The biography of Judas Maccabaeus is in fact the story of the military and political struggle that he led against the Seleucid authorities from his father Mattathias’ death (166 b.c.) up to his own heroic death (160 b.c.). Unfortunately, the sources do not elaborate on his earlier life and activity.

The period of Judas Maccabaeus’ leadership can be divided into two stages: beginning a year or two after the inception of the religious persecutions, the first stage ended with the death of Antiochus Epiphanes and the purification of the Temple (Kislev-December 164 b.c.). During this period there were four major encounters with regular Seleucid forces: the battles against Apollonius and Seron, the campaign at Ammaus, and the clash at Beth Zur. After the purification of the Temple, when the child-king Antiochus V Eupator ascended the throne, there was a lull in the punitive measures of the Antioch authorities which was utilized by Judas Maccabaeus for conducting campaigns to rescue Jews in remote districts of Eretz Israel and for consolidating the defence of Judaea. During the second stage, which began in April 162 b.c. and ended two years later with the death of Judas Maccabaeus on the battlefield (160 b.c.), there were four additional important confrontations: the encounter with Lysias, the regent of Antiochus V, near Beth Zacharia and, after Demetrius Fs accession (November 162 b.c.), the battles against Nicanor, the governor of Judaea, at Kafar Salama and Adasa, and the final battle near Elasa against Bacchides, the governor of the western regions of the empire. However, the resistance to the Seleucids did not die out after the disaster at Elasa.