Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Antiochus IV seized the throne in 175 BC and pursued ambitious campaigns, especially against Ptolemaic Egypt. Political conflict within Judea became entangled with his imperial policies. His decrees against traditional Jewish worship and the profanation of the Temple generated armed resistance led by Mattathias and his sons.

One of the most consequential Hellenistic rulers in Jewish history. His actions precipitated the Maccabean revolt and the rededication of the Temple commemorated by Hanukkah.

Egyptian campaigns; intervention in Jerusalem; suppression of Jewish religious practices; desecration of the Temple in 167 BC; outbreak of Maccabean revolt; Temple rededicated in 164 BC.

Patronized temples and monumental projects across the Seleucid realm, including work at Antioch and elsewhere.

Died in 164 BC during an eastern campaign; ancient accounts differ on the exact circumstances.

Central to 1 and 2 Maccabees and widely understood as the historical persecuting ruler behind major portions of Daniel 8 and 11. Christian interpretation also often sees his actions as a pattern for later eschatological themes.