[Sidenote:  I Macc. 5:16-20] Now when Judas and the people heard these things, a great assembly came together to consult what they should do for their kinsmen who were in distress and being attacked by the heathen.  And Judas said to Simon his brother, Choose men, and go, rescue your countrymen who are in Galilee, but Jonathan my brother and I will go into the land of Gilead.  And he left Joseph the son of Zacharias and Azarias, as leaders of the people, with the rest of the army in Judea, in order to guard it.  And he gave orders to them, saying, Take charge of the heathen until we return.  And to Simon were assigned three thousand men to go to Galilee and to Judas eight thousand men to go into the land of Gilead.

[Sidenote:  I Macc. 5:21-23] Then Simon went into Galilee and fought many battles with the heathen, and the heathen were defeated by him.  And he pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais.  And there fell of the heathen about three thousand men, and he took the spoils from them.  They took with them those who were in Galilee and in Arbatta, with their wives and their children and all that they had, and brought them into Judea with great rejoicing.

[Sidenote:  I Mac. 5:45, 54] Then Judas gathered all the Israelites who were in the land of Gilead, from the least to the greatest, with their wives and children and their household possessions, a very great host, that they might go into the land of Judah.  And they went up to Mount Zion with gladness and joy and offered whole burnt-offerings, because not one of them had been slain, but they had returned safe and sound.

[Sidenote:  I Macc. 5:65-68, 63] Then Judas and his brothers went out and fought against the people of Esau in the land toward the south.  And he smote Hebron and the villages belonging to it and pulled down its citadel and burned the surrounding towers.  Then he set out to go into the land of the Philistines; and he went through Marissa.  On that day certain priests, desiring to do exploits there, were slain in battle, when they unwisely went out to fight.  Then Judas turned aside to Azotus, to the land of the Philistines, and pulled down their altars and burned the carved images of their gods and, taking the spoil of their cities, he returned to the land of Judah.  And the hero Judas and his brothers were greatly honored by all Israel and by all the heathen wherever their name was heard.

[Sidenote:  I Macc. 6:18-27] Now those who were in the citadel were hindering Israel round about the sanctuary and were always seeking to do them harm and were a support to the heathen.  But Judas determined to destroy them and called all the people together to besiege them.  And they were gathered together and besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth year, and he made mounds from which to shoot and engines of war.  Then some of those who were shut up came out and certain apostate Israelites joined them.  And they went to the king and said, When will you