Battle of Beth Zechariah
−162
Hebrew year: 3599 (ג׳תקצ״ט)
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The Battle of Beth Zechariah took place in −162 between Jewish forces led by Judas Maccabeus and a large Seleucid army commanded by Lysias during the reign of Antiochus V Eupator.
According to 1 Maccabees 6, the Seleucids deployed war elephants alongside infantry and cavalry, overwhelming the Jewish defenders. Eleazar Avaran, brother of Judas, reportedly killed a war elephant he believed carried the Seleucid king, but died when the animal collapsed upon him.
The battle ended in a Seleucid victory and was followed by a siege of Jerusalem. Despite the defeat, internal political conflicts forced the Seleucids to negotiate, allowing Jewish religious practices to continue.
- Hebrew year
- 3599 (ג׳תקצ״ט)
- Place
- Beth Zechariah
- Category
- Wars & battles
- Part of
- Hellenistic Period
