Battle of Elasa

The Battle of Elasah was a dispute between the Seleucids and the Jewish Maccabees at the peak of the Maccabean revolt.

Background

The Seleucid king Demetrius I Soter started 160 BC a new campaign in the east of his kingdom, leaving his general Bacchides 20,000 infantry and 2,000 horsemen to bring peace to the west of the country. He was commissioned to capture the renegade hasamidische Kingdom. Bacchides marched immediately with his troops from Galilee to Judea, to conquer the capital of the Maccabees, Jerusalem. After Bacchides began with the siege of the city, the spiritual and political leader of the Maccabees, Judas Maccabeus decided to ask the Seleucid army in a pitched battle in the rugged environment of Jerusalem.

The Battle

Judas Maccabeus was able to convince a few of his followers from attacking the Seleucids in an open field battle. With about a thousand of his followers, he still dared to break out of the besieged city. Because of his few troops Judas ignored the Seleucid infantry that moved in slow inflexible phalanx formation. His aim was the killing of Bacchides who rode with his cavalry on the right wing of the Seleucid army.

Judas is to attract the right wing of the Seleucid army into rough, hilly terrain in front of the walls of the city succeeded. However, the alleged escape of the Seleucids was apparently a feint Bacchides. The cavalry on the left finally united with the riders to Bacchides and Jude was killed with his followers from the Seleucid supremacy with many of his soldiers.

Follow

The Seleucids were able to restore their authority in Judea shortly after the victory. The brothers of Judas, Jonathan and Simon, however, fought more battles with the Seleucid general. After several years of lossy fights for both sides, Simon was able to gain control of Judea and distribute the Seleucids. His successors, created the dynasty of the Hasmoneans, which should exist only about one hundred years due to internal power struggles.

Evidence

• Bezalel Bar - Kochva: The Seleucid Army. Cambridge University Press, 1976, ISBN 0-521-20667-7.

• Battle ( Ancient Greece )
• 160 BC