CHANUKAH V: Mattathias and His Sons

Among the few Jews that remained true to their faith was Mattathias the priest and his sons. He lamented what he was seeing among his people. 

(I Maccabees 2:1-7) About then, Mattathias son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the line of Joarib, left Jerusalem and settled in Modein. He had five sons, John known as Gaddi, Simon called Thassi, Judas called Maccabaeus, Eleazar, called Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus. When he saw the blasphemies being committed in Judah and Jerusalem, he said, 'Alas that I should have been born to witness the ruin of my people and the ruin of the Holy City, and to sit by while she is delivered over to her enemies, and the sanctuary into the hand of foreigners.

Their beliefs were put to the test when a envoy from the king arrived to the town where they lived.

(I Maccabees 2:15-28) The king's commissioners who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein for the sacrifices. Many Israelites gathered round them, but Mattathias and his sons drew apart. The king's commissioners then addressed Mattathias as follows, 'You are a respected leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you. Be the first to step forward and conform to the king's decree, as all the nations have done, and the leaders of Judah and the survivors in Jerusalem; you and your sons shall be reckoned among the Friends of the King, you and your sons will be honored with gold and silver and many presents.'

Raising his voice, Mattathias retorted, 'Even if every nation living in the king's dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors. May Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances. As for the king's orders, we will not follow them: we shall not swerve from our own religion either to right or to left.'

As he finished speaking, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein as the royal edict required. When Mattathias saw this, he was fired with zeal; stirred to the depth of his being, he gave vent to his legitimate anger, threw himself on the man and slaughtered him on the altar. At the same time he killed the king's commissioner who was there to enforce the sacrifice, and tore down the altar. In his zeal for the Law he acted as Phinehas had against Zimri son of Salu. Then Mattathias went through the town, shouting at the top of his voice, 'Let everyone who has any zeal for the Law and takes his stand on the covenant come out and follow me.'

Then he fled with his sons into the hills, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.

Mattathias was joined by many Jews who remained faithful to God, and together they formed a resistance army.

(I Maccabees 2:42-44) Soon they were joined by the Hasidaean party, stout fighting men of Israel, each one a volunteer on the side of the Law. All the refugees from the persecution rallied to them, giving them added support. They organized themselves into an armed force, striking down the sinners in their anger, and the renegades in their fury, and those who escaped them fled to the gentiles for safety.

Even though they were fewer and not well armed or trained militarily as the Greek army, these faithful Jews were victorious.

(I Maccabees 2:47-48) They hunted down the upstarts and managed their campaign to good effect. They wrested the Law out of the control of the gentiles and the kings and reduced the sinners to impotence.

After Mattathias died, his son Judas was left in charge of the rebel army.

(I Maccabees 3:1-3) His son, Judas, known as Maccabaeus, then took his place. All his brothers, and all who had attached themselves to his father, supported him, and they fought for Israel with a will. He extended the fame of his people. Like a giant, he put on the breastplate and buckled on his war harness; he engaged in battle after battle, protecting the ranks with his sword.

Judas recognized that the victories they obtained were not due to his own ability as a leader, but were a help from Heaven. That is why he was able to fight with faith and trust.

(I Maccabees 3:17-22) But as soon as these saw the force advancing to meet them, they said to Judas, 'How can we, few as we are, engage such overwhelming numbers? We are exhausted as it is, not having had anything to eat today.' 'It is easy', Judas answered, 'for a great number to be defeated by a few; indeed, in the sight of Heaven, deliverance, whether by many or by few, is all one; for victory in war does not depend on the size of the fighting force: Heaven accords the strength. They are coming against us in full-blown insolence and lawlessness to destroy us, our wives and our children, and to plunder us; but we are fighting for our lives and our laws, and he will crush them before our eyes; do not be afraid of them.'

Upset by the Jewish revolt, Antiochus gathered his entire army to attack Jerusalem and completely destroy it. Faced with this threat, Judas and the faithful Jews did not flee, but armed themselves with courage to stand against the enemy, even if it meant loosing their lives.

(I Maccabees 3:42-60) Judas and his brothers saw that the situation was going from bad to worse and that armies were camping in their territory; they were also well aware that the king had ordered the people's total destruction. So they said to each other, 'Let us restore the ruins of our people and fight for our people and our sanctuary.'

The Assembly was summoned, to prepare for war, to offer prayer and to implore compassion and mercy. Jerusalem was as empty as a desert, none of her children to go in and out. The sanctuary was trodden underfoot, men of an alien race held the Citadel, which had become a lodging for gentiles. There was no more rejoicing for Jacob, the flute and lyre were mute. After mustering, they made their way to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, since Mizpah was traditionally a place of prayer for Israel. That day they fasted and put on sackcloth, covering their heads with ashes and tearing their garments. For the guidance that the gentiles would have sought from the images of their false gods, they opened the Book of the Law. They also brought out the priestly vestments, with first-fruits and tithes, and marshalled the Nazirites who had completed the period of their vow. Then, raising their voices to Heaven, they cried, 'What shall we do with these people, and where are we to take them? Your holy place has been trampled underfoot and defiled, your priests mourn in their humiliation, and now the gentiles are in alliance to destroy us: you know what they have in mind for us. How can we stand up and face them if you do not come to our aid?' Then they sounded the trumpets and raised a great shout.

Next, Judas appointed leaders for the people, to command a thousand, a hundred, fifty or ten men. Those who were in the middle of building a house, or were about to be married, or were planting a vineyard, or were afraid, he told to go home again, as the Law allowed.

The column then marched off and took up a position south of Emmaus. 'Stand to your arms,' Judas told them, 'acquit yourselves bravely, in the morning be ready to fight these gentiles massed against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. Better for us to die in battle than to watch the ruin of our nation and our Holy Place. Whatever be the will of Heaven, he will perform it.'

He also told them:

(I Maccabees 4:8-11) Judas said to his men, 'Do not be afraid of their numbers, and do not flinch at their attack. Remember how our ancestors were delivered at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them in force. And now let us call on Heaven: if he cares for us, he will remember his covenant with our ancestors and will destroy this army confronting us today; then all the nations will know for certain that there is One who ransoms and saves Israel.'

In effect, those faithful Jews were victorious, because God wanted it that way. This was the FIRST MIRACLE of Chanukah: the victory of the small one over the giant.