Hebrew Heroes: A Tale Founded on Jewish History

  CHAPTER IX.

  DEATH OF MATTATHIAS.

  Wild was the life led by Mattathias and his followers in themountains--a life of danger and hardship; danger met manfully, hardshipendured cheerfully. Amongst wild rocks, heaped together like thefragments of an elder world torn asunder by some fearful convulsion ofNature, the band of heroes found their home. Where the hyaena has itsden, and the leopard its lair; where the timid wabber or coney hides inthe stony clefts, there the Hebrews lurked in caves, and manned thegigantic fastnesses which no human hands had reared, and from which itwould be no easy task for any enemy to dislodge them.

  The small band that had rallied round Mattathias when he withdrew fromModin, had been soon joined by other bold and zealous sons of Abraham,and the mountains became a place of refuge to many who fled frompersecution. As numbers increased, so did the difficulty of procuringmeans of subsistence. The Asmoneans and their followers chiefly livedupon roots. The less hardy of the band suffered severely from thechill of the frosts, the keenness of the sharp mountain air, the sharpwinds that blew over snow-clad heights. But no voice of complaint washeard. Frequent forays were made into the plains; idol-altars werethrown down, forts were burnt, detachments of Syrians cut off. None ofthe enemy within many miles of the rocky haunts of the Asmoneans laydown to rest at night feeling secure from sudden attack during thehours of darkness; and oft-times the early morning light showed a heapof smouldering ruins where, on the evening before, the banners of Syriahad waved on the walls of some well-manned fortress.

  To the bold spirit of Maccabeus there was something congenial in theadventurous kind of existence which he led, and yet he was not one whowould have adopted a guerrilla life from choice. As even in a hard androcky waste there are spots where rich vegetation betrays some sourceof hidden nourishment below, and they who dig deep enough under thesurface find a spring of bright pure living waters,--so deep within theAsmonean's heart lay a hidden source of tenderness which prevented hisnature from becoming hardened by the stern necessities of warfare.This secret affection made the warrior more chivalrous to women, moreindulgent to the weak, more compassionate to all who suffered. In themoment of triumph, "Will not Zarah rejoice?" was the thought which madevictory more sweet; in preservation from imminent danger, the thought,"Zarah has been praying for me," made deliverance doubly welcome. Whenthe evening star gleamed in the sky, its pure soft guiding orb seemedto Judas an emblem of Zarah; as he gazed on it, the warrior wouldindulge in delicious musings. This desperate warfare might not lastfor ever. If the Lord of Sabaoth should bless the arms of Hisservants; might not the time come when swords should be beaten intoploughshares, when children should play fearlessly in pastures which nooppressor's foot should tread, and the sound of bridal rejoicings beheard in the land of the free? Hopes so intensely delightful wouldthen steal over the Asmonean's soul, that he would suddenly start likea sentinel who finds himself dropping asleep on his post. How daredthe leader of Israel's forlorn hope indulge in reveries which made himfeel how precious a thing life might be to himself, when he had freelydevoted that life to the service of God and his country? When Davidwas engaged in rescuing his flock from the lion and the bear, did hestop to gather the lilies of the field? "It is well," thought JudasMaccabeus, "that I have never told Zarah what is in my heart; if Ifall, as I shall probably fall, on the field of conflict, I would notleave her to the grief of a widow."

  An event was at hand which was felt as a heavy blow by all to whom thecause of Israel was dear, but more especially so by the Asmoneanbrethren, who from their childhood had regarded their father withreverence and affection.

  Mattathias was an aged man, and though his spirit never sank under toiland hardship, his constitution soon gave way under their effects. Thepatriarch felt that his days, nay, that his hours, were numbered, andsummoned his sons around him to hear his last wishes, and to receivehis parting blessing.

  In a cave near the foot of a mountain, stretched upon a soft couch ofskins of animals slain in the chase, lay the venerable man. The pallorof death was already on his face, but its expression was tranquil andcalm. The aged pilgrim looked like one who feels indeed that he hasGod's rod and staff to lean on while he is passing through the valleyof the shadow of death. The full glare of noonday was glowing on theworld without, but softened and subdued was the light which struggledinto the cave, and fell on the form of the dying man, and the stalwartfigures of the Asmonean brothers bending in mute sorrow around theirhonoured parent.

  Mattathias bade his sons raise him a little, that he might speak tothem with more ease. Jonathan and Eleazar, kneeling, supported him intheir arms; while their three brothers, in the same attitude ofrespect, listened silently at his side to the patriarch's farewelladdress.

  I shall not dare to add words of my own to those which the historianhas preserved as the dying utterances of this noble old man--a hero,and the father of heroes. I give them as they fell upon the ears ofJudas Maccabeus and his brothers, who received them as Joseph receivedthe parting blessing of Israel.

  "Now hath pride and rebuke gotten strength, and the time ofdestruction, and the wrath of indignation. Now, therefore, my sons, beye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of yourfathers. Call to remembrance what acts our fathers did in their time,so shall ye receive great honour and an everlasting name.

  "Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was imputed untohim for righteousness. Elias, for being zealous and fervent for thelaw, was taken up into heaven. Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bybelieving, were saved out of the flame. Daniel, for his innocence, wasdelivered from the mouth of the lion. And thus, consider ye,throughout all ages, that none that put their trust in Him shall beovercome. Wherefore, ye my sons, be valiant, and show yourselves menin behalf of the law; for by it ye shall obtain glory."

  The old man paused, as if to gather strength, and then stretching forthhis wasted hand towards Simon, his second son, he went on:

  "Behold, I know that your brother Simon is a man of counsel; give earunto him alway; he shall be a father unto you."

  Then the hand was again extended, and this time laid on the bowed headof Maccabeus:

  "As for Judas Maccabeus," said the dying man, in firmer accents, as ifthe very name inspired him with vigour, "he hath been mighty andstrong, even from his youth up; let him be your captain, and fight thebattle of the people."

  There was no murmur of dissent, not even a glance of jealousy from theeye of the generous Johannan, when his younger brothers were thuspreferred before him, as superior in those qualities with which leadersshould be endowed. Johannan knew, and was content to acknowledge, thatthe wisdom of Simon and the military talents of Judas far exceeded hisown; he would serve with them, and serve under them, cheerfullysubmissive to the will of God and the counsels of his father. We findnot the slightest trace of jealous rivalry amongst that glorious bandof brethren, who all shared the privilege of suffering--three ofdying--for their country.

  Then, after solemnly blessing his five sons, Mattathias departed inpeace, as one who has fought a good fight, and kept the faith to theend. Great lamentation was made throughout Judaea for him in whom thenation had lost a parent. The sons of Mattathias carried his body toModin, and buried it in the sepulchre of his fathers.

  In after-times of prosperity and peace Simon raised a fair monument ofmarble, in the form of seven lofty pillars, which could be seen fromafar by those sailing over the blue waters of the Mediterranean. TheAsmonean prince placed this memorial there in honour of his parents andtheir five sons, after Jonathan, Eleazar, and Judas Maccabeus hadsealed with their brave blood the testimony of their devotion to thecause of faith and of freedom.