Rulers in the Hellenistic and Maccabean Eras
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

Note: The hyperlinked names are mentioned in the Bible; see the explicit references below the chart.
Dates (all BCE) refer to years of rule, not lifespans. Some dates are uncertain or only approximate; overlapping dates are due to co-regencies.

PTOLEMIES (rulers in Egypt) mentioned in the Bible (Deuterocanonical books) and Apocrypha:

• Ptolemy I "Soter" (a.k.a. Ptolemy Lagi) - one of the Greek generals who fought each other in the Wars of the Diodochi (not directly named, but alluded to in the dreams and visions of Daniel 2:3, 41-43; 7:20a, 24a; 8:8, 22); founder of the dynasty that rules Egpyt and surrounding territories for most of the three centuries before Christ; founded the famous library of Alexandria.
• [Ptolemy II "Philadelphus" - advanced the hellenization of Egypt and the prominence of Alexandria; had the Septuagint (LXX) translated; not mentioned in Bible]
• [Ptolemy III "Euergetes" - not mentioned in the Bible]
• Ptolemy IV "Philopator" - (3 Macc 1:2; 3:12; 7:1)
• [Ptolemy V "Epiphanes" - his crowning is commemorated on teh Rosetta Stone; not mentioned in the Bible]
• Ptolemy VI "Philometor" - his armies are defeated when Antiochus IV Epiphanes invades Egypt (1 Macc 1:16-19); he agrees to an alliance through the marriage of his daughter Cleopatra II with Alexander Balas (10:51-66); he attempts to take over the Seleucid territories, which ends in his own death and that of Alexander Balas (11:1-19); one of his teachers was the Jewish priest Aristobulus (2 Macc 1:10); his territory provided refuge for people fleeing from the Seleucids (2 Macc 9:29, explicitly names him "Ptolemy Philometor"); probably also the one mentioned, along with his wife Cleopatra, in the postscript to Esther (11:1; addition F), but several other Ptolemies were also married to women named Cleopatra.
• [Ptolemy VII "Neos Philopator" - not mentioned]
• Ptolemy VIII "Euergetes II" or "Physcon" - receives a letter from Roman consul Lucius (1 Macc 15:15-21)
   
• Note 1: the Books of the Maccabees mention several other people named "Ptolemy," apart from the above rulers:
  • Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes (1 Macc 3:38); adviser to king Antiochus IV (2 Macc 4:45-46; 6:8); later becomes governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia (2 Macc 8:8); probably the same person as:
  • Ptolemy, who was called Macron (2 Macc 10:12) - supports Antiochus IV during his invasion of Cyprus 168 BCE.
  • Ptolemy, son of Abubu (1 Macc 16:11); son-in-law of Simon Maccabeus; he kills Simon and his sons Judas and Mattathias in 134 BC near Jericho (1 Lacc 16:11-18).
  • Ptolemy, son of Dositheus (Esther 11:1) - father and son together deliver a letter about the events of Purim to people in Egypt.
  • Ptolemy, father of Lysimachus (Esther 11:1 - a resident of Jerusalem whose son (Lysimachus) translated the aforementioned letter.
• Note 2: there is also a city called "Ptolemais" - ancient Acco, renamed after the Ptolemies in the 3rd cent. BCE; an important port on the Mediterranean (just north of modern Haifa); citizens of Ptolemais fought against the Maccabees and were generally hostile against the Jews (see 1 Macc 5:15, 22, 55; 10:1, 39, 56-60; 11:22-24; 12:45-48; 13:21; 2 Macc 6:8(var.); 13:24-25); in the mid-first century CE, Paul visits Ptolemais, where there are already some Christians (Acts 21:7).

• Seleucus IV Philopator - son of Antiochus III; ruler during the events of 2 Macc 3:1--4:6; at his death, his younger son Antiochus IV succeeds to the throne (2 Macc 4:7); his elder son Demetrius I Soter is also named as the "son of Seleucus" (1 Macc 7:1)
• Antiochus IV Epiphanes - mentioned all over 1 & 2 Maccabees; also alluded to in the visions of the Book of Daniel (7:8, 20-25; 8:9-14, 23-25)
• Antiochus V Eupator - son and successor of Antiochus IV (1 Macc 6:17); overthrown and killed by his uncle Demetrius I Soter in 162 BC (1 Macc 7:2)
• Demetrius I Soter - son of Seleucus IV Philopator; elder brother of Antiochus IV; overthrows his nephew Antiochus V (1 Macc 7:1-7; 2 Macc 14:1-14); his armies battle but are defeated by Judas Maccabeus (1 Macc 7-8); he battles Alexander Epiphanes "Balas" for control of Syria, but is defeated and killed (1 Macc 10:1-53).
• Alexander Epiphanes "Balas" - claimed to be another son of Antiochus IV (1 Macc 10:1); ruled in Syria 150-145 BC; defeated Demetrius I (1 Macc 10:1-54), and later battles with Demetrius II (1 Macc 10:67-89)
• Demetrius II Nicator - son of Demetrius I; battles against Alexander Balas for the throne, later also battles against Antiochus VI and Trypho; makes an alliance with Ptolemy VI of Egypt (1 Macc 10:67–15:22)
• Antiochus VI Epiphanes Dionysius - a young boy made king through Trypho's influence, but killed by the same Trypho three years later (1 Macc 11:39–13:31)
• Trypho - a supported of Alexander Balas, after whose death he initially supported young King Antiochus VI (against Demetrius II), but later kills Antiochus VI and usurps the kingship for himself; he invaded Israel and fought Jonathan, Simon, and the Maccabees several times; he is eventually defeated by Antiochus VII (1 Macc 11:38–15:39).
• Antiochus VII "Sidetes" - son of Demetrius II, who also fights the Maccabees, and eventually overthrows Trypho (1 Macc 15:1-39).

JEWISH HIGH PRIESTS and MACCABEAN RULERS mentioned in the Bible (Deuterocanonical books):

• Jaddua (ca. 350-320 BCE) -
• Onias I (ca. 320-290) -
• Simon I (ca. 290-275) -
• Eleazar (ca. 275-260) -
• Manasseh (ca. 260-245) -
• Onias II (ca. 245-220) -
• Simon II "The Righteous" (ca. 220-198) -
• Onias III (ca. 198-174) -
• Jason (174-171) -
• Menelaus (171-161) -
• Alcimus (161-159) -
   
• Jonathan Maccabeus (152-142) -
• Simon Maccabeus (142-135) -
• John Hyrcanus (135-104) -
• Aristobulus (104-103) -
• Alexander Jannaeus (103-76) -
• Alexandra Salome (ruled 76-67, with son Hyrcanus II as high priest) -
• Aristobulus II (67-63) -
• Hyrcanus II (63-40) -
• Antigonus (40-37) -

See also my summary of Rulers in Israel during the Roman Era

See the "Ancient Route" website, by Rodney Baird, for "King List" and "Family Tree" for both the Ptolemies and the Seleucids.

Return to the HOME PAGE of Felix Just, S.J.
This page was last updated on March 15, 2007
Copyright © 2001--2007