sabbath. So the king took Bethsura and stationed a garrison there to keep
it. Then he encamped against the sanctuary for a long time; and he set
there mounds from which to shoot and engines of war and instruments for
casting stones and fire, and pieces to cast darts and slings. And they
also erected engines against those of the besiegers and fought for a long
time. But since there was no food in the sanctuary, because it was the
seventh year and those who had fled for safety into Judea from among the
heathen had eaten up what remained of the store of provisions, there were
but a few left in the sanctuary, because the famine became so severe upon
them, and they scattered, each man to his own home.

[Sidenote: I Macc. 6:55-63]
Now Lysias heard that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, had appointed
during his lifetime to bring up his son Antiochus that he might be king,
had returned from Persia and Media and with him the forces that went with
the king, and that he was trying to get control of the government, he
hastily decided to depart. And he said to the king, and to the officers of
the army and to the men, We are growing weaker every day, our supplies are
scanty, and the place which we are besieging is strong, and the welfare of
the kingdom depends upon us; now therefore let us give the right hand to
these men and make peace with them and with all their nation, and covenant
with them that they may live according to their own customs as formerly;
for because of their laws, which we abolished, they were angered and did
all these things. This counsel pleased the king and the princes, and he
sent to them to make peace. They accepted it, and when the king and the
princes took oath to them, they came out of the stronghold. But when the
king entered Mount Zion and saw the strength of the place, he broke the
oath which he had sworn and gave orders to pull down the wall round about.
Then he set out in haste and returned to Antioch and found Philip master
of the city; and he fought against him and took the city by force.