Syria Readies the Repression.

When King Antiochus learned about these developments, he was infuriated, and he ordered the mobilization of all the forces of his kingdom, a very powerful army. He withdrew from his treasury enough money to provide his soldiers with a year's pay in advance, and he ordered them to be prepared for action at a moment's notice. Then he realized that this expenditure had exhausted the reserves in his treasury, and that the revenues from the province had dwindled as a result of the dissension and disaster he had caused for his empire by abolishing the laws that had been in effect from the earliest times. He thus began to fear that, as had happened on more than one occasion, he would not have sufficient funds to cover his normal expenses and the gifts that he had been accustomed to distribute more lavishly than had any of his predecessors on the throne. Greatly concerned, he decided to go to Persia and levy tribute on those provinces and in this manner raise a large sum of money.

       He therefore left Lysias, a distinguished nobleman of royal lineage, in charge of the king's affairs from the Euphrates River to the Egyptian frontier, and he also gave him responsibility for the care of his son Antiochus until he returned. He turned over to him half of his army, together with the elephants, and provided him with detailed instructions about all that he wanted done. As for the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem, Lysias was to send an army against them to crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to wipe out the memory of them from the land. Furthermore, he was to settle foreigners throughout the territory and to distribute their land by lot.

       The king then took the remaining half of his forces and set out from Antioch, his capital, in the year one hundred and forty-seven. He crossed the Euphrates River and advanced through the upper provinces.

       Lysias chose Ptomely, the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, powerful men among the Friends of the King, and under their command he sent forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to invade the land of Judah and destroy it in compliance with the king's orders. Setting out with all their forces, they reached the plain in the region of Emmaus, where they pitched camp. When the local merchants heard the news of this army, they came to the camp with a large amount of silver and gold as well as fetters, seeking to purchase the Israelites for slaves. In addition, forces from Idumea and Philistia joined with them.

1ST MACCABEES: CHAPTER 3, VERSES 27 - 41