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¹⁸About this time they that were in the tower shut up the Israelites round about the sanctuary, and sought always their hurt, and the strengthening of the heathen.
¹⁹Wherefore Judas, purposing to destroy them, called all the people together to besiege them.
²⁰So they came together, and besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth year, and he made mounts for shot against them, and other engines.
²¹Howbeit certain of them that were besieged got forth, unto whom some ungodly men of Israel joined themselves:
²²And they went unto the king, and said, How long will it be ere thou execute judgment, and avenge our brethren?
²³We have been willing to serve thy father, and to do as he would have us, and to obey his commandments;
²⁴For which cause they of our nation besiege the tower, and are alienated from us: moreover as many of us as they could light on they slew, and spoiled our inheritance.
²⁵Neither have they stretched out their hand against us only, but also against their borders.
²⁶And, behold, this day are they besieging the tower at Jerusalem, to take it: the sanctuary also and Bethsura have they fortified.
²⁷Wherefore if thou dost not prevent them quickly, they will do the greater things than these, neither shalt thou be able to rule them.
²⁸Now when the king heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his friends, and the captains of his army, and those that had charge of the horse.
²⁹There came also unto him from other kingdoms, and from isles of the sea, bands of hired soldiers.
³⁰So that the number of his army was an hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and two and thirty elephants exercised in battle.
³¹These went through Idumea, and pitched against Bethsura, which they assaulted many days, making engines of war; but they of Bethsura came out, and burned them with fire, and fought valiantly.
³²Upon this Judas removed from the tower, and pitched in Bathzacharias, over against the king’s camp.
³³Then the king rising very early marched fiercely with his host toward Bathzacharias, where his armies made them ready to battle, and sounded the trumpets.
³⁴And to the end they might provoke the elephants to fight, they shewed them the blood of grapes and mulberries.
³⁵Moreover they divided the beasts among the armies, and for every elephant they appointed a thousand men, armed with coats of mail, and with helmets of brass on their heads; and beside this, for every beast were ordained five hundred horsemen of the best.
³⁶These were ready at every occasion: wheresoever the beast was, and whithersoever the beast went, they went also, neither departed they from him.
³⁷And upon the beasts were there strong towers of wood, which covered every one of them, and were girt fast unto them with devices: there were also upon every one two and thirty strong men, that fought upon them, beside the Indian that ruled him.
³⁸As for the remnant of the horsemen, they set them on this side and that side at the two parts of the host giving them signs what to do, and being harnessed all over amidst the ranks.
³⁹Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains glistered therewith, and shined like lamps of fire.
⁴⁰So part of the king’s army being spread upon the high mountains, and part on the valleys below, they marched on safely and in order.
⁴¹Wherefore all that heard the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the company, and the rattling of the harness, were moved: for the army was very great and mighty.
⁴²Then Judas and his host drew near, and entered into battle, and there were slain of the king’s army six hundred men.
⁴³Eleazar also, surnamed Savaran, perceiving that one of the beasts, armed with royal harness, was higher than all the rest, and supposing that the king was upon him,
⁴⁴Put himself in jeopardy, to the end he might deliver his people, and get him a perpetual name:
⁴⁵Wherefore he ran upon him courageously through the midst of the battle, slaying on the right hand and on the left, so that they were divided from him on both sides.
⁴⁶Which done, he crept under the elephant, and thrust him under, and slew him: whereupon the elephant fell down upon him, and there he died.
⁴⁷Howbeit the rest of the Jews seeing the strength of the king, and the violence of his forces, turned away from them.