SAUL & GAMALIEL CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR- Page 2

SAUL SLEPT LITTLE that night as he tossed restlessly through the hours of darkness. Life with Esrom and his sister Miriam had become miserable. They, along with Aunt Hulda, were influenced more and more by the teachings of Jesus and his followers. He could no longer say that Jesus had deceived only the illiterate and lower class people. There were those in aristocratic circles, like Nicodemus, and many priests who believed, and now, even Gamaliel was asking if this movement could be of God. Following his death at the hands of the Romans, Saul had hoped his influence would diminish, but to the contrary--it was growing.

Through the remaining hours of the night, Saul found only brief moments of sleep. At times he would be awake and exclaim aloud, "It has to be stopped! It has to be stopped! The people cannot be deceived. Whatever price is required to pay, it will not be too great, if we can rid our land of these followers of Jesus. If it takes force, then we will use force. And I will give my strength and last drop of blood, if needs be, to keep this deception from spreading any further."

Before the first rays of dawn broke over the city, Saul, in a semi-conscious state, felt as if he was looking back over almost 200 years, to the time when the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes tried to force the Jewish people to worship his pagan gods, and even placed his own image, made in the likeness of Zeus, in the Holy Place in the Temple. The ultimate abomination, the abomination of desolation. Saul's own soul now felt desolate, as if the threat of Jesus, a man being worshipped in Israel, brought the same curse upon the land. Saul saw afresh the old priest Mattathias, and his sons resisting the Syrians, and commencing the Maccabean revolt.

The last of the old priests to serve in those days was Simon, and his descendant bearing the same name lived on the northern side of Beth-Horon, on the road leading to Modin where the Maccabean revolt began. Saul suddenly felt all of the emotions of his inner being combined in a unified passion that gave him one purpose for living. "I WILL PAY THE PRICE!" he cried aloud, "even if it requires every ounce of strength and my last drop of blood. I will follow the path that was walked by Judah Maccabeus, the Hammer, two centuries ago. We will cleanse the Temple of these deceivers, and rid all of Judea of these followers of Christ."

Before any others in the house arose, Saul hurriedly dressed and left without pausing to eat. He decided to go to the inn in Emmaus, hopefully to have an audience with the aged Simon of Beth-Horon, descendant of the great Maccabean reformer. The morning sun felt friendly on his back, as Saul turned toward the road leading to Emmaus. For the first time in days, he was charged with a zeal that he was truly on a mission for God. He was hungry and ready for a hearty meal when he stopped at an old inn. It stood off the beaten trail. He recalled his uncle Hasham telling him, although it was small, it was one of the best stopping places northwest of Jerusalem. Hasham should know, he had travelled this way often.

Saul had been there only once before with his uncle, and he was amazed when the innkeeper, a robust, red-faced friendly man named Aaron, greeted him and called him by name when he entered the inn. As Saul enjoyed the bread and fish, and fresh fruit and cheese, he thought, "How would he know my name?" Perhaps it was the quality of intelligence of a successful innkeeper to remember as many of his patrons as possible.

While Saul enjoyed the bountiful array of food that was placed on the table, the innkeeper Aaron chose to sit and talk with him for a few moments. Aaron had an eye for unusual men, and Saul was more than the average pilgrim in his judgment. His dress, his flashing dark eyes, his movements reflected one of intense energy. And it wasn't many minutes until Saul learned that Aaron's ancestors had operated this small inn for several generations.

"And were they here in the days when the Maccabees fought the Syrians?" Saul asked.
Saul didn't need to say more to unloose Aaron's tongue. His memory and imagination remained vivid. Immediately he commenced a description of battles fought and won, stories often told to him by his grandparents. "But there was one they lost," he said mournfully. "That was only because the Syrians used elephants."

Saul almost choked on a mouthful of goat's cheese, as he tried to keep from laughing. He had learned much about the Maccabean war, but had never heard of elephants.

Aaron looked offended that Saul doubted his word. "It was in these very highlands of Judea the Maccabees won a series of amazing victories. They were poorly equipped and had little training, and were greatly outnumbered by the armies of Antiochus V, the son of Epiphanes. Still, they captured Emmaus, Beth-Horon and Beth-Zur. The Syrians were forced to retreat until Antiochus could send reinforcements from Antioch, and the Maccabees could scarcely believe what he sent. They stared with wonder at the fresh army approaching, with elephants in the vanguard followed by detachments of cavalry. The Maccabees knew, of course, that Hannibal had used elephants in battle, but they never dreamed they would face the same in these Judean hills. Antiochus was so shocked and humiliated at the repeated successes of the Maccabees, he sent this formidable force, which he felt would assure his army of victory. Of course, the Maccabees were no match for these."
"And they fought near here?" asked Saul.

