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This chart is a portion (approximately 1/3) taken from the upper right hand corner of Chart 4 in the Biblical Timeline Charts available from Bible Lights Publishing. |
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This interactive chart is taken from the Bible Timelines
Charts published by Bible Lights Publishing This chart is excerpted from chart 4 and represents about 1/3 of the material on that chart. |
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Seleucid Kingdom (Asia Minor, Syria 305-64 BC)
The Seleucid kingdom was one of the four major branches that formed after the death of Alexander the Great in 331 BC. The first ruler was Seleucus I Nicator, who reigned from 305-280 BC. The kingdom included Syria and Asia Minor, and around 200 BC came into conflict with the Ptolemaic kingdom that controlled Egypt and Palestine. Antiochus III, The Great, defeated the Ptolemaic general in 198 BC and took control of Palestine. The Seleucid rulers put forth great efforts to Hellenize the Jews of Palestine--that is, to make them abandon their religion and accept the Greek way of life. This forcefulness eventually led to the Hasmonean rebellion that drove the Seleucids out of Palestine and allowed the formation of the independent Jewish Hasmonean Kingdom (142-63 BC).
The Later Seleucids site includes information and coins with pictures of the kings: http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/hist/sel.html
Antiochus III The Great 223-187 BC
Antiochus III was one of the more ambitious Seleucid rulers. He led his armies extensively through Asia Minor, and even to India. In 198 BC he took control of Palestine from the Ptolemies of Egypt.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes 175-164 BC
Antiochus IV sought to extend the Seleucid domain, and marched his armies into Egypt three times in 170, 169, and 168 BC. In 170 he defeated the Ptolemaic army, in 169 the results were less decisive, and in 168 he was forced by the Romans to abandon his hopes of final conquest. Partly as a result of his humiliation by Rome, he turned his wrath on Judah, burning Jerusalem, confiscating the treasures of the temple, and forcing the Jews to offer sacrifices to Greek gods. His forcefulness eventually led Mattathias and his sons, the Hasmoneans, to lead a rebellion that eventually resulted in the expulsion of the Seleucids from Judah and the establishment of the Hasmonean Kingdom.
Ptolemaic Kingdom (Egypt 305-30 BC)
The Ptolemaic kingdom was established by Ptolemy Soter, one of Alexander the Great's generals. Ptolemy was governor of Egypt from 323-304 BC. He proclaimed himself king in 304. The Ptolemies controlled Palestine until 198 BC when Ptolemy V's army was defeated by the Seleucid king Antiochus III, The Great, at Baneas near one of the sources of the Jordan River. From that time until the Hasmonean rebellion, which began in 168 BC, Palestine was under control of the Seleucids.
The House of Ptolemy Site: http://pw1.netcom.com/~aphilipp/index.html
Judea Under the Seleucids 198-142 BC
Onias III, High Priest ?-175
Onias, of the family of Zadokites that had held the high priesthood since the time of David, was high priest at the time when Antiochus Epiphanes took the Seleucid throne. His brother, Joshua, endeared himself to Antiochus because of his enthusiasm for Greek ways, and his willingness to bribe the king, so Onias was deposed and Joshua took his place, taking the Greek name Jason.
Jason, High Priest 175-172
Jason befriended Antiochus Epiphanes with bribes, and was appointed high priest soon after Antiochus became king. He was beaten at his own game, though, when his lieutenant, Menelaus, promised more money to the king, and was appointed high priest. In 170 BC, when Antiochus was campaigning in Egypt, there was a rumor of the king's death, and Jason led a revolt, which brought Antiochus to Jerusalem, where his army proceeded to rob, pillage, rape, and enslave the people.
Menelaus, High Priest 172-162
After buying his appointment as high priest by bribing Antiochus, Menelaus returned to Jerusalem and stole the temple treasure to pay his bribes with. He was in favor of Hellenizing Jerusalem. When Antiochus came to Jerusalem in 170 to defend Menelaus from Jason, Menelaus took the king into the temple and allowed him to take away the menorah and altar of incense. The king also stripped all of the gold from the front of the temple
Mattathias, priest, warrior, leader 168-167 BC
In 166 BC a representative of the Seleucid kingdom came to Mattathias's village, Modin, about 20 miles from Jerusalem, and tried to force the populace to offer sacrifices to Greek gods. Mattathias was a priest who stood for the Hebrew religion and against the Greek ways. When a Jewish man offered a Greek sacrifice, Mattathias killed him and the Seleucid envoy, and this began the Hasmonean, or Maccabaean revolution that eventually led to the expulsion of the Greeks from Judah and the establishment of the Hasmonean Kingdom.
Judas Maccabaeus warrior, leader 166-160 BC
Son of Mattathhias, the priest who started the Jewish rebellion against the Antiochus Epiphanes the Seleucid king. Judas was known as Maccabaeus--"the hammerer." He led the revolt, and in 164 B. C. captured Jerusalem. In December of that year the Jews cleansed and redidicated the temple under his leadership. This event is still celebrated by the Jewish Festival Hanukkah (Dedication) or Festival of Lights. Judas continued to fight the Syrian army with considerable success, but his small army was finally surrounded and he was killed in 160 BC. He was succeeded in leadership by his brother Jonathan.
