Demetrius son of Seleucus escapes from Rome, takes the throne and has Antiochus and Lysias killed. Alcimus, who wants to be high priest, accuses Judas, and the king sends him with Bacchides. The Assideans trust Alcimus as a priest of the seed of Aaron, but he has sixty of them slain in one day. Then comes Nicanor, who tries to seize Judas by deceit, is beaten at Capharsalama and swears to burn the temple unless Judas is handed over. On the thirteenth of Adar, at Adasa, Nicanor falls first; his head and proud right hand are hung up toward Jerusalem, and the day becomes a yearly feast.

1 Maccabees 7 - Summary
Read 1 Maccabees Chapter 7 Summary
Characters in This Chapter

Priest of Modin who refuses to sacrifice to idols, launches the revolt and on his deathbed names Judas captain

Son of Mattathias and leader of the revolt, who wins at Emmaus, rededicates the Temple and falls at Eleasa

Seleucid king who plunders the Temple, outlaws the law and sets up the abomination of desolation, then dies in Persia

First High Priest

King of Israel
Places in This Chapter

City plundered and garrisoned by Antiochus, won back by Judas, rebuilt by Jonathan and freed of its Syrian tower by Simon

Sanctuary profaned by the abomination of desolation in the 145th year and rededicated by Judas three years later to the day

Town of Mattathias, where the revolt begins and where the family is buried under Simon's monument

Royal city of the Seleucid kings, from which the armies set out, and where Jonathan's soldiers save Demetrius from a rising

Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire and became a significant center of early Christianity. The apostle Paul wrote his most theological letter to the church in Rome and eventually traveled there as a prisoner. Both Peter and Paul are traditionally believed to have been martyred in Rome. Paul's Letter to the Romans is foundational to Christian theology, addressing salvation, grace, and the relationship between Jews and Gentiles.
Position in Book
Alcimus and Nicanor are sent against Judas, Nicanor falls on the thirteenth of Adar, and Judas makes a league with Rome.

