Battle of Elasa - Definition and Overview

The Battle of Elasa was fought between Jewish and Syrian Forces during the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Kingdom.

In 160 BC, the Seleucid King Demetrios, on campaign in the east, left his general Bacchides to govern the western portion of the kingdom. Bacchides led an army of 20,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry into Judea intending to crush the rebellion with one swift stroke.

He marched on Jerusalem, conducting a campaign of intimidation & devastation, in an attempt to draw out the rebel army of Judas Maccabeus. Judas deployed his army to face Bacchides at Elasa, north of Jerusalem. 1 Maccabees claims that Judas had only 800 troops, in reality he would have had upwards of twenty thousand, though his cavalry would probably have been outnumbered by the Seleucids.

Bacchides began the battle by committing his phalanx to the attack. As the two phalanxes fought it out, Judas, on the Maccabean left, launched an attack against Bacchides on the Seleucid right. Bacchides withdrew & was pursued for several kilometres, until he turned to bay and was joined by the cavalry from the Seleucid left in surrounding and killing Judas. Meanwhile the outnumbered but more experienced Seleucid Phalanx had won through in the infantry battle. The Seleucids had reasserted their authority in Judea, but Judas's brother Jonathan continued to conduct guerrilla resistance.