000 men, Ptolemy following close upon him with the remainder of the forces destined against the Jews. The whole army, consisting of 40,000 foot, and 7000 horse, encamped at Emmaus, near Jerusalem. A thousand merchants, with their attendants, followed these troops, in order to purchase slaves, for they were confident of success. But Judas, although having but 3000* men, was determined to defend himself to the last extremity, and to this end he made an encouraging speech to his soldiers, telling them at the same time, to hold themselves in readiness to give the Syrians battle on the morrow. The same night he was informed that Georgias, with a select body of foot and horse, and guided by some apostate Jews, was marching by some circuitous rout, in order to surprise him, but he turned this stratagem against the devisers, by attacking

* His army was at first 6000, but 3000 left him when proclamation had been made according to the law in Deut, xx. 5, &c. "That those who had built a house that year, or married a wife, or planted a vine, or were afraid, had permission to depart."

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their camp, weakened by the absence of their best troops, by cutting 3000 of them to pieces, and driving the remainder out, thus gaining possession of the entire camp. Judas, fearing the return of Georgias, made his troops keep together; but that general, not meeting with Judas, returned to his camp, which finding in a blaze, he was unable to keep his soldiers from throwing down their arms, and making a precipitate retreat; Judas pursued them briskly, and slew 9000 of them, wounding at the same time a great many more. The victors gained an immense booty, not only from the enemy's camp, but also from the merchants who had followed it, and had brought vast sums to purchase slaves. The next day, being the sabbath, was most religiously solemnized, as a mark of holy joy for their deliverance. This success also caused great numbers of recruits to flock to the standard of Judas, and, being assisted by these reinforcements, he defeated Timotheus and Bacchides, two of Antiochus's generals, with the slaughter of 20,000 men. When Lysias heard of this succession of victories gained by Judas, he was quite astounded, but, knowing the desire of the king, he raised another army, consisting of 60,000 foot, and 5000

horse, and with this force he marched into Judæa, with a firm resolution of destroying the whole nation. He pitched his camp at Bethsura, a city on the south of Jerusalem. Judas, firmly relying on the Lord of Hosts, engaged him with the small number of 10,000 men, but these used such surprising efforts of valour, that they slew 5000 of the enemy's troops, and forced Lysias himself to retire with the remainder to Antioch. Judas marched immediately to Jerusalem, recovered the sanctuary from the heathens, and, this being purified, it was solemnly dedicated again to the Lord. This ceremony continued a week, throughout which thanksgivings were made to God, for the wonderful deliverance wrought by his hands; and, moreover, it was ordained, that the anniversary of it should be solemnized every year. This re-dedication of the temple happened exactly three years after it had been profaned by the offering of unclean beasts. It is also affirmed by some, that this was the dedication unto which our Saviour went, and the season, it being winter, seems to favour this opinion, rather than that it was the dedication of Solomon's temple. Judas and his partisans suffered much annoyance in their pious labours and worship,