Supernatural epic novels about the Abomination of Desolation predicted by the Bible prophet Daniel. Reluctant warrior Judah Maccabee leads a Jewish revolt against the Greek tyrant king Antiochus Epiphanes that results in the origin of the festival of Hanukkah in the Apocrypha. Respected Christian author, biblically faithful, spiritual warfare novel. 2 Parts.
Character Images created by Cam Harless and Brian Godawa.
© Copyright 2025 Warrior Poet Publishing.
Judah Maccabee in Seleucia
Judah Maccabee in Israel
The Jewish son of a priestly family with five brothers, who leaves his hometown of Modein, Judea to serve the Seleucid king Antiochus Ephiphanes in Syria as a mercenary. He uses his Greek name Judas. But when the king persecutes the Jews, he returns to Modein, changes his name back to Judah, and ends up fighting to the death against the Seleucid empire.
Sophia of Athens
An upper-class young Greek woman who converts to Judaism with her family. She falls in love with Judah and they marry. Her purity of devoltion to God challenges him to be more.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
The Abomination of Desolation. The “Mad Emperor” of the Seleucid empire who seeks to expand his power by crushing the Jews into submission to his Hellenist cultural revolution. He will not stop until they all give in or Antiochus kills them.
Queen Laodice IV
The voice of sanity in the king’s presence. But the king does not take kindly to sanity.
Princess Laodice V
Niece of King Antiochus Epiphanes, daughter of Queen Laodice IV. She is captured as a hostage by Judah Maccabee, but soon becomes romantically entangled in a dangerous risk.
Mattathiah
A priest of Modein, Judah, who becomes so zealous for holiness that he slays a Seleucid herald along with a Jew offering a profane sacrifice to Zeus. He and his sons flee to the woods and begin the uprising with Judah leading the forces.
Hannah
The godly wife of Mattathiah. Though society does not give women much voice or opportunity to fight this war, Hannah will not be silenced. And she sacrifices her entire family of sons for the cause.
Eleazar
A scribe who refuses to eat pork when Epiphanes tries to force the Jews to profane their religion. This humble man will pay a price for his obedience, but he will also become a symbol of the defiance that will free the nation of Israel from Epiphanes’ grip.
Judah Maccabee’s brothers…
John (“The Fortunate”)
Eldest son of Mattathiah. Though he doesn’t lead the rebellion as the eldest, he will prove to be a most valuable asset against the Seleucid war machine.
Simon (“The Wise”)
Second son of Mattathiah. Competitor with Judah. He becomes a general when Judah becomes high priest. He will succeed as leader of the Resistance when the wars continue on.
Eleazar (“the Piercer”)
Though he does not take pride of place in the leadership of this band of righteous outlaws, he will achieve a zealous and glorious act of heroism that will turn the tide of the war. Expert with a javelin.
Jonathan (“The Dissembler”)
The youngest of the five brothers but the smartest and the most political-minded. He and Eleazar are the youngest and the snarkiest of the family.
Apollonius
A Greek general of the Seleucid army, and governor of Samaria. He will lead the abomination of desolation of the temple and martyr the Jews. Judah has a particular vengeance prepared for this monster.
Lysias
A Greek nobleman appointed General in the Seleucid army. He sends several other leaders to find Judah and his rebels, but soon learns that if he wants to get the job done, he’s going to have to do it himself. And Judah is waiting for him.
Seron
Commander of the Syrian army. He has a particular grudge against Judah and will stop at nothing, sacrifice everything to get the Maccabean rebels and their leader, Judah the Hammer.
Gorgias
Gorgias is an Idumean (Edomite) general for King Antiochus. His people have a long history of hatred of Jews. Gorgias sends 5,000 men and 1,000 calvary to ambush Judah. But he doesn’t realize Judah is about to ambush him.
Menelaus
A priest who watches the fight for the high priesthood between the brothers Onias and Jason. What they don’t realize is that Menelaus is watching them and waiting for his own moment to depose whoever wins that battle. And he becomes a tool of King Antiochus Epiphanes to betray his own people.
Amazon Queen Deianeira
The beautiful and dangerous Queen of the Amazon female warrior tribe. She’s guarded by two lions, she wears the belt of Apollo, and Heracles wants it.
Amazonians
A brutal Scythian tribe of women that lives in the Pontus region south of the Black Sea. They have legendary skills riding horses and using composite bows and arrows. They are man-killers.
The Archangels
The archangels are mysteriously absent. But not totally…
Watchers of Rome
Watchers of Greece
They stole alot of ideas from the Ancient Near East. Now they want to steal the Land of Israel.
Watchers of Egypt
They were decimated by Yahweh’s plagues in the days of Moses, but that was a long time ago, and now, they have rebuilt their forces with new rebels taking the roles of the gods beneath the watchful eyes of Greece.
Hydra/Leviathan
King Antiochus and his army
Seleucid War Elephant
Jewish women martyrs and their infants
