[3] At the outset of the reign of Antiochus V, there was an attempt by the Syrians to quell the Maccabean Revolt in Judea, but this ended in a weak compromise.

After a military victory in the Battle of Beth-Zecharia and the killing of Eleazar Avaran, a brother of Judas Maccabeus, Lysias was informed that Philip (a confidant of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who had accompanied this previous king to conquer Mesopotamia and had been entrusted prior to the death of the king with the upbringing of Antiochus V) was returning to the capital with the other half of the Seleucid army.

Lysias felt threatened and advised Antiochus V to offer peace to the Jews.

The Jews accepted; however, in order to ensure they would not rise against them again soon, the Syrian king and regent broke their promise and tore down the walls of Jerusalem before leaving.

[5] When the Roman Senate heard that the Syrian kingdom kept more warships and elephants than allowed by the Treaty of Apamea made in 188 BC, they sent a Roman embassy to travel along the cities of Syria and attempted to cripple Seleucid military power by sinking the Syrians' warships and hamstringing their elephants.