lethargic_man | Antiquities of the Jews, fit the nineteenth

A few years ago, I first learned from liv how the principle of פיקוח נפש, saving life, taking precedence over everything but the three sins of idolatry, adultery and murder, was not originally established, and in Hasmonean times people died because they refused to fight on Shabbos. When I saw a session on this subject advertised for Limmud last year, I was interested to learn more. Unfortunately, I missed the first half of it, because the closing gala overran and there were no announcements as to whether following sessions would be delayed, as they had been after havdala at the start of the week. I was not at all pleased about this, but at least I get to learn part of the story by reading Antiquities of the Jews, starting with XII.5.274:

Many others did the same also, and fled with their children and wives into the desert, and dwelt in caves. But when the king's generals heard this, they took all the forces they then had in the citadel at Jerusalem, and pursued the Jews into the desert; and when they had overtaken them, they in the first place endeavored to persuade them to repent, and to choose what was most for their advantage, and not put them to the necessity of using them according to the law of war. But when they would not comply with their persuasions, but continued to be of a different mind, they fought against them on the sabbath day, and they burnt them as they were in the caves, without resistance, and without so much as stopping up the entrances of the caves. And they avoided to defend themselves on that day, because they were not willing to break in upon the honour they owed the sabbath, even in such distresses; for our law requires that we rest upon that day. There were about a thousand, with their wives and children, who were smothered and died in these caves; but many of those that escaped joined themselves to Mattathias, and appointed him to be their ruler, who taught them to fight, even on the sabbath day; and told them that unless they would do so, they would become their own enemies, by observing the law [so rigorously], while their adversaries would still assault them on this day, and they would not then defend themselves, and that nothing could then hinder but they must all perish without fighting. This speech persuaded them. And this rule continues among us to this day, that if there be a necessity, we may fight on sabbath days.

XII.5.237 describes what happened immediately before the Hasmonean revolt:

Jesus, who was the brother of Onias, was deprived of the high priesthood by the king, who was angry with him, and gave it to his younger brother, whose name also was Onias [...]. This Jesus changed his name to Jason, but Onias was called Menelaus. Now as the former high priest, Jesus, raised a sedition against Menelaus, who was ordained after him, the multitude were divided between them both. And the sons of Tobias took the part of Menelaus, but the greater part of the people assisted Jason; and by that means Menelaus and the sons of Tobias were distressed, and retired to Antiochus, and informed him that they were desirous to leave the laws of their country, and the Jewish way of living according to them, and to follow the king's laws, and the Grecian way of living.

Shortly afterwards, Antiochus came to Jerusalem, killing and enslaving the people, plundered the Temple, and desecrated it, offering up pigs on the altar; then forbade the practice of Judaism. Matatthias and his sons rose up in revolt, and the rest is history. What's not readily apparent unless you read between the lines is that Menelaus, the Hellenising High Priest who started the whole business by telling Antiochus he wanted to give up Jewish practice, seems to have remained High Priest for the period after the Temple was recaptured, during which the Hasmoneans had not yet taken the High Priesthood upon themselves! They don't teach you about that in cheder! (See also my Limmud notes "Would you buy a cruse of oil from this High Priest".)

[Please comment at my collected Book XII notes post, on Dreamwidth for preference, or on LiveJournal.]

Josephus notes