Bible Figure
Judas Maccabeus
Judas Maccabeus was the son of Mattathias who became the outstanding military leader of the Maccabean revolt after his father's death. Through a series of victories against larger Seleucid forces, Judas recovered Jerusalem and the Temple. The Temple was cleansed and rededicated in 164 BC, an event commemorated in the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Judas continued the struggle until he was killed in battle in 160 BC.
Biography
Judas was the third son of Mattathias and inherited military leadership of the Jewish resistance when his father died early in the revolt against Seleucid religious persecution. Beginning with a relatively small force, Judas used mobility, surprise, knowledge of the terrain, and the growing support of those committed to Jewish worship to defeat successive enemy commanders. Victories over Apollonius and Seron strengthened his movement, and later campaigns against larger Seleucid armies opened the way to Jerusalem. In 164 BC Judas and his followers entered the city, cleansed the desecrated Temple, rebuilt its altar, restored worship, and celebrated its dedication for eight days. The event became the foundation of Hanukkah. The conflict did not end with the Temple's recovery. Judas campaigned to protect Jewish communities in surrounding regions, fought further Seleucid armies, and sought diplomatic support from Rome. Under Demetrius I, the commander Bacchides entered Judea with a much larger force. Many of Judas' men withdrew before the battle near Elasa, but Judas chose to fight with the force that remained and was killed in 160 BC. His brothers recovered his body and buried him at Modein.
Biblical Significance
Judas Maccabeus became the central hero of the revolt that preserved Jewish worship against coercive Hellenization. The rededication of the Temple under his leadership is remembered in Hanukkah, a feast mentioned in the New Testament as the Feast of Dedication. His struggle also helped create the conditions from which the Hasmonean state emerged, making his career important historical background for understanding the political and religious world between the Old and New Testament periods.