1^ST BOOK OF MACCABEES

CHAPTER 1: ANTIOCHUS

• Alexander the Great conquers Israel. He then divides his land amongst several of his followers.
• Antiochus who ruled over the Seleucid Empire one of the portions of the conquered land that had been divided was a wicked ruler and eventually attempted to conquer which was ruled by the Ptolemaic Empire.
• After attacking Egypt, Antiochus then plunders Jerusalem and begins to enforce new law.
• Some Jews obey Antiochus while others resist.

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CHAPTER 2: MATTATHIAS REBELS

• A Jew named Mattathias is concerned with the laws being enforced on the Jews, and the orders to give up their religion.
• A messenger from the King requests Mattathias to give up his religion and offers him gifts in return. Mattathias refuses.
• When another Jew takes up the request Mattathias kills him, as well as the Kings messenger. Mattathias and his family then flee to the mountains, and many others follow him.
• When the King Antiochus hears of this he sends his army after them, eventually they overtake them but it is on the sabbath day so the Jews wont fight, so many of them die.
• Mattathias and the other Jews then agree that they will fight on the Sabbath day.
• The Jews defeat Antiochus’s army, and restore Israel.
• Eventually when Mattathias is nearing his time of death, he names his Son Simon to be chief advisor, and his Judas Maccabeus to be General of the Army.

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CHAPTER 3: THE RISE OF JUDAS MACCABEUS

• After the death of Matthias, Judas became leader and his brothers all helped him.
• Judas enforced the Jewish Law strictly, and defended the Jewish territory from its enemies.
• Eventually Antiochus decides to gather an army but finds out his treasury is empty. He goes to Persia to collect tribute and eventually forms an army.
• The Jews hear of the army and gather their own forces and prepare.

CHAPTER 4: JEWS ATTACK

• Gorgias one of Antiochus’s general travels to attack the Jews. Judas hears of it and plans a secret attack on the camp that Gorgias has left from.
• Once the Jews arrive at the camp, the forces that were left their come out to fight. But when Judas blows his horn they flee and the Jews pursue them and kill many.
• Another force by General Lysias is raised up to fight the Jews but they are also defeated.
• Eventually the Jews retake Jerusalem and purify the city.

CHAPTER 5: MORE WAR

• On the edge of the borders of Israel many Jews lived among other peoples as a minority. At this time many of these Jews came under attack by the surrounding peoples.
• Judas led an army against the peoples who had attacked and had many battles in the surrounding regions.
• After defeating their enemies they eventually returned to Jerusalem.

CHAPTER 6: ANTIOCHUS JR.

• King Antiochus is defeated in battle in Persia and he also hears of his losses in Israel. Due to his grief over the situation he dies. However before his death he appoints Philip his friend to rule over the Kingdom and raise his son up to be the King.
• After Antiochus dies Lysias appoints Antiochus’s Son Antiochus jr. to be King.
• Some unrighteous Jews betray Judas and switch sides joining with King Antiochus jr.. They encourage Antiochus to attack.
• Antiochus Jr. has some success but does not claimed victory. After some time Phillip who Antiochus had appointed to rule returns from Persia and seeks control over the Empire.
• Lysias advises Antiochus Jr. that they should withdraw from Israel in order to deal with Phillip. Antiochus Jr. agrees to this and they make peace with the Israelites.
• However after entering into Mt. Zion and seeing the strength of the place, Antiochus jr. breaks his oath and orders his men to tear down the walls of the city.
• Antiochus jr. then returns to the city of Antioch the capital of the Empire to find Phillip in control

CHAPTER 7: RISE OF DEMETRIUS

• King Seleucus IV who reigned before Antiochus sr. had given his son Demetrius as a hostage to the Romans to secure peace. When he was 22 he escaped and returned to the Seleucid Empire and took control of the empire killing Antiochus Jr. and Lysias.
• All the ungodly men of Israel then went to Demetrius. Alcimus who wished to be High Priest of Israel was their leader.
• Alcimus encouraged Demetrius to attack Israel. Demetrius sent Bacchides with Alcimus to take Israel. They tried to trick Judas and the other Israelites into a peace agreement, but Judas did not trust them and did agree to it. Some of the Israelites did and after letting their guard down were killed. Bacchides then left Israel and left Alcimus in charge of Jerusalem.
• Judas then begin preparing a counter attack, So Demetrius sent Nicanor to attack Judas.
• Nicanor first attempted to trick judas into a peace agreement, but Judas knew his intentions.
• Eventually Judas and Nicanor met in battle and Nicanor and his army were defeated.

CHAPTER 8: TREATY BETWEEN THE ROMANS AND JEWS

• The Jewish people hear of the strength of the Romans and success in battle. They seek an alliance with the Romans.
• The Jews and Romans agree to be allies, and the Romans send an appeal to the Seleucid Empire on the behalf of the Jews.

CHAPTER 9: JUDAS DIES

• Demetrius sends another force to attack the Jews.
• Judas falls in battle and his brothers Jonathon and Simon begin to lead.
• Jonathon and Simon split up, and soon after Simon defeats Bacchides in battle.
• Jonathon the makes a peace treaty with Bacchides.

