# Hasmonean/Maccabean tactics and equipment



## X Equestris (Sep 13, 2017)

I'm planning a story for an alt-history/historical fantasy anthology about an alternate Rome, and was considering setting it in an equivalent of the Maccabean Revolt.  Problem is, little related to Jewish tactics and equipment in this era is coming up.  I know how key guerilla tactics were in the early stages of the revolt, and what has come up suggests the Jews adopted the phalanx and tactical systems of the Diadochi after Judah Maccabee's death, but I can't find anything on how closely they copied them.  I also haven't found anything related to arms or armor either.  If Greek influence weren't significantly weaker in this alternate world, I'd go with that, but it doesn't fit the scenario very well.  

In summary, anything related to the military of Hasmonean or Herodian Israel, and weapons and armor of Jewish forces in the Maccabean Revolt, Great Jewish Revolt, Kitos War, or Bar Kokhba Revolt would be an immense help.


----------



## skip.knox (Sep 13, 2017)

Does Josephus not have details on this?


----------



## X Equestris (Sep 13, 2017)

skip.knox said:


> Does Josephus not have details on this?



Josephus has a little (that's where the indications of adapting Hellenistic systems comes from, with a later battle against the Seleucids suggesting a Jewish phalanx) but weapons and armor is fairly broad strokes.  Photographs, archaeological finds, or even archaeological would be more help there.  Unfortunately, nothing's turning up that is definitely from the right place and period.


----------



## skip.knox (Sep 13, 2017)

How about the Osprey books? They've got something on just about everything. We're talking Imperial Rome here; there are a ton of books on imperial Roman military. It's not my field, but I've done some on late Imperial so I've seen the literature from afar, as it were.


----------



## X Equestris (Sep 14, 2017)

skip.knox said:


> How about the Osprey books? They've got something on just about everything. We're talking Imperial Rome here; there are a ton of books on imperial Roman military. It's not my field, but I've done some on late Imperial so I've seen the literature from afar, as it were.



I took a look, and they seem perfect.  Thanks.


----------



## matanya (Sep 14, 2017)

During the great Revoult, there was a lot of inter conflict among the Jews. There was a radical cult called the Sicarii(Siqari'im, in Hebrew) that carried a small sword/daggre under their cloths, and killed with it everyone who opposed them. This inter-conflict is what led to the distraction of the temple and the failier of the revolt (as mentioned in Jewish literature: because of free hatred/hatred for free the temple was destroyed). However, during the Bar Kokhaba revolt, there was more unity among the poeple, though it also failed evantually.  
The Maccabean Revolt was agianst the Greeks, not the Romans.

Few interesting stories from the Jewish literature:
1)Eleazar Maccabeus, in the Battle of Beth Zechriah, run under a greek war elephant and stabed it. The elephant died and crushed him to death.
2)During the siege on Jerusalem (in the Grea rebelion), the Jews rolled down money from the top of the wall, and the Romans rolled up two young goats for the daily sacrifice, until one day the Romans rolled up two pigs. once/before the pigs passed half its way up, it touched the wall and the earth shook 400 parsa (parsa=3.65 km or 3.84 km or 4.61 km) and then the Romans entered the city.
3)There were several battles(Masada, Yodfat, Gamla), when the defending Jews saw they were about to lose and commited suicide so they won't fall to enemy hands. Some consider this act as heroisem, but other consider it as a sin since it is forbidden for someone to take his own life(there is a Jewish saying, that loosly translated, says: 'even when a sharp swords rests on someons throat/neck, he should'nt give up hope for mercy[i.e. god will save him]').
4)Bar Kokhba gave the soldier who wanted to join his army a test - they needed to cut of their fingre. After he was told by the religious leaders to stop maiming the soldiers, he changed the test and accepted anyone who could uproot a Lebanese cedar tree while riding a horse.
5)Eleazar of Modi'im protected the city Betar by praying and fasting, until Bar Kokhba caught a Samaritan in the city. The Samaritan told him that rabi Eleazar wanted to give the city to the Romans, so Bar Kokhba killed him and the city fell.

Those are some stories that came to my mind, they are not all about military, but they show the religious asspect which played a key roll.


----------



## X Equestris (Sep 14, 2017)

matanya said:


> During the great Revoult, there was a lot of inter conflict among the Jews. There was a radical cult called the Sicarii(Siqari'im, in Hebrew) that carried a small sword/daggre under their cloths, and killed with it everyone who opposed them. This inter-conflict is what led to the distraction of the temple and the failier of the revolt (as mentioned in Jewish literature: because of free hatred/hatred for free the temple was destroyed). However, during the Bar Kokhaba revolt, there was more unity among the poeple, though it also failed evantually.
> The Maccabean Revolt was agianst the Greeks, not the Romans.
> 
> Few interesting stories from the Jewish literature:
> ...



I'd seen most of these before, but they're interesting nonetheless.  

For added context, this story would be set in the early period of Roman-Jewish relations, with an analogue to their alliance against the Seleucids (which would be against an independent, non-Hellenic Egypt, since Greece was devastated by a magic catastrophe during the Persian Wars).  I figured exploring the culture clash between the allies would be great conflict, especially in a world where various pagan pantheons are "real".


----------

