Chapter LI: A King, Indeed

When Judas returned to his palace he found his brethren in waiting. Their manner told the anxiety with which they anticipated his decision of the momentous question of the kingship. Judas relieved them of the necessity of putting their thoughts into words.

"Do you still believe that I should be King?"

"It is the will of the nation," said Simon.

"And yours?"

"And ours," said all, making low obeisance.

"You swear me absolute obedience?"

"Obedience absolute. There can be no other sort of kingship."

One by one his brethren took his hand; then ranged in a circle about him. There was no need of a crown to give majesty to this man: his form towering; his face imperious; and around him the very atmosphere almost visibly radiant with the prestige of victories such as Heaven had never before given to man. Nor did his brethren need princely robing to make them feel due pride in this hour of the founding of the new Dynasty.

"I thank you, my brothers, worthy all of the blood of our father Mattathias. Hear, then, my command. I exact no vow, but trust your love to guard your loyalty."

"Our brother's word is our law," said Simon.

"His word our law," went round the little circle.

"Gather close about me," said Judas.

Then lowering his voice: "This is my will. Let the word King never again be heard in our council. Nor let the daughter of Elkiah be spoken of except as the wife of Gershom ben Shattuck."

"Ben Shattuck!"

The exclamation burst vehemently from all lips.

Judas had no need to explain his words; for at the moment Meph's voice rang across the plaza:

"Dion is a Jew! Dion is a Jew! The son of Agathocles is the son of Shattuck."

* * * * *

Judas left little time for any to dispute his decision. His tremendous energy was imparted to every man about him. Priests were loaded with questions regarding their ancient customs, which absorbed their study day and night, for Judas would immediately reorganize their order according to the Aaronic ideal. Such artisans as were still to be found among the people, builders in stone, carvers of wood, and women skilled in needlework, were given their part in the problem of the renovation of the Temple. The city walls were to be strengthened, new citadels built in the surrounding villages, cordons of forts placed around the entire land, the army to be reorganized for more systematic defence, and new campaigns planned to effectually awe the surrounding tribesmen.

Every day saw the mark of the master-hand of their leader. The rubbish heaps outside the gates were ornamented with the shattered pieces of pagan statuary. The sacred courts on Mount Moriah were purged of every stain of the heathen Abomination. A new altar rose on the site of the ancient one. Its stones were untouched by chisel, only laid together symmetrically, as befitted a memorial to Him who created all things without the help of human hands. The stones of the ancient altar, which had been desecrated by the foul offerings of the Greeks, were laid away until the great Messiah should come.

The crowning act of Greek pollution had taken place three years before, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Chisleu, which corresponds with the Roman month of December. Judas appointed the same date for the Feast of Dedication, which has been annually repeated ever since throughout the Jewish world.

For eight days the streets of the city and all the highways leading to its gates from valley and hill were thronged with processions bearing palm branches, and shouting the old Hallel psalms. In many groups were those who had not touched hands for years; men who had come out of hiding-places where they had taken covert from the incessant persecution. Some came laden with their goods, making willing offerings of coins and jewels to swell the fund for the glorious work.

At each nightfall every house gleamed like a constellation with crowded lights in doorway and window, and on parapet and dome. The Temple plaza blazed with great fires which sent beams of hope far over the Judean hills, and by the glare in the sky proclaimed the triumph of Israel to the camps of the enemy beyond the borders.

One house outshone all other private dwellings on the third night of the Feast of Dedication. It stood near to the western gate, close by the Tower of David, with the city's breadth separating it from the Temple. The fires on the roof of this house saluted as with waving hands of flame the blazing glory of the Temple Mount. This was the old mansion of Shattuck, for years deserted, but now reoccupied by its new-found inheritor.

Between this house and that of Elkiah the streets were densely crowded on that third night. At the middle hour a cry rent the air:

"She comes! She comes!"

Close back against the houses the people were massed. There was no need of official command, for the populace was moved by a common gladness and reverence.

There was but one instance of what would have seemed to a stranger a breach of decorum. Down the street came Meph waving his crutch like the baton of a marshal, and shouting:

"Make way! Make way for the Daughter of Jerusalem! Way for the bride of Ben Shattuck!"

No one rebuked the lad, for the story of his part in bringing about the regeneration of the popular Greek into a Jew was well known. "Bless the boy!" was the only comment heard as his heels conducted both himself and the pageant that followed.

The procession was more artistically heralded by bands of players on flute and tabor, succeeded by those leading the multitude in the ancient marriage song of the people.

