Battle of Beth Horon (166 BC)

This article is about the battle between Hasmoneans and Hellenic Seleucid Empire. For the battle between Judean rebels and the Syrian Legion of the Roman Empire, see Battle of Beth Horon (66).
Battle of Beth Horon
Part of Maccabean Revolt
Date166 BC
LocationBeth-horon, ascent of Beit Horon
Result Jewish victory
Belligerents
Judean rebels Seleucid army
Commanders and leaders
Judas Maccabeus Seron
Strength
1,000 men 4,000 men
Casualties and losses
Unknown 800

The Battle of Beth Horon was fought in 166 BC[1] between Jewish forces led by Judas Maccabaeus and a army of the Seleucid Empire under the command of Seron.[2]

The rebel army led by Judas Maccabeus was growing in strength. They had just inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Seleucid General Apollonius and now they faced the forces of the Syrian Governor Seron, who was widely overconfident.[3] With Maccabeus' superior knowledge of the terrain, he prepared his forces to ambush the larger Seleucid force . Seron had anticipated this and spread out his force, but the Maccabees exhibited superior tactical skill by decimating the general's leading unit and killing Seron himself.[4] With their leader dead, the shocked and disconcerted remnants of the Seleucid army took to the hills and ran.

The stubborn Seleucids refused to give up their slow phalanx-based tactics when compared to the lightweight and quick Maccabean militia thus always creating problems for them on the battlefield.

Another force was soon sent against Maccabaeus, which led to the Battle of Emmaus.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ [Mattis Kantor, "The Jewish Timeline Encyclopedia," (1989: Jason Aronson, Inc., NJ), p.83]
  2. ↑ Josephus Antiquities Book 12 Chapter 7 paragraph 1
  3. ↑ The Apocrypha: First Book of the Maccabees 3:15-26 [trans. Goodspeed (1959), p. 384-385] and "Judas Maccabeus, Hammer of the Jews", Military Heritage Magazine, February 2009, pg. 49
  4. ↑ "Judas Maccabeus, Hammer of the Jews", Military Heritage Magazine, February 2009, pg. 50

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