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[406]
And when Nicanor came down from the citadel unto the temple, some
of the priests and elders met him, and saluted him; and showed him the
sacrifices which they offered to God for the king: upon which he blasphemed,
and threatened them, that unless the people would deliver up Judas to him,
upon his return he would pull clown their temple. And when he had thus
threatened them, he departed from Jerusalem. But the priests fell into
tears out of grief at what he had said, and besought God to deliver them
from their enemies But now for Nicanor, when he was gone out of Jerusalem,
and was at a certain village called Bethoron, he there pitched his camp,
another army out of Syria having joined him. And Judas pitched his camp
at Adasa, another village, which was thirty furlongs distant from Bethoron,
having no more than one thousand soldiers. And when he had encouraged them
not to be dismayed at the multitude of their enemies, nor to regard how
many they were against whom they were going to fight, but to consider who
they themselves were, and for what great rewards they hazarded themselves,
and to attack the enemy courageously, he led them out to fight, and joining
battle with Nicanor, which proved to be a severe one, he overcame the enemy,
and slew many of them; and at last Nicanor himself, as he was fighting
gloriously, fell: - upon whose fall the army did not stay; but when they
had lost their general, they were put to flight, and threw down their arms.
Judas also pursued them and slew them, and gave notice by the sound of
the trumpets to the neighboring villages that he had conquered the enemy;
which, when the inhabitants heard, they put on their armor hastily, and
met their enemies in the face as they were running away, and slew them,
insomuch that not one of them escaped out of this battle, who were in number
nine thousand This victory happened to fall on the thirteenth day of that
month which by the Jews is called Adar and by the Macedonians Dystrus;
and the Jews thereon celebrate this victory every year, and esteem it as
a festival day. After which the Jewish nation were, for a while, free from
wars, and enjoyed peace; but afterward they returned into their former
state of wars and hazards.
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