Antiochus Epiphanes

Antiochus Epiphanes

Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Antíochos ho Epiphanḗs or "God Manifest", and lived between 215 BC – 164 BC was a Greek Hellenistic king. He ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death.

He was a son of King Antiochus III the Great. Originally named Mithradates or Mithridates. He assumed the name Antiochus after he ascended the throne. 

Antiochus almost conquered of Ptolemaic Egypt, and did persecute the Jews of Judea and Samaria, and was active during the rebellion of the Jewish Maccabees during the decline of the Roman republic and the rise of what would become the Roman empire..

Judea found itself between these two ruling powers in a weakened condition.

The Seleucid Kingdom of Syria in the north and Ptolemaic Egypt in the south were hold overs of Alexander the Great’s fractured empire.

They warred with each other for over a century while the Jewish nation sat at the center of these conflict including the time of Daniel 11.

He also supplemented the Seleucid army with mercenaries. All of this cost the Seleucid treasury, but the Empire was apparently able to raise enough taxes to pay for it. His eccentric behavior and unexpected interactions with common people such as appearing in the public bath houses and applying for municipal offices led his detractors to call him Epimanes (Ἐπιμανής, Epimanḗs, "The Mad"), a word play on his title Epiphanes ("God Manifest").

But there was method in his madness.

Antiochus IV was extravagant but also spread among the masses bounties, donations, and benefits which degenerates the people and with that their freedom.

How did he obtain those gifts for the people?

By what means and method did he become a benefactor of the people?

People did not know nor understand the consequences of this Legal charity offered to the people by his government nor what these covetous practices leads to within any society the become entangled in those temptations.

His contributions were supposed to be for their welfare but would be a snare for the people.

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See also

Titus Flavius Josephus

Titus Flavius Josephus Of the War — Book II Preface to the War of the Jews

Book I -- From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great

Hyrcanus ...thy mother had been a captive under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. “ This story was false, and Hyrcanus was provoked against him;

Matthew 24 ...the desecration of the sanctuary by the mad attempt of Antiochus Epiphanes to stop the “daily sacrifice,”

Factions at the altar ...thy mother had been a captive under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. “This story was false, and Hyrcanus was provoked against him..."

Josephus Book I -- From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great

Of the War

...the place, that this later Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes, is mentioned by Dio, LIX. p. 645 [LIX.8.2], and that he is mentioned...

Antiquities_of_the_Jews#Book_XIII_CHAPTER_2

NOW in the hundred and sixtieth year, it fell out that Alexander, the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, (1) came up into Syria, and took Ptolemais the soldiers within having betrayed it to him; for they were at enmity with Demetrius, on account of his insolence and difficulty of access; for he shut himself up in a palace of his that had four towers which he had built himself, not far from Antioch and admitted nobody.

Antiquities_of_the_Jews#Book_XIII_CHAPTER_8

...was a quite different conduct from Antiochus Epiphanes, who, when he had taken the city, offered swine upon the altar, and sprinkled the temple with the broth of their flesh, in order to violate the laws of the Jews, and the religion they derived from their forefathers; for which reason our nation made war with him, and would never be reconciled to him; but for this Antiochus, all men called him Antiochus the Pious, for the great zeal he had about religion.

Antiquities_of_the_Jews#Book_XIII_CHAPTER_10

This man (Eleazar) said," Since thou desirest to know the truth, if thou wilt be righteous in earnest, lay down the high priesthood, and content thyself with the civil government of the people," And when he desired to know for what cause he ought to lay down the high priesthood, the other replied, "We have heard it from old men, that thy mother had been a captive under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. (29) "This story was false, and Hyrcanus was provoked against him; and all the Pharisees had a very great indignation against him.

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