The General Advertiser (issued on the day prior to the concert) announced the event as: The first performance took place on 1 April 1747 at the Royal Opera House, and Judas Maccabaeus became one of Handel's most popular oratorios. The people rejoice that peace has at last come to their country ( O lovely peace). News arrives that Rome is willing to form an alliance with Judas against the Seleucid empire. Victory has finally been achieved for the Jewish people ( See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes!). Again Judas rallies the people ( Sound an alarm) and insists that the pagan altars must be destroyed and that false religions must be resisted. When news arrives that the Seleucid commander Gorgias is preparing to enact revenge, the people's joyous mood gives way to wailing and dejection ( Ah! wretched Israel!). The people have been victorious, but Judas is concerned that vanity will cause the people to claim victory for themselves. Simon's brother, Judas Maccabaeus, assumes the role of leader and inspires the people with thoughts of liberty and victory through the power of Jehovah. The people mourn the death of their leader Mattathias, but his son Simon tries to restore their faith and calls them to arms ( Arm, arm, ye brave). Handel's music depicts the changing moods of the Jewish people as their fortunes vary from dejection to jubilation. After tearing down a pagan altar, Mattathias retreated to the hills and gathered others who were willing to fight for their faith. One who defied was the elderly priest Mattathias who killed a fellow Jew who was about to offer a pagan sacrifice. Being ordered to worship Zeus, many Jews obeyed under the threat of persecution however, some did not. The events depicted in the oratorio are from the period 170–160 BC when Judea was ruled by the Seleucid Empire which undertook to destroy the Jewish religion. Morell's libretto is based on the deuterocanonical (or apocryphal) book 1 Maccabees (2–8), with motives added from the Antiquitates Judaicae by Flavius Josephus.
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