"This particular battle with the elephants was actually fought just southwest of Bethlehem near Beth-Zachariah." The fortress there changed hands several times, alternating between the Syrians and the Jews, and then the Maccabees. But after the Maccabees were defeated by the Elephant army, the Syrians were able to occupy and hold the fortress at Beth-Zur. This gave the armies of Antiochus a real advantage. But, about the time old king Antiochus of Syria thought he had everything won, trouble developed in his homeland, and he had to bring back much of the military force he had sent here. And that turned the tide in favor of the Maccabees."

After Saul finished his meal, he gave Aaron an additional silver coin, for which Aaron bowed and thanked him profusely. Saul was soon on his way to Beth-Horon. As he approached the city, he inquired for the home of the aged Simon. He did not need to ask twice. Everyone in the area was familiar with Simon's tavern, Simon's mill, and the old stone house that stood at the foot of the hill on the edge of Beth-Horon.

Saul had never met Simon, but when the old man appeared, he was all that Saul had envisioned. The white hair and beard framed a pleasant face, and eyebrows shaded dark eyes that seemed to shine with an enthusiasm remarkable for a man his age. Saul introduced himself as the son of Rabbi Benjamin, and grandson of Rabbi Ben-Lemuel. He watched Simon's face brighten when he told him he had studied as a youth under Gamaliel, grandson of Hillel, and he received a cordial welcome.
"Having admired your ancestor Mattathias and his five sons, including Simon after whom you are undoubtedly named," Saul began, "I felt it would be a great honor for me to meet you personally, and if not imposing on your time to learn more about the remarkable things accomplished by your family."
Simon assured Saul it was his honor to entertain him in his home. He called a servant, and gave lengthy instructions as to the special dishes of food he would like prepared for himself and his guest.

As he watched his gracious host, Saul thought, He may not be ruler of Judea, but he carries himself with all the dignity of a royal Hasmonean, and speaks as might be expected a descendant of a great High Priest and ruler of Judea. Saul knew that Simon's great grandfather had been a man up in years when he had inherited the throne. After ruling first the area of the Philistines, and proving to be a most able diplomat, he succeeded his brother Jonathan at his death, and won major concessions from Syria through diplomacy.

Following a delightful meal, Simon began to speak. "The rebellion was bound to come. When Antiochus, the Syrian king who ruled Judea, was determined to forbid our people to worship the true God and sought to impose his pagan gods, the rebellion had to come. When the Syrian met with the first resistance, he said, 'I will force them to worship as I tell them.' He tried to force an aged scribe named Fleazer to eat swine's flesh, and when he refused, they whipped him until he died. Then Antiochus tried to place his own image, made in the likeness of Zeus, in the Holy Place of the Temple. On the altar that he erected in the Temple they offered a pig. Of course, this fact is well known. In further determination to stamp out our form of worship, he made it a crime punishable by death for any of our people found keeping the Sabbath or celebrating any of our feast days. So, I repeat, there was certain to come an uprising against this Satanic power that sought to subject us. When the emissary of Antiochus, the Syrian king, arrived in Modin our neighboring village, an altar to the pagan gods was erected. This was with one intention only, to force the people of the area to worship as commanded.'

"The night before the ceremony was to take place, Mattathias gathered together his five sons and shared with them the crisis they were facing. John was the oldest, Simon was his second son, Judas the third son, Eleazar the fourth, and Jonathan the fifth. 'Remember,' Mattathias said, 'how they whipped the priest Fleazer to death trying to make him eat swine's flesh, from a pig that had been sacrificed on their altar. I don't intend to eat the Syrian's swine's flesh, nor sacrifice to his god, nor do I intend to let these pagans whip me or anyone else to death.' He held up his dagger with a grim smile. 'I want each of you to provide yourselves with the same type of weapon. Keep them well concealed, and stand close to me at the altar. Being the leader of the spiritual community, the Syrian emissary has asked me to be first at the altar in the morning, and I look forward to this meeting.'
"The morning dawned bright and clear. Long before the trumpets sounded as a signal to gather for the ceremony that had been widely publicized, crowds had already gathered. With much pomp and pageantry, the Syrian emissary Anticus approached the altar. He had placed a cohort of soldiers far enough removed from the altar so as not to suggest he was expecting resistance from the people. But still they were near enough to come, if needed, to protect him. In a pompous tone, Anticus the Syrian explained that his king demanded them to worship his gods as instructed, and when the trumpets sounded, the priests that formerly served for the Jewish God Jehovah should step forward and commence the ritual of sacrifice.'

