| Antiochus IV
- an-tī´o-kus International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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| (Ἐπιφανής,
Epiphanḗs,
ē̇-pif´a-nēz,
“Illustrious”): Son of Antiochus III who became king after his brother,
Seleucus IV, had been murdered by Heliodorus. As a boy Antiochus lived
at Rome as a hostage. The Pergamene monarchs, Eumenes and Attalus,
succeeded in placing upon the throne the brother of Seleucus, although
Heliodorus had wished to ascend the throne himself. The young king was
even more enterprising than his father. He was called in to settle a
quarrel between Onias III and his brother, Jason, the leader of the
Hellenizing faction in Jerusalem, and Onias was driven out (2 Macc
4:4-6). Jason became high priest in his stead (2 Macc 4:9-16; 1 Macc
1:10-15; Ant, XII, v, 1). Antiochus himself afterward visited
Jerusalem and was signally honored (2 Macc 4:22). On the death of
Ptolemy VI in 173, Antiochus laid claim to Coelesyria, Palestine and
Phoenicia; whereupon war broke out between Syria and Egypt. In this war
Antiochus was victorious. Ptolemy Philometor was taken prisoner, and
Antiochus had himself crowned king of Egypt (171-167 bc) at Memphis;
whereupon Alexandria revolted and chose Ptolemy's brother as their king.
The Roman ambassador, Popilius Laenas, demanded the surrender of Egypt
and the immediate withdrawal of its self-constituted king. Antiochus
yielded; gave up Pelusium and withdrew his fleet from Cyprus, but
retained Coelesyria, Palestine and Phoenicia. While Antiochus was on a second campaign in Egypt, he heard of the siege of Jerusalem. He returned immediately, slew many thousands of the inhabitants and robbed the temple of its treasures (1 Macc 1:20-24; 2 Macc 5:11-21). By his prohibition of the Jewish worship and his introduction or substitution of the worship of the Olympian Zeus (1 Macc 1:54; 2 Macc 6:2; Ant, XII, v, 4) he brought about the insurrection of the Jews, under the Maccabees, upon whom he made an unsuccessful war in 167-164 bc. After this war Antiochus retired to the eastern provinces and died, after having failed in an attack on the temple of the Sun in Elymais, in Persia. |
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Taken from: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia by James Orr, M.A., D.D., General Editor |
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