Alcimus: high priest 162-153
Alcimus was appointed by the Seleucid king Demetrius I, the successor to Antiochus Epiphanes, and accepted by the Hasidim, during the leadership of Judas Maccabaeus.
Jonathan: warrior, priest, ruler 160-143 BC
Brother of Judas Maccabeus. Jonathan took over as leader of the Jewish forces after Judas' death. He fought a guerilla war against the Seleucid armies for eight years. Meanwhile the Seleucid kingdom was divided among rival claimants to the throne, and Jonathan managed to play the various contenders against each other. In 152 BC he became the first Hasmonean to take the roles of both ruler and priest, when he was offered the priesthood by Alexander Balas, a pretender to the Seleucid throne. Jonathan was taken prisoner and put to death in 143 BC.
Hasmonean Kingdom 142-63 BC
Simon: high priest and ruler 142-134 BC
According to 1 Macc. 14:41 the general populace decreed that Simon should be governor, military leader, and high priest after Jonathan was captured by the Syrians. He immediately led an attack on the Syrian garrison inside Jerusalem and succeeded in liberating the city. In 142 BC, with the Syrians fighting among themselves again, he negotiated a treaty that made Judah a free nation again for the first time in more than 400 years. In 141 B. C. he was made high priest with hereditary rights, thus making the high priesthood hereditary to the Hasmonean line. In 134 BC he was ambushed by his son-in-law, Ptolemy, who wanted the throne for himself. Simon's son John Hyrcanus managed to claim the throne, however, even though Ptolemy was supported by the Syrian army.
John Hyrcanus I: high priest and king 134-104 BC
Son of Simon, succeeded his father as ruler and high priest, but was forced to pay heavy tribute to the Seleucids until the death of Antiochus VII in 128 BC, when Judea proclaimed its independence. Hyrcanus succeeded in extending Judea's borders throughout the rest of his reign, and forcibly converted people in conquered cities to Judaism.
Alexander Jannaeus: high priest and king 103-76 BC
When John Hyrcanus I died, he was at first succeeded on the throne by his son Aristobulus, who died just a year later. Aristobulus' widow married Jannaeus, a brother of Aristobulus, and when he became king he had the rest of his brothers killed. Jannaeus continued to extend the borders of Judea, but the pious Jews soon learned to dislike him because of his emphasis on military conquest and scandalous behavior as high priest. The pharisees led a revolt against him in 94 BC, and the war continued for six years. The pharisees made the mistake of asking for Syria to help them in 88 BC, and this turned many people back to Jannaeus' side. When Jannaeus finally won, he had 800 leading pharisees crucified and had their families killed before their eyes as they hung on their crosses.
Roman domination of Palestine 63 BC - AD 66; AD 70 onward
Roman Rulers of Palestine
Antipater
Herod the Great 37-4 BC
Herod Antipas 4 BC -AD 39 Galilee and Perea
Herod Archelaus 4 BC - AD 6 Judea
Herod Philip 4 BC - AD 34 Northeast
Herod Agrippa I AD 41-44
Herod Agrippa II AD 50 - c. 100 Northeast
High Priests During Roman Domination
Hyrcanus II: high priest and king 76-67 and 63-40 BC
Antigonus high priest/ruler 40-37 BC
Simon high priest 23-5 BC
Roman Procurators
Caponius AD 6-9
Marcus Ambibulus AD 9-12
Annius Rufus AD 12-15
Valerius Gratus AD 15-26
Pontius Pilate AD 26-36
Marullus AD 37-41
Felix AD 52-60
Festus AD 60-62
Events
Magnesia, Battle of 190 BC
Antiochus the Great attempted to reassert Seleucid control over Asia Minor and to take control of Greece. He was repulsed by the Romans, first at Thermopylae, then soundly defeated at Magnesia in Asia Minor.
Parthian attack on Seleucid kingdom 140 BC
This comes during a time of upheaval when the Seleucid throne had more than one claimant and in addition was at war with the Ptolemies. Demetrius II, one of the claimants (in opposition to a son of Alexandar Balas named Antiochus VI and Tryphon), made war on Parthia, but was captured. When he was released he helped to stir revolt against Antiochus VII, weakening the kingdom and enabling the Parthians to defeat the Seleucid army. Antiochus was killed by the Parthians, and Demetrius reclaimed the Seleucid throne. The infighting among the Seleucids was one factor in weakening their control of Palestine and allowing the establishment of the Hasmonean Kingdom.
Parthian conquest of Palestine 40 BC
Jewish War and Zealot Coalition AD 66-70
Siege of Masada AD 72-73
Other Links
Parthian Empire page listing kings and showing coins with their pictures: http://www.grifterrec.com/coins/parthia/parthian.html