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CHAPTER 10: ALEXANDER EPIPHANES

• Alexander Epiphanes the son of Antiochus sr.’s father who was also named Antiochus, conquers the city of Ptolemais which was on the coast of the Palestine region.
• When Demetrius hears of this he invites Jonathon to be his ally and releases many Jewish hostages.
• When Alexander hears of the new alliance between the Jonathon and Demetrius, he sends an invitation of alliance to Jonathon and to make him high priest, which Jonathon.
• When Demetrius hears of this he enhances his offer to the Jews offering many gifts, special privileges and tax exemptions. The Jews did not believe Demetrius.
• Eventually Alexander defeats Demetrius in battle, and Demetrius dies.
• After this Alexander writes to King Ptolemy and offers him peace and seeks his daughter in marriage. Ptolemy accepts and Alexander is married to Cleopatra Thea. Jonathon also is rewarded by Alexander and Ptolemy at this time, and he is made ruler over Israel.
• Later Demetrius Jr. sends his general Apollonius to challenge Jonathon to fight, Jonathon and Simon defeat Apollonius.

CHAPTER 11: PTOLEMY TURNS

• Ptolemy seeks to conquer Alexander’s territory. Jonathon joins him.
• Ptolemy makes and agreement with Demetrius and promises him his daughter.
• Alexander then returns to battle Ptolemy, but Ptolemy defeats him. But then dies three days later. Demetrius becomes King.
• Jonathon attacks a citadel, but other Jews report this to Demetrius planning to use it against Jonathon. Demetrius sends a letter to Jonathon to stop the attack. But Jonathon does not listen and instead sends gifts to the King in which the king is well pleased. Demetrius then confirms Jonathon as High Priest and lifts tributes from him.
• King Demetrius then dismissed his troops. However the troops did not like to be dismissed, so they sought to make Antiochus son of Alexander King.
• Jonathon then requests Demetrius help in controlling a rebellion, which he agrees too. After defeating the rebels, Antiochus arrives and the army that had been dismissed rallied behind him and they defeated Demetrius who fled. Then Antiochus confirmed Jonathon to be High Priest.
• Jonathon and Simon then go battle some of the former followers of Demetrius and are victorious.

CHAPTER 12: MORE WAR

• Jonathon makes contact with Rome, and Sparta and renews allegiances.
• Demetrius then attacks Jonathon, and Jonathon and Simon defeat them and many of their allies. They then refortify Jerusalem.
• Trypho Antiochus’s advisor then seeks to take the throne from Antiochus, but he fears Jonathon. Trypho sets out to conquer Jonathon, however Jonathon meets him with a strong force. Trypho instead of fighting offers him gifts and persuades him to come to Ptolemais with him where he promises to make hum ruler of the city. Jonathon obliges, but upon arriving at Ptolemais they seize him.
• Trypho then sends a force to destroy the rest of the Jews, however the Jews are organized so Tryphos’s forces retreat.

CHAPTER 13: THE DEATH OF JONATHON

• Simon gathers the Jews and fortifies Jerusalem.
• Trypho brings an army to Jerusalem with Jonathon as a hostage, and demands a ransom for him.
• Simon pays the ransom but Trypho won’t let him go. Trypho then attacks Jerusalem. And kills Jonathon.
• Trypho then kills Antiochus and becomes King.
• Simon sends officers to Demetrius and they make an alliance.
• Simon then purifies Jerusalem and surrounding areas from idols

CHAPTER 14: SIMONS BECOMES HIGH PRIEST

• Demetrius gathers an army to battle Trypho, but Arsaces King of Persia captures Demetrius.
• Simon rules over Judah and expands its territory.
• Simon renews alliances with several Kingdoms.
• The people remembered all that Simon and has family had done for Israel and they appointed Simon to be High Priest and General of the Jewish people.

CHAPTER 15: ANTIOCHUS RETURNS

• Antiochus son of Demetrius writes to the Jews and informs them he is going to reconquer the Seleucid empire. When he arrives all of Trypho’s army leaves him and joins Antiochus.
• The Romans send surrounding Kingdoms letters about their alliance with the Jews, and ask them not to harm them.
• Meanwhile Antiochus is attacking coastal cities, and Simon sends soldiers to help him.
• But Antiochus refuses the help, and turns on the Jews and demands payment for all the areas they have conquered outside of Jerusalem.
• Simon tells Antiochus the land always belonged to the Jews it had just been taken from them. But Simon says they will pay for Joppa and Gazara.
• King Antiochus was angry at this response, and decides to attack Judea.

CHAPTER 16: SIMON CALLS UPON HIS SONS

• Simon calls upon his sons to fight for Israel, as he is getting to old. He gives them control of the army. They go out and fight Antiochus’s army, and are victorious.
• Now Ptolemy the Son of Abubus, was governor over the plain of Jericho and he became Jealous of Simon’s power. So he sought to kill him and his family. One night while Simon and his Sons were drunk and sleeping, Ptolemy attacks and kills them.
• Ptolemy then sends an army to kill John another one of Simons sons, but John hears of it and attack them first.