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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

ANTIOCHUS IV

Hellenistic king called Epiphanes meaning the “illustrious” or “god manifest”; he was the eighth in the Seleucid dynasty (c. 215–164 BC). The year 189 BC found this younger son of Antiochus III the Great hostage in Rome after the Battle of Magnesia. There he was educated. Later, he seized the Syrian throne in Antioch after the murder of his brother Seleucus IV and ruled from 175 to 164 BC.

Antiochus Epiphanes is the most important of all the Seleucid rulers as far as the biblical literature is concerned and is known as one of the cruelest tyrants of all time. He was an enthusiastic believer in the Olympian god Zeus and hoped to unify his territories by spreading Hellenistic culture, law, and religion. In so doing he came into violent conflict with the Jews in Judah. At the beginning of his reign Antiochus IV meddled in the appointment of Jewish high priests. From 171 to 168 BC, he waged war against Egypt, defeating Ptolemy VI and Ptolemy VII. He then captured Jerusalem, prohibited Judaism with cruel persecution, looted the temple, and tried to establish the worship of Greek gods by building an altar to Zeus over the altar of burnt offering (1 Macc 1:10-62; 2 Macc 4:7-42). This altar is probably the “abomination that makes desolate” of Daniel 11:31 (rsv). In fact, Antiochus IV plays a major role in the book of Daniel. He is probably the “little horn” of 7:8; 8:9-14, 23-25 and the oppressor of the “saints of the Most High” (7:25, rsv).

By Antiochus’s edict, Judaism was made illegal under pain of death and Jews were forced to participate in heathen festivals. Open rebellion broke out in 167 BC under the leadership of the Jewish priest Mattathias. This occurred when a representative of the king was enforcing compliance in a village named Modine near Jerusalem and was slain by Mattathias who fled to the surrounding hills. Although great slaughter fell upon the priest’s followers, Mattathias was eventually joined by large numbers of the Hasidim, and guerrilla warfare commenced.

After his death in 166 BC, Mattathias was succeeded by his son Judas Maccabeus who escalated the war and enjoyed repeated victories over the Syrian generals. Antiochus was unable to personally lead the suppression of the Jewish revolt because of serious rebellions in Parthia and Armenia. He assigned this task to his regent Lysias who was empowered to depopulate Judah, enslave the Jews, and leave the land desolate. But this did not happen. Judas routed Gorgias at Emmaus, and the Syrians fled from Judah. Then Lysias personally led a larger army against the Maccabees but was severely defeated at Beth-zur. In 164 BC, Judas restored the temple and reintroduced the daily sacrifices. By 160 BC every vestige of the power of Antiochus IV had been erased from Jerusalem.

Antiochus Epiphanes was known to be frenetic and rash to the point of madness, and the success of Judas Maccabeus combined with the Syrian king’s inability to personally suppress the Jewish revolt helped drive Antiochus to further madness. After these events he withdrew to Persia where it is said he died insane.