1 Maccabees 7:40–50

⁴⁰But Judas pitched in Adarsa with three thousand men: and Judas prayed, and said:

⁴¹O Lord, when they that were sent by king Sennacherib blasphemed thee, an angel went out, and slew of them a hundred and eighty-five thousand:

⁴²Even so destroy this army in our sight today and let the rest know that he hath spoken ill against thy sanctuary: and judge thou him according to his wickedness.

⁴³And the armies joined battle on the thirteenth day of the month, Adar: and the army of Nicanor was defeated, and he himself was first slain in the battle.

⁴⁴And when his army saw that Nicanor was slain they threw away their weapons, and fled:

⁴⁵And they pursued after them one day’s journey from Adazer, even till ye come to Gazara, and they sounded the trumpets after them with signals.

⁴⁶And they went forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and they pushed them with the horns, and they turned again to them, and they were all slain with the sword, and there was not left of them so much as one.

⁴⁷And they took the spoils of them for a booty, and they cut off Nicanor’s head, and his right hand, which he had proudly stretched out, and they brought it, and hung it up over against Jerusalem.

⁴⁸And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day with great joy.

⁴⁹And he ordained that this day should be kept every year, being the thirteenth of the month of Adar

⁵⁰And the land of Juda was quiet for a short time.