"Tension pervaded the entire assembly. All eyes turned first to Mattathias who was the oldest and foremost priest of that area. The Syrian Anticus stood facing him, his face red with anger, as he realized his command was being defied. 'I will have the trumpet blown one more time, and give the order for the final time,' he said. 'And I will pronounce death to any priest who dares to defy the command of the king.' Anticus repeated this command, and still Mattathias made no move. Now the crowd glanced nervously toward the Syrian soldiers stationed nearby. With the final moment had come the supreme test.'

"Suddenly a murmur rippled through the crowd. A young priest named Enan, with pale face and shaking nervously, made the first move toward the altar. Anticus the Syrian smiled. This was a breakthrough in his favor. Others, including old Mattathias would be certain to follow. How wrong he was. With a shout of defiance and invoking the curses of God on the pagans, old Mattathias sprang forward. With one mighty thrust of his arm, he drove his dagger into the heart of Enan. With a single groan, the young priest fell. Anticus was too taken aback to move or call for his men. He found himself facing the enraged priest, who raised his dagger already dripping in blood, and drove it now into the heart of the Syrian.'

"Instantly there came a babble of voices, and the Syrian soldiers sensing something violent was occurring at the altar, tried to press through the crowd. Their first effort was to reach the side of their leader, not knowing that he was already dead. When they learned that he had fallen victim of the attack by the priest Mattathias, they turned to apprehend him, but were too late. The old priest and his sons had already slipped away from the crowd, and were heading to their secret hideout in the hills.'

"When the word reached Antiochus in his palace at Antioch, he realized he had gone too far in seeking to force his pagan religion on the Jewish people. Now there was a full scale uprising that would develop into a war, and perhaps years of war. Undoubtedly you are familiar with much of the history, Saul. There were times of victory that gave cause for rejoicing when Mattathias' son Judas, or as some say Judah, led his men to victories at Gophna, Beth-Horon, Emmaus, and Beth-Zur. Then laying siege to Jerusalem where the Syrians were entrenched in the fortress of Akra, they finally obtained a truce from the Syrians, and occupied the Temple hill and cleansed the Temple. I would like to have been there when they lit the Temple lamps in the name of Yaweh, the first time for them to be lit in three years. Of course, now we all celebrate that moment with Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights. While it is most understandable how there was rejoicing at the Feast of Lights, few realized how very dark were the days before them."

Simon closed his eyes and sat in total silence.

Saul said nothing. Was the old man asleep? Saul was not sure, until he saw Simon's lips moving. What was he saying? Listening closely, he heard him say, "Eight hundred." What did he mean by that? He listened again, and heard, "Eight hundred crucified." Was Simon having a vision? "Pharisees . . . all Pharisees . . . eight hundred crucified." Feeling suddenly very uncomfortable, Saul wondered what to do. Should he remain or quietly slip away.

While Saul still wondered about what move to make, old Simon opened his eyes, and said softly, "Forgive me, Saul of Tarsus. I forgot for some moments that you were here. There are times when the scenes of the past come before my vision in memory, and seem more than I can bear. The glories of victories won by fighting fill the pages of history. But can we measure the price?"

Saul was not quite sure what Simon meant, but he soon understood why he spoke as he did.
"When old Mattathias died," Simon said, "his third son Judah, known as the Maccabee, led his followers against the Syrians. With an army of 800 poorly equipped men, he fell in battle fighting a large Syrian army. Jonathan, his brother, carried on. The great powers, Rome, Sparta and Syria, soon engaged in struggle with each other, and Jonathan cast his lot with the enemies of Israel, the Syrians, as the lesser of evils. He became a member of the Syrian nobility in the exchange, and he ruled Judea as High Priest and Governor under the same deal. This planted a bad seed in the Maccabean line. When he died, his brother Simon succeeded him."

"And it was from Simon that you received your name?" Saul asked.

"That is correct, Saul. But his days on the throne were not many. He was on in years when he was made King and High Priest. He recognized Demetrius, the king of Syria, and received from Demetrius what could be called independence. At the same time, he was able to starve out the Syrian garrison of soldiers that held the fortress of Akra. Simon was the last of the sons of old priest Mattathias, and Simon died more than one hundred and fifty years ago. I say died. Truthfully, he was murdered."

"Murdered?" Saul said. "I had not known that."

