Beth-zur

So he fled, and in great grief departed from there to return to Babylon.

Then someone came to him in Persia and reported that the armies which had gone into the land of Judah had been routed; that Lysias had gone first with a strong force, but had turned and fled before the Jews; that the Jews had grown strong from the arms, supplies, and abundant spoils which they had taken from the armies they had cut down; that they had torn down the abomination which he had erected upon the altar in Jerusalem, and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before, and also Beth-zur his city.

When the king heard this news, he was astounded and badly shaken.

He took to his bed and became sick from grief because things had not turned out for him as he had planned.

And not against us alone have they stretched out their hands, but also against all the lands on their borders.

And behold, today they have encamped against the citadel in Jerusalem to take it.

They have fortified both the sanctuary and Beth-zur; and unless you quickly prevent them, they will do still greater things, and you will not be able to stop them.” The king was enraged when he heard this.

He assembled all his friends, the commanders of his forces, and those in authority; and mercenary forces came to him from other kingdoms and from islands of the seas.

But the next year he mustered sixty thousand picked infantrymen and five thousand cavalry to subdue them.

They came to Idumea and encamped at Beth-zur; and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

When he saw that the army was strong, he prayed, saying, “Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who did crush the attack of the mighty warrior by the hand of your servant David, and did give the camp of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and of the man who carried his armor! So do you hem in this army by the hand of your people Israel, and let them be ashamed of their troops and their cavalry.

Fill them with cowardice, melt the boldness of their strength, let them tremble in their destruction.

Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.

At that time they fortified Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers round about, to keep the Gentiles from coming and trampling them down as they had done before; and he stationed a garrison there to hold it.

He also fortified Beth-zur, so that the people might have a stronghold that faced Idumea.

The book of Sirach, chapter ten.

Then he repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam near the King's Garden, and he rebuilt the wall as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David.

Next to him was Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the leader of half the district of Beth-zur.

He rebuilt the wall from the place across from the tombs of David's family as far as the water reservoir and the House of the Warriors.

Next to him, repairs were made by a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum son of Bani.

And he built the wall of the pool of Shelah of the king's garden as far as the stairs that go down from the city of David.

After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-Zur repaired to a point opposite the tombs of David as far as the artificial pool and as far as the house of the mighty men.

After him the Levites repaired.

Rehum the son of Bani.

And Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it and covered it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the king’s garden as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David.

After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired to a point opposite the sepulchres of David, to the artificial pool, and to the House of the Mighty Men.

After him the Levites repaired: Rehum the son of Bani.

Next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, repaired for his district.

and to make a gain of the temple, as of the other temples of the Gentiles, and to set the high priesthood to sail every year, never considering the power of God, but puffed up in mind, and trusting in the multitude of his foot-soldiers, and the thousands of his horsemen, and his fourscore elephants.

So he came into Judea, and approaching to Bethsura, which was in a narrow place, the space of five furlongs from Jerusalem, he laid siege to that fortress.

But when Maccabeus and they that were with him understood that the strongholds were besieged, they and all the people besought the Lord with lamentations and tears, that he would send a good angel to save Israel.

Then Maccabeus himself, first taking his arms, exhorted the rest to expose themselves together with him to the danger and to the succor their brethren.

Now Judas sent necessaries to them that were within.

But Brodokos, one of the Jews' army, disclosed the secrets to the enemies, so he was sought out and taken up and put in prison.

Again the king treated with them that were in Bethsura, gave his right hand, took theirs, and went away.

He fought with Judas, and was overcome.

At the pool of Shelah, he built the wall next to the royal garden as far as the stairs leading down from David's city.

Nehemiah, son of Azbuk, ruler of half of the Beth-Zur district, built the next section, as far as David's tomb, the pool, and the barracks.

The following Levites rebuilt the next several sections of the wall.

Raham, son of Ben-Ai, built the next section.

