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Biblical History Atlas

Historical event dossier · Political, Royal

Assassination of Seleucus IV and accession of Antiochus IV (175 BC)

Researched — not human reviewedRevision 1Last reviewed: not reviewed

No review items are open for this dossier. Classifications remain machine-proposed unless marked as approved by the owner.

Biblical references

Text: World English Bible (public domain). The ESV and NKJV are the preferred study translations and are referenced, not reproduced.

Daniel 11:20–21Reference
20 “Then one who will cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory will stand up in his place; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, not in anger, and not in battle. 21 “In his place a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in a time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

Proposed correlation only.

Biblical account

Layer: Biblical text

One who sends an exactor through the glory of the kingdom is destroyed within a few days, not in anger or battle; in his place a contemptible person arises.

Historical overview

Layer: Historical reconstruction · Period: Seleucid dynasty, 175 BC

Seleucus IV, son of Antiochus III, reigned 12 years (BM 35603) and was killed in a conspiracy of Heliodorus (Appian, Syr. 45); Antiochus IV, his brother, was installed with the help of Eumenes and Attalus. The king list records Seleucus's death and Antiochus's accession in Ululu 137 SE.[1, 2]

Kingdoms: Seleucid empire

Date and chronology derivation

Ranges are computed by the project's deterministic chronology engine from the biblical statements and each model's reign anchors. They are reconstructions, not independent dates.

175 BC

Model-independent (applies under every chronology model) · precision: month

How this range was derived

Earliest bound

  1. Synchronism: Death of Seleucus IV: 10 Ululu, Seleucid year 137 (175 BC) — independently dated between 1 Aug 175 BC and 30 Sep 175 BC (Babylonian king list, Seleucid era (Babylonian reckoning))[1, 2, 3]Assumption: Ululu of SE 137 (Babylonian epoch) = Aug–Sep 175 BC, as for the Antiochus IV reign record.

Latest bound

  1. Synchronism: Death of Seleucus IV: 10 Ululu, Seleucid year 137 (175 BC) — independently dated between 1 Aug 175 BC and 30 Sep 175 BC (Babylonian king list, Seleucid era (Babylonian reckoning))[1, 2, 3]Assumption: Ululu of SE 137 (Babylonian epoch) = Aug–Sep 175 BC, as for the Antiochus IV reign record.

View on the timeline →

What else was happening? (model-independent)

  • Daniel's refusal of the king's food and the ten-day test (Dan 1:8–16): 606 BC – ?
  • Nebuchadnezzar's golden image on the plain of Dura (Dan 3:1–7): 603 BC – ?
  • Nebuchadnezzar's decree honouring the God of the three Judeans (Dan 3:28–30): 603 BC – ?
  • The refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace (Dan 3:8–27): 603 BC – ?
  • The thirty-day decree and Daniel in the lions' den (Dan 6:4–23): 539 BC – ?
  • Darius appoints 120 satraps and three chief officials (Dan 6:1–3, 28): 539 BC – ?
  • The accusers punished; Darius's decree honouring the God of Daniel (Dan 6:24–27): 539 BC – ?
  • Gedaliah governs from Mizpah and is assassinated (2 Kgs 25:22–26): 589 BC – ?
  • Accusations to Ahasuerus and the Rehum–Shimshai letter to Artaxerxes; the city's rebuilding stopped (Ezra 4:6–23): 537 BC – ?
  • Jerusalem guarded under Hanani and Hananiah; the registry of the first returnees found (Neh 7:1–5): 446 BC – ?
  • Jerusalem repopulated: one in ten by lot (Neh 11): 446 BC – ?
  • The priestly and Levitical registers to the days of Jaddua (Neh 12:1–26): 446 BC – ?
  • The first "burden" of Zechariah 9–11 (undated oracle collection): 518 BC – ?
  • The second "burden" of Zechariah 12–14 (undated oracle collection): 518 BC – ?
  • The institution of Purim; Mordecai second to the king (Esth 9:20–10:3): 474 BC – ?
  • Antiochus IV Epiphanes (reign): 175 BC – 164 BC

Claims, evidence and classifications

Each claim is classified on its own. A classification describes the evidence for that specific claim, not for the event as a whole.

Seleucus IV was killed in a conspiracy led by Heliodorus in 175 BC, and Antiochus IV took the throne.

Independently corroboratedMachine-proposedExternal evidence

A Greek historian and a contemporary Babylonian king list agree on the succession; the king list dates it.