"Yes, Saul, he and his two sons were murdered, not by the Syrians or Romans, but in a plot hatched by his own son-in-law. His third son, named John Hyrcanus, escaped the plot. He was able to succeed his father as ruler. The Syrians recognized him as king, and under his rule he expanded the territory of his kingdom to include Idumea, which in the time of Moses and David was Edom. Following the death of John Hyrcanus, his son Aristobulus succeeded him. Aristobulus cast his two brothers into prison, where it was said, two died of starvation. Another brother was murdered in the palace. These had drifted far from the religious convictions of their fathers. They mingled with the Syrian aristocrats and looked with disdain on the orthodox Pharisees, who had sprung from the Maccabean revolt. When the Pharisees opposed Alexander Jannaeus, the son of John Hyrcanus, Aristobulus sought out their leaders and crucified 800 Pharisees."

Saul remembered hearing old Simon repeating this softly, as he looked back on the sorrows of the past history of the Maccabees and Hasmoneans.

"They brought in the Idumaeans at this time," Simon continued. "That resulted in the Romans backing Herod the Great. They installed him as king. He murdered John Hyrcanus II, and was responsible for the death of Antigonus II, the great grandson of Hyrcanus. Antigonus II ruled less than three years. Herod succeeded him as king, and had him beheaded by the Romans. And Rome has been here ever since." Old Simon gave a weary sigh. "You know how Pompey came and the Temple was filled with thousands slain. You know how the Romans occupied your city of Tarsus. Much of what I have said in this past hour, Saul, you already knew. But you said you came today from Jerusalem to talk with me, a direct descendant of Simon, the son of the priest Mattathias, who was also the father of Judas, the first one to be called Maccabeus, the Hammer. You said you had a question, Saul, and I am not sure I can answer it, but I will try."

"If you could turn back the years, and see yourself, Simon, as the old priest Mattathias, would you do as he did?"

For some moments Simon did not answer.

Saul could see he was weighing carefully the answer he would give.

Old Simon sensed that he was talking to one who had all of the spirit of a revolutionary. How much his answer might influence him, he did not know. He wanted to answer him with wisdom. "Saul, if you are asking me if Mattathias should have submitted to the demands of the pagan Syrian and sacrificed to his gods, my answer is no. Would I have killed the Syrian emissary? I ask you, was there an alternative?"

Saul was not prepared to have the question suddenly placed so directly to him, and he was caught off guard. He looked into old Simon's face, and realized that in back of those dark penetrating eyes were years of struggle, years of searching, and a pool of wisdom. While Saul hesitated to answer, old Simon pressed him further. "I ask you, did Mattathias have any alternative?"

Saul felt the trap. If he said 'yes' then his plans to become a reforming 'Hammer" would be suspect. Ignoring the conflict in his soul, after a moment Saul answered Simon as Gamaliel had recently answered him--with a question. "Do you believe he had another alternative?"

"Yes, I do."

Saul felt his heart sink. "And what could it be?"

"God," the old man said. "God! Do you recall, Saul, how almost eight centuries ago, King Uzziah went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense, which was not for him to do. And when the priests rebuked him, he refused correction, and died a leper. And do you recall, Saul, how two centuries before the time of King Uzziah, King Jeroboam usurped the place of the priest, and when he stretched out his hand to take the priest, his hand withered? Supposing Mattathias had restrained himself from killing the Syrian and the young priest who offered sacrifice to idols, and he had commenced such an act and God had stricken him with leprosy as he did Uzziah, or withered his hand so he could not move it. What effect might this have had on the Syrian? Might he not have fled in terror, lest he himself be stricken by the judgment of God? I cannot say this would have happened, Saul. But if God allowed this judgment to come to Uzziah and Jeroboam, is he not still the same God? Yes, He is.'

"When the Syrian king Antiochus sent a great force, including elephants and cavalry against the Maccabees, were they able to withstand them? The answer is, 'no.' And how did they survive? Fighting broke out in Syria, and the Syrians could not finish the job on the Maccabees. They had to return to their homeland.'

"Does that not bring to mind the time when the combined armies of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir came against Israel in the days of King Jehoshophat? Do you recall, Saul, the king's prayer? He stood in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem and prayed. Do you recall how he feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast in Judah, and gathered the people together to ask help from the Lord? He said, 'O Lord God of our fathers, art thou not God in heaven? and rulest Thou not over the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thy hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to stand before Thee? Behold the children of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir have come to cast us out of the possession that thou hast given us to inherit. O our God will you not judge them? We have no might against this great company that come against us; neither know we what to do but our eyes are on thee. '

"Then you will recall, Saul, how the scripture records, '. . . all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives and children . . . the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, a Levite, and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, Thus saith the Lord unto you. Be not afraid nor dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God's. You shall not need to fight in this battle; stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And early in the morning, when they arose and went to meet the enemy, the king said, Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall you prosper.' And they began to sing and praise the Lord.'

