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Battle of the Ascent of Lebonah
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Battle of the Ascent of Lebonah
The Battle of the Ascent of Lebonah (Hebrew: קרב מעלה לבונה) or Battle with Apollonius (Hebrew: קרב אפולוניוס) was the first battle fought between the Maccabees and the Seleucid Empire in 167 or 166 BCE. The Jewish forces were led by Judas Maccabeus (Judah Maccabee) and the Seleucid army force was under the command of Apollonius, described by Josephus as "the strategos (general) of the Samaritan forces".
In the earliest stages of the Maccabean Revolt, Judas had a small band of guerrilla combat units in the hills of northern Judea and southern Samaria. Apollonius was sent with the local Samaritan armies to link up with Seleucid forces from Jerusalem. The exact location of the battle is not known, but presumably it was along a road between Samaria and Jerusalem. The date of the battle is not precisely known either, but occurred early in the revolt. It is the first battle discussed in the book of 1 Maccabees, hence generally being dated to 167–166 BCE.
The precise details of the battle are not known either, but 2 Maccabees writes that the rebels fought using guerrilla warfare in the early stage of the revolt, by "coming unexpectedly" on their foes and at night. It is reasonably possible that this battle was similar, with a surprise attack while the enemy was unaware. The larger Syrian Greek army was defeated, and Judas defeated Apollonius in personal combat. Another force was soon sent against Maccabees, which led to the Battle of Beth Horon.
The battle's only contemporaneous record is in the First Book of Maccabees. According to it:
Apollonius now gathered together Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled. Then they seized their spoils; and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle for the rest of his life.
— 1 Maccabees 3:10-12 (NRSV)
2 Maccabees does not comment on the battle specifically, but describes in general terms the conduct of the early phase of the revolt: "Coming without warning, he [Judas] would set fire to towns and villages. He captured strategic positions and put to flight not a few of the enemy. He found the nights most advantageous for such attacks. And talk of his valor spread everywhere." It is possible that the original five-volume work written by Jason of Cyrene covered the battle, but was compressed into the above sentence by the epitomist who abridged 2 Maccabees.
The historian Josephus mentions the battle briefly in Jewish Antiquities Book 12, Chapter 7, but seems to largely paraphrase the 1 Maccabees version.
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Battle of the Ascent of Lebonah
The Battle of the Ascent of Lebonah (Hebrew: קרב מעלה לבונה) or Battle with Apollonius (Hebrew: קרב אפולוניוס) was the first battle fought between the Maccabees and the Seleucid Empire in 167 or 166 BCE. The Jewish forces were led by Judas Maccabeus (Judah Maccabee) and the Seleucid army force was under the command of Apollonius, described by Josephus as "the strategos (general) of the Samaritan forces".
In the earliest stages of the Maccabean Revolt, Judas had a small band of guerrilla combat units in the hills of northern Judea and southern Samaria. Apollonius was sent with the local Samaritan armies to link up with Seleucid forces from Jerusalem. The exact location of the battle is not known, but presumably it was along a road between Samaria and Jerusalem. The date of the battle is not precisely known either, but occurred early in the revolt. It is the first battle discussed in the book of 1 Maccabees, hence generally being dated to 167–166 BCE.
The precise details of the battle are not known either, but 2 Maccabees writes that the rebels fought using guerrilla warfare in the early stage of the revolt, by "coming unexpectedly" on their foes and at night. It is reasonably possible that this battle was similar, with a surprise attack while the enemy was unaware. The larger Syrian Greek army was defeated, and Judas defeated Apollonius in personal combat. Another force was soon sent against Maccabees, which led to the Battle of Beth Horon.
The battle's only contemporaneous record is in the First Book of Maccabees. According to it:
Apollonius now gathered together Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled. Then they seized their spoils; and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle for the rest of his life.
— 1 Maccabees 3:10-12 (NRSV)
2 Maccabees does not comment on the battle specifically, but describes in general terms the conduct of the early phase of the revolt: "Coming without warning, he [Judas] would set fire to towns and villages. He captured strategic positions and put to flight not a few of the enemy. He found the nights most advantageous for such attacks. And talk of his valor spread everywhere." It is possible that the original five-volume work written by Jason of Cyrene covered the battle, but was compressed into the above sentence by the epitomist who abridged 2 Maccabees.
The historian Josephus mentions the battle briefly in Jewish Antiquities Book 12, Chapter 7, but seems to largely paraphrase the 1 Maccabees version.
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