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Slinging Rocks!
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just studying some of the battles in the book of 1 maccabees, and read some things that make me wonder if judas maccabeus was a slinger who led an army of slingers. from the lopsided numbers in some of the battless he won even though he was so outnumbered, and some of the wording it makes me think perhaps so....
2:33And they said unto them, Let that which ye have done hitherto suffice; come forth, and do according to the commandment of the king, and ye shall live. 34But they said, We will not come forth, neither will we do the king's commandment, to profane the sabbath day.
35So then they gave them the battle with all speed.
36Howbeit they answered them not, neither cast they a stone at them, nor stopped the places where they lay hid;
37But said, Let us die all in our innocency: heaven and earth will testify for us, that ye put us to death wrongfully
this group of his followers died rather than fight on their special day, but note how they would not cast a stone.
10:69Then Demetrius made Apollonius the governor of Celosyria his general, who gathered together a great host, and camped in Jamnia, and sent unto Jonathan the high priest, saying, 70Thou alone liftest up thyself against us, and I am laughed to scorn for thy sake, and reproached: and why dost thou vaunt thy power against us in the mountains? 71Now therefore, if thou trustest in thine own strength, come down to us into the plain field, and there let us try the matter together: for with me is the power of the cities. 72Ask and learn who I am, and the rest that take our part, and they shall tell thee that thy foot is not able to to flight in their own land. 73Wherefore now thou shalt not be able to abide the horsemen and so great a power in the plain, where is neither stone nor flint, nor place to flee unto.
now this could be referring to a place with sure footing for soldier and beast, but then it could be a reference to judas' army's slinging ability...or both??
in other places it talks about macccabeus' army beating down/back the enemies, which is a termed used in ecclesiacticus 47:4 Slew he not a giant, when he was yet but young? and did he not take away reproach from the people, when he lifted up his hand with the stone in the sling, and beat down the boasting of Goliath?
but i found in other old writings where they used that type of wording for beating back with the sword as well...
just curious to know if anyone else knows more about their history that could shed light on this?
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