Supporting

  • Seleucus assassinated in a conspiracy of Heliodorus; Eumenes and Attalus installed Antiochus.[2]Strength: direct·Syr. 45·Claim checked
  • Seleucus IV died on 10 Ululu 137; the same month Antiochus IV ascended.[1]Strength: direct·rev., year 137 Ululu·Claim checked

Research date 2026-10-13

The son of Antiochus III who succeeded him and was killed in 175 BC was Seleucus IV, not Seleucus III.

Independently corroboratedMachine-proposedExternal evidence

The Babylonian king list records Antiochus III's death in SE 125 and the accession of his son Seleucus (IV) for twelve years; Appian names Seleucus, killed through Heliodorus; Jerome calls the king of 11:20 "Seleucus surnamed Philopator, the son of Antiochus the Great". Seleucus III (Ceraunus) was Antiochus III's elder brother and predecessor (Jerome on 11:10). Guzik's naming of "Seleucus III" at 11:20 therefore appears to be a slip for Seleucus IV; it is recorded as a variant on the prophecy record, not corrected in his name.

Supporting

  • Antiochus III killed in Elam (125); his son Seleucus ascends, reigns 12 years; Seleucus dies 137.[1]Strength: direct·rev., years 125 and 137·Claim checked
  • Seleucus assassinated in Heliodorus's conspiracy; Antiochus installed by Eumenes and Attalus.[2]Strength: direct·Syr. 45·Claim checked
  • Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great were sons of Seleucus Callinicus; the king of 11:20 is Seleucus Philopator, son of Antiochus the Great.[4]Strength: indirect·on 11:10, 11:20·Claim checked
  • King Seleucus funded the sacrifices and sent his chancellor Heliodorus for the Temple treasury.[5]Strength: indirect·2 Macc 3:3, 7·Claim checked

Context

  • Names "Seleucus III, the eldest son of Antiochus III".[6]Strength: indirect·on 11:20·Claim checked

Research date 2026-10-13

Evidence by type

The same evidence regrouped by kind of source. Each item names the claims it bears on.

Archaeological evidence

None recorded for this event.

Scientific findings

None recorded for this event.

Ancient documents

Modern news and announcements

None recorded for this event.

Reference works and summaries

None recorded for this event.

Related passages and events

None recorded.

Prophetic relationships

No prophecy or proposed-fulfillment relationships have been recorded for this event.

Synchronisms with external chronology

  • Death of Seleucus IV: 10 Ululu, Seleucid year 137 (175 BC)

    Documentary correlation · direct · evidence strength: strong · independent date: 175 BC (Babylonian king list, Seleucid era (Babylonian reckoning))

    Seleucus IV died on 10 Ululu 137 SE, the same month in which Antiochus IV ascended; Ululu 137 falls in Aug–Sep 175 BC.[1, 2]

Unanswered questions and research gaps

    Research process

    2 logged searches
    DateQueryWhereUseful
    2026-10-13Appian Syr. 45 (Livius)web fetch1
    2026-10-13BM 35603 (Livius)web fetch1

    Sources

    1. 1.
      van der Spek, R. J. (trans.). Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period (BM 35603) — Livius.org, Seleucus IV entries. Livius.org. www.livius.orgClaim checkedAncient primary textSame page as the earlier record; re-read for the Antiochus III and Seleucus IV entries. The editor marks the translation as needing revision.Verification log
    2. 2.
      Appian, White, Horace (trans., 1899). Appian, Syrian Wars 41–45 — Livius.org. Livius.org. www.livius.orgClaim checkedAncient primary textTranslator attribution taken from the Livius series; not stated on the fetched section.Verification log
    3. 3.
      Parker, Richard A., Dubberstein, Waldo H.. Babylonian Chronology 626 B.C.–A.D. 45 (SAOC 24). University of Chicago Press (Oriental Institute). archive.orgClaim checkedAcademic monographRead through the Internet Archive OCR text of the Oriental Institute PDF; OCR has digit errors (e.g. "589" for 539) checked against context. The 1956 revised edition was not consulted.Verification log
    4. 4.
      Jerome, Archer, Gleason L. (trans.). Jerome, Commentary on Daniel (trans. Gleason L. Archer, 1958) — chapter 11. tertullian.org (transcribed by Roger Pearse). www.tertullian.orgClaim checkedAncient primary textVerification log
    5. 5.
      World English Bible contributors. World English Bible — Apocrypha/Deuterocanon (2 Maccabees 3, 6, 7, 9–11). eBible.org (eng-web USFM). ebible.orgClaim checkedAncient primary textVerification log
    6. 6.
      Guzik, David. Daniel 11 — Enduring Word Bible Commentary. Enduring Word. enduringword.comClaim checkedTheological commentaryInterpretive resource — not historical corroboration.Verification log