finally satisfy justice and avenge our brothers?  We were willing to serve your father and to live as he enjoined, and to obey his commands; but because of this our own people besieged us in the citadel and were alienated from us; and as many of us as they could find, they killed and despoiled our inheritances.  And not against us only have they stretched out their hand, but also against all that bordered on them.  And now they are to-day encamped against the citadel at Jerusalem, to take it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Bethsura.  And if you do not quickly anticipate them, they will do greater things than these, and you will not be able to check them.

[Sidenote:  I Macc. 6:28-41] When the king had heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his Friends, the officers of his army, and those who commanded the cavalry.  There came to him also from other kingdoms and from isles of the sea, bands of hired soldiers.  So the number of his forces was a hundred thousand footmen and twenty thousand horsemen and thirty-two elephants trained for war.  Then they went through Idumea and encamped against Bethsura and carried on the siege a long time and made engines of war.  The besieged, however, sallied out and burned them and fought valiantly.  And Judas departed from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zacharias, opposite the king’s camp.  Then the king rose early in the morning and had his army set out at full speed along the road to Beth-zacharias and his forces prepared for battle and the trumpets were sounded.  And they showed the elephants the blood of grapes and mulberries, in order to excite them for the battle.  Then they distributed the beasts among the phalanxes and stationed by each elephant a thousand men armed with coats of mail and helmets, with brass on their heads; and to each beast five hundred chosen horsemen were appointed.  These were already there, wherever the beast was, and wherever the beast went, they went with him and did not separate themselves from him.  And upon them were towers of wood, strong, covered, one girded upon each beast.  Upon them were engines and two or three men, who fought upon them, besides the Indian who guided the elephant.  The rest of the horsemen he stationed on both sides of the two wings of the army to inspire terror and to protect the phalanxes.  And when the sun struck the golden and bronze shields, the mountain shone with them and blazed like torches of fire.  And a part of the king’s army was spread out on the heights, and some on the low ground, and they moved firmly and in good order.  And all who heard the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the great numbers, and the rattling of the arms, trembled because the army was very great and strong.