The episode at Modein and the escape to the Gophna Hills

Organized popular opposition to the religious persecutions began with Mattathias’ charismatic action at Modein, described in great detail in I Maccabees (2.15–18). Sporadic outbreaks of resistance no doubt occurred in various places at the same time. Mattathias’ public defiance was the signal for the rural population to raise its head and rally around the leadership of the Hasmonaean family. The audacity and initiative to assault the representative of the government doubtless derived from the special personality of Mattathias and his family. However, since Mattathias himself resided in Jerusalem at the start of the persecutions (I Macc. 2.1) and refrained from responding to Seleucid provocations in the city, most certainly geographic and accessibility factors contributed to making Modein the site of the most serious spontaneous uprising against the authorities, and the cradle of the general revolt.

Modein, today Tel al-Ras near the village of El-Midya, is located close to the meeting point of three geographical regions, and is itself on relatively gentle and easily accessible terrain. East and north of it, however, stretches rugged, mountainous terrain that is not easily traversable. Modein is situated at the north-eastern extremity of the Low Shephela. South of Modein is the Shephela, the hilly transitional region between the steep rugged slopes of the Judaean Hills and the coastal plain. The Shephela consists of two parts, a higher one that is more difficult to traverse and a lower one which is relatively easy. The boundary between them passes by Ni'lin, slightly east of Modein.