JUDAS MACCABEUS AND ALLENBY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 81, 29 December 1917, Page 8

JUDAS MACCABEUS AND ALLENBY

HISTORICAL COINCIDENCE AT JERUSALEM A remarakble coincidence is that of the conquest of Jerusalem on December 10 by General Allenby, when 2000 years ago, on the aamo date, Judas Maccabeus victoriously entered into possession (states a writer in tho Sydney "Sun"). The whole story, is told in the Maccabees, two books of the Apocrypha. A glance backwards shows us Alexander the Great, flushed with his victories in the East as far as Punjaub and tho Indus, turning his attention to Northern Syria, After reducing Tyre and Sidon to desolation, a dream of a gigantic campaign against the Jews of the fertile south next engrossed his' attention. Although a vision appeared to him, whorem he saw Jaddua, tho High Priest, coming out to meet him, lie ignored it, and persisted in continuing his march against Jerusalem. As he approached the sacred city the vision came true, and this so impressed the groat general that he fled in superstitious awe, and desisted from carrying out his plan of sacking the city'of Zion and devastating the country. However, a few years later Aloxatider died, and the diadochi (the successors) divided among themselves the area of his conquest. Syria fell to the lot of the Selencidae, one of whom, Antiochus Epiphanes,. formed a design to extend his kingdom by a conquest of Palestine. . , After accomplishing' this ambition he showed himself as hostile to the Hebrew religion as he had been to their national independence. Although it went much against the grain, the Jews tolerated tho introduction of tho Greeic, language into their homes and markets, and even some of the Greek laws_ ami customs. But when this "before-time Kaiser proceeded to defy their religious beliefs, and had an image of Zeus set up in the Temple of Johovali, and crdered them to worship it, they folt that they had reached the limit ot their endurance. . The first to refuse worship to this Pagan deity was a priest named Mat-tathias-and not only did he refuse himself, hut slew with his own uand the first renegade Jew who approached the altar. Having five stalwart tens,. Mattathias led an insurrection against tho national foe, destroyed all traces of heathen worship, and then fled into the wilderness. The numbers of the insurrectqes rapidly increased, and soon they were able to make descents into the adjacent villages and cities, where they circumcised the children, and everywhere restored the ancient icligion of Jehovah. U*r, each of Mattathias's sons-John, Simon, Judas, Eleazer, and Jonathan— became generals in the Jewish arinu-s. Although these five have been collectively Styled "Maccabees" the name is only proper to the greatest of them all-Judas, who succeeded his father a few years after these stirring events, Judas Maccabeus (who derived his name from MaWcava-a mer—because he dealt so many blows to Syrian paganism) now took command, bnowne great skill and intrepidity, Una brivo general led his faithful countrymen from-night attacks and sudden surprises to more important operations, and at length defeated Apollonms and Seron, who had marched to attack him with greatly superior forces. Still they came, this time under the command of a distinguished general, Lfsias, a lieutenant of Antiochue, but Judas defeated him also, and then occupied Jerusalem. After a triumphal entry Judas purified the Temple of Jehovah, re-dedicated it, and re-inau-gnrated holy service (164 8.C.). This day, December 10, was the first dav of the eight days of Ohaimcan, which festival is observed throughout the world wherever the Jews reside, to commemorate this victory of_ Judas Maccabeus-against the pagar. invader. It is fitting that General Allenby s triumphal foot, to indicate that he was a liberator, not a conqueror—bn celebrated on the anniversary of that day, and doubtless .will bo 'looked upon as a happy omen for the future by the Jewish people m all parts of the globe.