Battle of Elasa 160 BC
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 160 BC | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Ancient (before 500) | derived from year |
| Location | Israel | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Maccabean Revolt | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Maccabees, Seleucid Empire | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 31.8761, 35.2083 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Elasa was fought in April 160 BCE during the Maccabean Revolt between Judean rebels led by Judas Maccabeus (Judah Maccabee) and an army of the Seleucid Empire under the command of Bacchides. The battle resulted in the triumph of the Greek Syrian forces, the defeat of the Maccabees, and the death of Judas Maccabeus.
The leadership of the Maccabees passed to Judas's brother Jonathan Apphus (Yonatan), who continued to fight against Bacchides for the remainder of 160 BCE. The Seleucids largely triumphed; control of the cities was restored to them, including Jerusalem, hostages of important Jewish families were taken, and Greek-aligned garrisons were placed around Judea. Despite this setback, unrest continued in the countryside. The Hasmonean sons of Mattathias continued to oppose the government in the following eight years, and eventually succeeded in gaining allies both among Seleucid rulers and the Romans that would allow for autonomy. Judas's brother Simon Thassi established an independent Hasmonean kingdom in 142–141 BCE, fulfilling the goal of the Maccabees.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Elasa (revision 1370439894), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Maccabean Revolt
- Battle of the Ascent of Lebonah 167 BC
- Battle of Beth Horon (166 BC) 166 BC
- Battle of Emmaus 165 BC
- Battle of Beth Zur 164 BC
- Battle of Beth Zechariah 162 BC
- Battle of Adasa 161 BC
All 7 battles of the Maccabean Revolt →
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