" And you recall, Saul, what happened when they went out singing and praising God. 'The children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir had begun to quarrel among themselves, and they destroyed each other.' Could this not have been our story when Demetrius sent an army against Judah with elephants and cavalry, and men that were too powerful for the Maccabees? When the Syrians appeared victorious it was strife in their own land among their own people that caused them to withdraw from Judah. When the three Hebrew children in Babylon refused to bow to the idol built by King Nebuchadnezzar, and God's angel delivered them, the king said, 'There is no other God that can deliver like he can.' And he made a decree that no nation or people should speak against the God of Israel, who sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him. And when Daniel refused to pray to the God of Babylon, he was cast into the den of lions, and God's angel delivered him. Do you recall what happened to the king? He said, 'I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even on to the end.' The prophet Isaiah, in speaking as God's messenger to our people, said, 'I will give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.'"

As Saul listened to old Simon, the descendant of the Maccabees, quoting freely from the scriptures the words of the prophets, he could not help but admire his familiarity with scripture. "Does that mean," asked Saul, "that you believe there is no place for battle?"

Simon pondered his question for a moment, and then said, "In the early days of their struggle with the Syrians, Mattathias, who was then their leader, would not allow his followers to defend themselves in combat on the Sabbath. When he saw this could mean their destruction, he said it was pleasing to God for them to defend themselves, even on the Sabbath. I could be wrong, Saul, and Mattathias could have been wrong. Some of the problems of today do not have easy answers. What I see in the decision of the priest Mattathias is much more than the discussion of the day. It is the issue of whether you should be an aggressor, taking from others what is theirs, or a defender of your own rights and protecting what is yours. I think the record of the Maccabees defending themselves against the invasions of the Syrians revealed some amazing things. But when not content with this, they tried to expand their borders too aggressively, and the sons and grandsons of the Maccabees departed completely from the faith of their fathers. They despised the religion of our people, they took on the life of the pagan Syrians, they murdered their own family members in the striving for power. And speaking of Isaiah's word from God that we should be a 'light to the Gentiles,' there is quite a contrast between a light and a hammer. One must also consider the legacy left by this warfare.'

"For example, when John Hyrcanus inherited the throne, he added to Israel Edom, also called ancient Idumea. Well, how wise was this? It was a total disregard of Mosaic tradition and law. When Moses led Israel from Egypt, God did not allow him to invade Edom. When the Maccabees under the leadership of John Hyrcanus took Edom, they also acquired the Edomite who became known as Herod the Great. In the beginning, the Maccabees forced their religion on the Edomites. They compelled them to be circumcised. Look at the tragedies that have befallen our people as a result of this. Herod made his alliances with the Romans, who still dominate our land. Unless God leads us to battle, our use of force always produces more oppression. God made man to be a free moral agent, with the power to choose. Joshua never forced the people of Israel to follow God's ways. He said, 'You choose this day whom you will serve.' And he added, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.' That produced a different legacy than the legacy of force, you see?'
"Now, some of our people are calling for a Messiah to 'smash the power of Rome.' The power that will break the corruption of Rome is not the sword, but the light of truth that shows all men there is a true God who leads in the laws of love and brotherhood. I like what the teacher Jesus said; God was a Father of all."

Saul started at the mention of Jesus' name.

"I suppose," Simon continued, "you are acquainted with what took place recently in Jerusalem. But I say the people should have listened to Him. What was the harm? And there was much good done, like to the centurion up at Capernaum, and the ruler of the synagogue there. And even Pilate, the procurator of Rome, said he found Jesus faultless. I have heard that Gamaliel is sympathetic to his followers. Is it true that he said this movement could be of God?"

"Yes, Gamaliel said that, Simon," Saul answered, and said no more. Glancing up at the sun's position in the sky, Saul stood to his feet. "Simon, I must leave you now."

"Well, if your purpose in coming was to talk with old Simon about the Maccabees and their mission, I have done my best to tell you of their beginning, and the fruits that followed. And by your fruits you are known of all men."

LATE THAT EVENING, Saul stopped briefly at the house of Caiaphas. He had promised to report on his visit to Simon in Beth-Horon. All along the road to Jerusalem he had rehearsed his summary.

"And what did you learn?" asked the high priest eagerly.

"Simon has grown too old to be in touch with the needs of our day. He thinks we need a light more than a hammer. In this, he contradicts himself. On the one hand he celebrates the Festival of Lights, while on the other, he denigrates the hammer of the Maccabees who made it possible. How can such a man be taken seriously? I fear that age is withering his mind."

"So, what path do you choose?"

Without hesitation, Saul answered, "To be a hammer."