Chapter 15 and the lot for the tribe of the sons of judah for their families is unto the border of edom the wilderness of zin southward at the extremity of the south and to them the south border is at the extremity of the salt sea from the bay which is looking southward and it hath gone out unto the south to maale akrabim and passed over to zin and gone up on the south to kadesh barnea and passed over to hezron and gone up to adar and turned round to karka and passed over to asmon and gone out at the brook of egypt and the outgoings of the border have been at the sea this is to you the south border and the east border is the salt sea unto the extremity of the jordan and the border at the north quarter is from the bay of the sea at the extremity of the jordan and the border hath gone up to beth-hogla and passed over on the north of beth-araba and the border hath gone up to the stone of bohan son of reuben and the border hath gone up towards debir from the valley of achor and northward looking unto gilgal which is over against the ascent of adumim which is on the south of the brook and the border hath passed over unto the waters of en shemesh and its outgoings have been unto en and the border hath gone up the valley of the son of hinnom unto the side of the jebusite on the south it is jerusalem and the border hath gone up unto the top of the hill country which is on the front of the valley of hinnom westward which is in the extremity of the valley of the rephaim northward and the border hath been marked out from the top of the hill country unto the fountain of the waters of nephtoah and hath gone out unto the cities of mount ephron and the border hath been marked out to baalah it is kirjath jearim and the border hath gone round from baalah westward unto mount seir and passed over unto the side of mount jearim it is chesalon on the north and gone down to beth shemesh and passed over to timnah and the border hath gone out unto the side of ekron northward and the border hath been marked out to shikron and hath passed over to mount baala and gone out to jabniel and the outgoings of the border have been at the sea and the west border is to the great sea and its border this is the border of the sons of judah round about for their families and to caleb son of jephunneh hath he given a portion in the midst of the sons of judah according to the command of jehovah to joshua even the city of arba father of anak it is hebron and caleb is dispossessing thence the three sons of anak sheshai and ahimon and talmai children of anak and he goeth up thence unto the inhabitants of debir and the name of debir formerly is kirjoth sepher and caleb saith he who smiteth kirjaph sephar and hath captured it i have given to him axa my daughter for a wife and othniel son of kenaz brother of caleb doth capture it and he giveth to him axa his daughter for a wife and it cometh to pass in her coming in that she persuadeth him to ask from her father a field and she lighteth from off the ass and caleb saith to her what to thee and she saith give to me a blessing when the land of the south thou hast given me then thou hast given to me springs of waters and he giveth to her the upper springs and the lower springs This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Judah for their families.