Amid a hundred torches was seen the gigantic form of Judas together with his brethren. For this hour at least all traces of solemnity and care were banished from his face, as he led the "friends of the bridegroom," who, according to the time-honored custom, were conducting the bride to the house of her husband.

As Deborah appeared surrounded by her maidens the cries, "Long live Judas Maccabæus!" were quickly changed.

"Joy! joy to the daughter of Elkiah! Long live Deborah, the Daughter of Jerusalem!" rang from a thousand lips.

The happy crowd hurried along as if impelled by their own huzzas, until the bride disappeared within the portal of the house of Shattuck.

* * * * *

An hour later Judas sat alone in his chamber in the palace on Sion. The stars as they floated by looked through the high window, but did not disturb the soul which at that hour was moving through depths as profound as theirs. The gray dawn alone aroused him--in which there was a poetic propriety; for since the day-spring summons all nature to activity, why should it not awaken the tremendous forces of this great heart for its work in resurrecting a nation?

Judas reached out his hand and struck the bronze gong--the same that Apollonius had rung three years before when he was vanquished by the spirit of Deborah in this same hall.

"Call the Captains!"

His chief officers came with evidence of hasty toilet--for celerity never waited upon formality in the councils of Judas. His sentences, as he addressed them, were laconic, as if he assumed that his hearers had listened at his brain and already knew his thoughts.

"Friends, I learn that the men of Edom are moving from their camps on the south. The tribesmen of the Jordan and beyond are preparing to strike us. Tyre and Sidon are enrolling their trained bands. Every man, then, in readiness by the turn of the moon!"

With a wave of his hand he dismissed them.

The result of this order belongs to history, which tells how the invincible men of Judas, beginning on the south, swung to east, then from east to north, then from north to west, and then from west to south again--the swing of the mighty Hammer of Israel--crushing a hostile tribe at every stroke, until Judah lay quiet within all its desolate borders.

No sword gleamed brighter in those days than that of Gershom ben Shattuck, and no foeman gave more desperate battle than Nadan, son of Yusef, Sheikh of Jericho.

_Printed in the United States of America_

NOTE.--Judas fell in battle three years later. The still sceptreless rule was then taken by Jonathan, who, with the title of High Priest, consolidated the religious and secular orders, and laid wide and deep the foundation of the Asmonean power--a title taken from the family name of Mattathias, the father of the Maccabees. On the death of Jonathan, Simon the Wise accomplished his purpose of kingship for Israel, and crowned himself. In the seed of Simon the dynasty endured until the last diluted drops of Maccabæan blood drained from the veins of the Herods, and the eyes of the world were turned to one whom they called, not Messiah Malhamah, "The Anointed for War," but Christ, "The Prince of Peace."

For the descriptions of the battles of Judas mentioned in this book the writer has been compelled to supplement with his own imagination very meagre historic materials. The place of the fight with Apollonius (The Wady) is unidentified by chroniclers. The affair at Bethhoron follows only the general topography of the region. The stratagem of Judas at Emmaus is, however, well known, and was imitated by Bonaparte. The method of "The Hammer" at Bethzur cannot have differed greatly from that described. The result of all these battles is as historic as it was marvellous.

If injustice has been done to any of the real characters involved, Antiochus Epiphanes, Mattathias and his five sons, the priest Menelaos, or the various generals commanding the hosts overthrown by the heroic patriots, the writer is prepared to make the personal _amende honorable_ if he should ever meet them in the shades.

For the other characters, Deborah and Dion, Caleb and Meph, it is sufficient to say that they are the children of his own fancy, over whom he exercises the ancient paternal right of absolute disposal. Of Glaucon and Clarissa, the report that Agathocles, on his return to Antioch, met them as the keepers of a wine shop near the bridge over the Orontes, is as true as were all the other declarations of that veracious Greek.

The student of the Maccabæan period may profitably consult the Books of the Maccabees in the Apocryphal Bible (for traditional accounts); "The Histories of Polybius" (for contemporaneous history of other nations); Prideaux's "Connections of Old and New Testaments" (for relation of Jews and Gentiles); Stanley's "Jewish Church," volume iii. (for summary of men and events); Conder's "Judas Maccabæus" (for topography); Church's "The Hammer" (for local color, customs, etc.); Riggs' "Jewish People."

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Transcriber's Notes:

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings, non-standard punctuation, inconsistently hyphenated words, and other inconsistencies.