Mattathias then cried out in a loud voice, “Whosoever is zealous for the
Law, and supporteth the Covenant, follow me”, with his sons and a few of
his followers, Mattathias fled to the mountains. Many Jews who favored
their plan of resistance now joined their numbers. Whenever the
opportunity offered, they would attack the Syrian garrisons, and often
were successful. They drove out the overseers of the King who came to
enforce idol worshipping, and destroyed every heathen altar they gained
access to. They reestablished public worship, and did what was in their
power to restore the government of Israel. The Syrian generals, however,
soon found out how the Jews were occupying themselves. Taking advantage
of their strict observance of the Sabbath, they attacked one thousand
Jews, who, having escaped to a cave, allowed themselves to be
slaughtered without making any attempt to defend themselves. Mattathias,
foreseeing that if the Jews would offer no resistance on the Sabbath,
that they would quickly be wiped out, decided that it was not only
lawful for them to fight on that day, but that it was their duty to do
so. The decision of Mattathias was accepted by all, and the Jews
thereafter did not hesitate to fight on the Sabbath, when their lives
were at stake.