Emmaus - References in Other Sources

References in Other Sources

According to 1 Maccabees 3:55-4:22, around 166 BC Judas Maccabeaus fought against the Seleucids in the region of Emmaus, and was victorious at the Battle of Emmaus; later, the town was fortified by Bacchides, a Seleucid general (1 Macc 9:50). When Rome took over the land it became a toparchy, and was burnt by order of Varus after the death of Herod in 4 BC. During the First Jewish Revolt, before the siege of Jerusalem, Vespasian’s 5th legion was deployed there while the 10th legion was in Jericho. The town was renamed Nicopolis in 221 AD by Emperor Elagabalus, who conferred the title of “city” following the request of a delegation from Emmaus. The Plague of Emmaus in 639 AD is claimed to have caused up to 25,000 deaths in the town.