JUDAEA AND

MEDITERRANEAN POLITICS
219 TO 161 B.C.E.
BY

DOV GERA

BRILL
LEIDEN NEW YORK KOLN
1998

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations

ix
xi

Introduction

Chapter One: Between Ptolemies and Seleucids

1. The Ptolemaic and Seleucid Claims to Palestine and
Phoenicia
2. The Fourth Syrian War and the Jews
3. Ptolemy son of Thraseas and the Jews
4. Conclusions

3
3
9
20
34

Chapter Two: The Tobiads: Fiction and History

1. The Story of the Tobiads
2. Hyrcanus and Araq el Emir
3. Biblical Parallels to the Story of the Tobiads
4. The Author of the Tobiads' Story

36
36
40
49
52

Chapter Three: Rome and the Kingdoms of the East: 201-175

1. The Impact of the Second Macedonian War
2. The Treaty of Apamea
3. Seleucus IV (187-175)

59
59
89
101

Chapter Four: Antiochus IV and the Kings of the South

1. The Coronation of Antiochus IV
2. The Road to War
3. The Sixth Syrian War-The First Campaign
4. Jason's Revolt (169/8) and Antiochus' Attack on
Jerusalem
5. The Sixth Syrian War - The Second Campaign

109
109
117
129

Chapter Five: From Eleusis to Tabae

1. The Ptolemaic Kingdom
2. A Friend in the North: Antiochus IV's Relations
with Pergamum
3. The Seleucid Kingdom: 168-164

175
175

153
161

185
205

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CONTENTS

Chapter Six: Events in Judaea: 168-163

1. Apollonius the Mysarch and the Decrees of
Antiochus IV
2. The Hasmonaean Revolt and the Central Seleucid
Authority
3. Diplomacy and History
4. Conclusions

223
223
231
239
253

Chapter Seven: The King's Men

1. Lysias' Enemies at Court
2. Polybius and Demetrius' Inner Circle
3. Antiochus Eupator's Partisans
4. Succession and Political Parties in the Court of
Antiochus Epiphanes
5. Demetrius and Rome: 163-161
6. The Jewish Rebellion: 163-161
7. Conclusions

255
255
261
280

Afterword

319

Bibliography
Index Locorum
General Index

323
339
354

284
288
300
311