| 175, Sep |
1 Macc. 1:10 & 2 Macc. 4:7 |
Antiochus IV Epiphanes succeeds Seleucus IV Philopator. |
| 175 |
2 Macc. 4:7 |
Jason outbids High Priesthood from Antiochus and succeeds his brother Onias III. |
| 175-172 |
2 Macc. 4:10ff. |
Jason begins Hellenizing Judean life. |
| 172 |
2 Macc. 4:21 |
Antiochus greeted with pomp in Jerusalem on way to secure the Philistine border with Egypt (the imputed “1st invasion” of Egypt in 2 Macc.) after the coronation of Egyptian King Philometor in 172. |
| 172-171 |
2 Macc. 4:23-26 |
Menelaus, son of Simon, a Tobiad, outbids Jason, an Oniad, for the High Priesthood and drives Jason as a fugitive into the land of Ammon. |
| 172/1-169 |
2 Macc. 4:27-32 |
Menelaus has trouble delivering his promised tribute to Antiochus, resorting to theft of holy vessels from the Temple. |
| 172/1-169 |
2 Macc. 4:33 |
Onias III protests this theft and retreats to the place of sanctuary of Apollo and Artemis at Daphne, a city 5 miles from Antioch. |
| 172/1-169 |
2 Macc. 4:34 |
Menelaus, by means of Antiochus’ regent Andronicus, has Onias III lured from his sanctuary and killed. |
| 172/1-169 |
Josephus, Antiq, Book XII, Chapter 10 (edition of W. Whiston) |
Onias III’s son, Onias IV, flees to Ptolemy VI Philometor and Cleopatra in Egypt where he is allowed to erect a Temple to God at Heliopolis. |
| 172/1-169 |
2 Macc. 4:35-38 |
The Jews protest the murder of Onias III, and Antiochus IV has Andronicus executed. |
| 169 |
1 Macc. 1:16-20; 2 Macc. 5:1-6 |
Jason, thinking Antiochus was killed while invading Egypt, rebels against Menelaus, to try and reacquire the High Priesthood, and attacks Jerusalem, taking much of the city. Menelaus retreats to the Citadel which is held by a Syrian garrison. |
| 169 |
2 Macc. 5:10-14,7-10 |
Antiochus hears of this and takes the city back from Jason and forces him back into exile in Ammon. |
| 169 |
1 Macc. 1:20-23; 2 Macc. 5:15-21 |
Menelaus lets Antiochus enter the Temple itself to steal the votive offerings of prior kings. |
| 169 |
2 Macc. 5: 22-23 |
Antiochus leaves Menelaus in charge of civil government as High priest, but established military governors (Phillip in Jerusalem and Andronicus over Samaria) and kills many who practice the Jewish Law. |
| 168 |
1 Macc. 1:29-35 |
Antiochus invades Egypt again, and demands tribute from Menelaus, sending his general Apollonius to extract it from the populace by extreme means if necessary. |
| 168 or 167 |
1 Macc. 1:41-53; 2 Macc. 5:24-26 |
Antiochus commands that all peoples in his empire follow Hellenic ways, and forbids the practice of the Jewish Law on pain of death. Apollonius enforces the decree. |
| 168/7 |
1 Macc. 2:1-48 |
The priest Mattathias, a priest of the order of Jorarib, defies Antiochus IV’s order and starts a guerrilla war against the Syrians and those who apostatized with Menelaus. |
| 167, Dec 6 |
1 Macc. 1:54-64; 2 Macc. 6:1-7:42 |
The Temple is profaned by the erection of a “desolating sacrilege/horrible abomination” (i.e., the “abomination of desolation” in Daniel 9) upon the alter of burnt offerings. |
| 166/5 |
1 Macc. 2:49-69 |
Mattathias dies. |
| 166/5 |
1 Macc. 3:1-4:35; 2 Macc. 8:1-7 |
Judas, son of Mattathias, takes over the resistance movement and upgrades the fight to full scale rebellion. |
| 165/4 |
1 Macc. 3:35-37 |
Antiochus IV’s general Lysias was sent against Judas’ forces. |
| 164 |
1 Macc. 3:38-4:35; 2 Macc. 8:8-36 |
Judas succeed in defeating the main portion of the Syrian forces in the country. |
| 164 |
1 Macc. 4:35; 2 Macc. 9:13-29 |
Defeat of Lysias. Lysias offers peace terms to Judas. Antiochus IV ratifies them as he was busy with a floundering campaign in Persia and/or going insane from a disease. |
| 164, Dec |
1 Macc. 6:1-17, 2 Macc. 9:1-12 |
Antiochus IV was defeated at Elymias in Persia, and on way back to Babylon contracted a disease that killed him. (1 Macc. 6:16, though, erroneously dates his death in the year 163/162 unless his source dated it according to a calendar that started the 149th year of the Seleucid era in the Fall of 164 instead of the Spring of 163 as was the Seleucid norm.) |
| 164, Dec 14 |
1 Macc. 4:36-60; 2 Macc. 10:1-8 |
Rededication of the alter in the temple and fortification of Jerusalem and key towns in Judea. |
| 164/163 |
1 Macc. 4:35; 2 Macc. 10:10-11 |
Lysias heads to Antioch to secure throne for his puppet Antiochus V Eupator, and get reinforcements to resume battle with Judas. |
| 164 or 163 |
2 Macc. 10:12-13 |
Good relations with Ptolemy, an advisor to Antiocus V, until he is denounced as a traitor and he commits suicide. |
| 164-162 |
1 Macc. 5:1-68; 2 Macc. 10:14-38; 12:1-45 |
Judas fights off attacks by the Syrian generals Gorgias, Timothy, and Nicanor. In the process, Judas carries the battle for Jewish freedom to foreign soil to strengthen his rebel Jewish government and protect Jews from persecution by their neighbors in Gentile towns and villages. |
| 163/162 |
1 Macc. 6:18-28 |
Judas lays siege to the Citadel in Jerusalem, which is still held by the Syrians, and Beth-zur, eventually taking that latter town. |
| 163, Fall |
1 Macc. 6:29-54; 2 Macc. 13:1-22 |
Taking advantage of the Jewish Sabbatical year (Fall 164-Summer 163), Antiochus V and Lysias return with a large force fortified with mercenary troops and they lay siege to Jerusalem and Beth-zur. Due to a lack of provisions, Beth-zur was abandoned to the Syrians and Judas’ forces defending the Sanctuary are seriously reduced. |
| 163/2 |
1 Macc. 6:55-62; 2 Macc.11:1-38; 13:23-26 |
Lysias finds out that there is a contender to Antiochus V’s throne and makes peace with Judas in order to be able to head for Antioch, but tears down the city walls. |
| 163/2 |
2 Macc. 13:3-8 |
Menelaus, who had joined Lysias’ and Antiochus V’s war party, is accused by some of having started the rebellion through his misrule, and Antiochus has him executed. |
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