Antiochus IV

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Pronunciations

Antiochus IV (an-TIE-uh-kihs) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A Syrian king who ruled Judea and ancient Israel from 175 to 163 B.C.E. during the story of Hannukah.

Example Sentences

  • "In 168 BCE, the ruler of the Syrian kingdom, Antiochus Epiphanes IV, stepped up his campaign to quash Judaism, so that all subjects in his vast empire — which included the Land of Israel — would share the same culture and worship the same gods." (source)

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Etymology

  • Greek Ἀντίοχος Antíokhos > Latin Antiochus

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      Antiochus, King Antiochus IV

Notes

  • "In his efforts to wipe out Judaism, Antiochus demanded intense Hellenization and forbade many Jewish practices, including circumcision and Sabbath observance. He desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem with animal sacrifices and statues of Greek gods. The Maccabees’ rebellion against Antiochus and rededication of the Temple is the story of Hanukkah." (JPS)

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