Chronology of Seleucid Rulers and their impact on Jerusalem
| c.200-64 | Seleucid rule over Jerusalem and all of Palestine/Land of Israel and Phoenicia | |
| 223-187 | Antiochos III. | Among the competing families of the Jerusalem gerousia those opposed to Hellenization, especially the Oniad high priests, initially favor Seleucid rule and support it. The high priest at around 200BCE is Simon II.Antiochos III. confirms Jewish autonomous rule in accordance with their paternal laws, the Torah. |
| 187-164 | Antiochos IV. Epiphanes | In the year 175, the Hellenistic party in Jerusalem succeeds in deposing high priest Onias III. and in replacing him with his pro-Hellenistic brother Jason. This begins the transformation of the city into an hellenistic polis, an "Antioch in Judah." This is a de facto abrogation of the Torah. |
| In 172, Menelaos (a favorite of the Tobiad family) succeeds in replacing Jason. The hellenistic party is now divided into a one siding with the Seleucids (Menelaos) and one seeking support from the Ptolmies (Jason). Exiled high priest Onias III. is murderedby an emissary of Menelaos. | ||
| 170 | Sixth Syrian war | Antiochos conquers almost all of Egypt but rumor has it that he died during this campaign. Jason uses this rumor to reestablish himself in Jerusalem. Menelaos takes refuge in the citadel.Background: rekindling of the rivalry between the pro-Ptolemaic (and somewhat traditionalist) Tobiads and the pro-Seleucid Oniads. |
| 169 | Antiochos conquers Jerusalem, butchers his opponents and, assisted by High Priest Menelaos, plunders the Temple treasury . | |
| 168 | Second Egyptian campaign | Antiochos is stopped by an ultimatum to leave Egypt issued by the Romans who just succeeded to win a decisive victory against the last Macedonian king. |
| 167 | Jerusalem taken once again | Antiochos's emmissary takes the city on a sabbath and causes a bloodbath. He tears down the walls of the city and establishes a garrison of non-Jews in the Acra fortress in the City of David (South or East of the temple). |
| 167-164 | Edicts of Antiochos Epiphanes and Maccabean revolt | On the 15th day of the month of Kislev (Dec. 6, 167) the temple is dedicated to Zeus Olympios. Edicts aimed at forcibly terminating all allegiance to the Torah (esp. dietary laws, Sabbath, and circumcision) trigger a revolt lead by the family of Mattathias of Modiin and his five sons, Judah (Maccabi), Jonathan, Simon, Yohanan, Elazar). |
| After the death of Mattathias (c.166), Judah Maccabi and his brothers, supported by the movement of the Asidaioi (hasidim or pious ones), organize a successful guerilla war against the Syrians. | ||
| 165 | Antiochos defends his kingdom against a Parthian (Persian) revolt and names Lysias as his representative in the war against the Maccabees. | After a battle near Beyt Tsur (South of Jerusalem), Lysias decides to pursue a politics of reconciliation with the Maccabees. |
| 164 | Lifting of the anti-Jewish legislation edicts. | Antiochos himself, shortly before his death, rescinds his anti-Jewish edicts and on Dec. 14, 164 (25th Kislev) the Temple is rededicated to YHWH. |
| 163-162 | Antiochos V. Eupator | The new Seleucid king makes peace with the Jews and and confirms his permission for them to live in accordance with their ancestral laws. High priest Menelaos is executed as the "originator of all the desasters" and in his place Alkimos, a Zadokite, is made high priest. The son of the murdered high priest Onias III. flees to Egypt where he establishes a temple in the city of Leontopolis.The Maccabean brothers force Alkimos to relinquish the high priesthood and force him into exile. |
| 162-150 | Demetrios I. Soter | In Antioch, a son of Seleukos IV. Philopator ascends to power after he has his cousin Antiochos IV and his representative Lysias assassinated. |
| c.161 | Treaty of friendship between the Jews and the Roman senate | Judah, threatened by the new Seleucid ruler, seeks and gains foreign support. |
| 161 | Syrian general Nikanor dies in the battle of Adasa in the Spring of 161 | |
| In the Fall, a further campaign against the Maccabees is waged by general Bacchides. | Judah Maccabi dies in battle.He is succeeded by his brother Jonathan (161-142). Bacchides returns Alkimos to the High Priesthood who dies after tearing down the wall separating the inner from the outer court of the Temple (erasing the division between Jews and Gentiles). | |
| 153 | Quarrels over succession to the Seleucid throne. | With the approval of the new Seleucid king, Jonathan (brother of Judah Maccabi) is instituted as High Priest. |
| 150-145 | Alexander Balas takes over. | Confirms and broadens Jonathan's privileges. |
| 145-140 | Demetrios II. | Jonathan murdered in 142. His brother Simon takes over (142-135/4) who, in 141, conquers the Acra fortress, bringing Jerusalem completely under Jewish rule. In 140, Simon is confirmed by the entire gerousia as High Priest, Patriarch (nasi), and commander-in-chief. |
| 138-129 | Antiochos VII. Sidetes |
After confirming the privileges given by his predecessor Antiochos Sidetes tries to force Simon to restore various provinces to the control of the Seleucid crown or else pay heavy tributes. His armies are repelled by the Jews. In 135, Simon is murdered in connection with an attempted coup staged by a member of his own family. He is succeeded by his son, John Hyrkanos (135/34-104). Jerusalem is now de facto (although not de iure) independent from the Seleucids. |
Source: Peter Schäfer, Geschichte der Juden in der Antike. Die Juden Palästinas von Alexander dem Großen bis zur arabischen Eroberung (Stuttgart 1983)