28. A Heroic Battlefield Oops
Eschewing the guerrilla tactics that had won him victories and served him well so far, Judas Maccabeus formed his men to meet the Seleucids in formal battle. It was a mistake, as Judas’ forces proved no match for the Seleucid heavy infantry phalanx, professional cavalry, and armored war elephants. The latter were especially terrifying, and the Jewish defenders began to panic and break in fear of the pachyderms.
Eleazar Avaran sought to encourage his comrades by demonstrating the elephants’ vulnerability. So he charged at the biggest elephant he could find, got beneath it, and thrust his spear into its unarmored belly, killing the beast. He did not get to savor his success for long, however, because the dying elephant collapsed on top of Eleazar and crushed him to death. Oops. His comrades did not rush in to emulate him, and the courageous demonstration did not suffice to keep the Jewish army from breaking soon thereafter.
Also Read: Bizarre Deaths: 12 of History’s Weirdest Deaths.
