Bethsura came out, and burned them with
fire, and fought valiantly.

And Judas removed from the citadel, and encamped at Bethzacharias,
over against the king's camp. And the {440} king rose early in the
morning, and removed his army at full speed along the road to
Bethzacharias, and his forces made them ready to battle, and sounded
the trumpets. And they showed the elephants the blood of grapes and
mulberries, that they might prepare them for the battle. And they
divided the beasts among the phalanxes, and they set by each elephant
a thousand men armed with coats of mail, and helmets of brass on their
heads; and for each elephant were appointed five hundred chosen
horsemen. These were ready beforehand, wheresoever the elephant was;
and whithersoever the elephant went, they went with him; they departed
not from him. And towers of wood were upon them, strong and covered,
one upon each elephant, girt fast upon him with cunning contrivances;
and upon each elephant were two and thirty valiant men that fought
upon them, beside his driver (and the rest of the horsemen he set on
this side and that side at the two parts of the army), striking terror
into the enemy, and protected by the phalanxes. Now when the sun shone
upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains shone therewith, and
blazed like torches of fire.

And a part of the king's army was spread upon the high mountains, and
some on the low ground, and they went on firmly and in order. And all
that heard the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the
multitude, and the rattling of the arms, trembled: for the army was
exceeding great and strong.

{441}{442}

[Illustration]
RUINS OF THE CASTLE AT SIDON.

From a photograph taken by Dr. W. J. Moulton, and used by his kind
permission.

The famous city on the coast which held, with its great rival, Tyre,
the commercial supremacy of the East. It was the scene of
innumerable battles and sieges.
[End illustration]

{443}

And Judas and his army drew near for battle, and there fell of the
king's army six hundred men. And Eleazar, who was called Avaran, saw
one of the elephants armed with royal breastplates, and he was higher
than all the elephants, and the king seemed to be upon him; and he
determined to deliver his people, and to get him an everlasting name;
and he ran upon him courageously into the midst of the phalanx, and
slew on the right hand and on the left, and they parted asunder from