And the cities at the extremity of the tribe of the sons of Judah are unto the border of Edom in the south, Kabziel, and Eder, and Jagur, and Kina, and Daimona, and Adeda, and Kadesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan, Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth, and Hazor, Hadata, and Kiriath, Hezron, it is Hazor, emam and shema and moladah and hazargadah and heshmon and bethpalet and hazorshual and beersheba and bizjofjah baalah and ayim and azem and el tolad and chesil and hormah and ziklag and madmanah and sansanah and lebayof and chilhim and ayin and rimon all the cities are twenty and nine and their villages in the low country eshtaol and zerea and asna and zonoa and anganim tapua and enam jarmuth and adulam soco and azica and sharaim and adithaim and gedera and gederofaim fourteen cities and their villages zinan and hadashah and migdal gad and dilian and mizpeh and jacphiel lachish and bozkath and eglon and kabon and lamam and kithlish and gederoth beth dagon and naamah and makedah sixteen cities and their villages and jifta and ashnah and nazib and keilah and akzib and marashah nine cities and their villages ekron and its town and its villages from ekron and westward all that are by the side of ashdod and their villages ashdod its towns and its villages gaza its towns and its villages unto the brook of egypt and the great sea and its border and in the hill country shamir and jatir and soko and dana and kirjafsana it is debir and anab and eshtamo and anim and goshen and holan and gilo eleven cities and their villages arab and duma and ishion and janum and beth tapua and afika and humta and kirjath arba it is hebron and zior nine cities and their villages maon carmel and ziph and juta and jezreel and joctiam and zanoa cain gibeah and timnah ten cities and their villages halhul beth-zur and gidor and ma'araph and beth-anoth and el-tachan six cities and their villages kirjath baal it is kirjath-jearim and rabah two cities and their villages in the wilderness beth-arabah midin and sakaikah and nibshan and the city of salt and engedi six cities and their villages as to the jebusites inhabitants of jerusalem the sons of judah have not been able to dispossess them and the jebusite dwelleth with the sons of judah in jerusalem unto this day chapter sixteen and the lot for the sons of joseph goeth out from jordan by jericho to the waters of jericho on the east to the wilderness going up from jericho in the hill country of beth-el and hath gone out from beth-el to luz and passed over unto the border of archai to utteroth and gone down westward unto the border of jathleti unto the border of beth horon the lower and unto gezer and its outgoings have been at the sea and the sons of joseph manasseh and ephraim inherit and the border of the sons of ephraim is by their families and the border of their inheritance is on the east atroth adar unto beth horon the upper and the border hath gone out at the sea to mekmatha on the north and the border hath gone round eastward to taanath shiloh and passed over it eastward to janoah and gone down from janoah to ataroth and to naaroth and touched against jericho and gone out at the jordan from tapua the border goeth westward unto the brook of cana and its outgoings have been at the sea this is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of ephraim for their families and the separate cities of the sons of ephraim are in the midst of the inheritance of the sons of manasseh all the cities and their villages and they have not dispossessed the canaanite who is dwelling in gezer and the canaanite dwelleth in the midst of ephraim unto this day and is to tribute a servant chapter seventeen and the lot is for the tribe of manasseh for he is firstborn of joseph for machir firstborn of manasseh father of gilead for he hath been a man of war and his are gilead and bashan and there is for the sons of manasseh who are left for their families for the sons of abiezer and for the sons of helek and for the sons of asriel and for the sons of shechem and for the sons of hefer and for the sons of shemida these are the children of manasseh son of joseph the males by their families as to zelophehad son of hefer son of gilead son of machir son of manasseh he hath no children except daughters and these are the names of his daughters malah and noah hoglah milcah and tirzah and they draw near before eleazar the priest and before joshua son of nun and before the princes saying jehovah commanded moses to give to us an inheritance in the midst of our brethren and he giveth to them at the command of jehovah an inheritance in the midst of the brethren of their father and ten portions fall to manasseh apart from the land of gilead and bashan which are beyond the jordan for the daughters of manasseh have inherited an inheritance in the midst of his sons and the land of gilead hath been to the sons of manasseh who are left and the border of manasseh is from asher to mechmithah which is on the front of shechem and the border hath gone on unto the right unto the inhabitants of entapua to manasseh hath been the land of tapua and tapua unto the border of manasseh is to the sons of ephraim and the border hath come down to the brook of cana southward of the brook these cities of ephraim are in the midst of the cities of manasseh and the border of manasseh is on the north of the brook and its outgoings are at the sea southward is to ephraim and northward to manasseh and the sea is his border and in asher they meet on the north and in issachar on the east and manasseh hath in issachar and in asher bethshean and its towns and ibleam and its towns and the inhabitants of dor and its towns and the inhabitants of endor and its towns and the inhabitants of taanach and its towns and the inhabitants of megiddo and its towns three counties and the sons of manasseh have not been able to occupy these cities and the canaanite is desirous to dwell in this land and it cometh to pass when the sons of israel have been strong that they put the canaanite to tribute and have not utterly dispossessed him and the sons of joseph speak with joshua saying wherefore hast thou given to me an inheritance one lot and one portion and i a numerous people hitherto hath jehovah blessed me and joshua saith unto them if thou art a numerous people go up for thee to the forest then thou hast prepared for thee there in the land of the perizzite and of the raphaim when mount ephraim hath been narrow for thee and the sons of joseph say the

hill is not found to us and a chariot of iron is with every canaanite who is dwelling in the land of the valley to him who is in bethshean and its towns and to

him who is in the valley of jezreel And Joshua speaketh unto the house of Joseph, to Ephraim, and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a numerous people, and hast great power.

Neither have they put forth their hand against us only, but also against all our borders.

And behold, they have approached this day to the castle of Jerusalem to take it, and they have fortified the stronghold of Bethsura.

And unless thou speedily prevent them, they will do greater things than these.

and thou shalt not be able to subdue them.

And they built strong cities in Judea, the fortress that was in Jericho, and in Amos, and in Bethorin, and in Bethel, and Thamnata, and Phara, and Thopo, with high walls, and gates, and bars.

And he placed garrisons in them, that they might wage war against Israel.

And he fortified the city of Bethsura, and Gazara, and the castle, and set garrisons in them and provisions of victuals and he took the sons of the chief men of the country for hostages and put them in the castle in jerusalem in custody now in the year one hundred and fifty three the second month alchemus commanded the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary to be thrown down and the works of the prophets to be destroyed and he began to destroy At that time Alchemist was struck, and his works were hindered, and his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that he could no more speak a word, nor give order concerning his house.

And Alchemist died at that time in great torment.

Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and had fortifications built for the following cities of Judah and Benjamin.

Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Bethzur, Soko, Adulam, Gath, Maresha, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron.

He had them strongly fortified and appointed a commander for each of them, and in each one he placed supplies of food, olive oil, and wine, and also shields and spears.

In this way he kept Judah and Benjamin under his control.