Tetradrachm of Ptolemy IV.
Egyptian talent. (Obv. Bust of king, r., bound with fillet. Eev. ITTOAE- maiot fiAonATopos. Eagle, 1., on thunderbolt.) Struck at Tyre.
5. Ptolemy V, Epiphanes ('ETTKpavtg, i. ^.illustrious). The reign of Ptolemy Epiphanes was a critical epoch in the history of the Jews. The rivalry between the Syrian and Egyptian parties, which had for some time divided the people, came to an open rupture in the struggles which marked his minority. The Syrian faction openly declared for Antiochus the Great when he advanced on his second expedition against Egypt;
PTOLEM.EIS
7G4
PTOLEM^US
and the .lows, who remained faithful to the old alliance, fled to Egypt in great numbers, where Onias. the right- ful successor to the high-priesthood, not long afterwards established the temple al Leontopolis. (Jerome [ad Dan. xi. 1 1 places the flight of! »nias to Eg} pt ami the foundation "t the temple "I' Leontopolis in the reign of Ptolemi Epiphanes; but < taias was ^ t ill a youth at the t in).- o) M- father's death, B.C. cir. 171.) See < »kj vs. In the strong language of Daniel, •■77" robbers of (hi
alted themselves to establish tin visum" (Dan. xi, 1-1) — to confirm by the issue of their attempt the iniih of the prophetic word, ami at the same time to forward unconsciously the establishment of the heav- enly kingdom which they sough) to anticipate. The accession of Ptolemy, and the confusion ol a disputed regency furnished a favorable opportunity for foreign invasion. "Many stood up against th* king of the south" under Antiochus the Great and Philip III of Macedonia, who formed a league for the dismember- ment of his kingdom. "So the king qfth north \ An- tiochus came, and cast "j* a mount, and took tin most
Ity | Sidon, to which Scopas, the general of Ptolemy, bad fled: Jerome, ad foe], and the arms of th smith did not withstand" al Paneas, B.C. L98, where Antiochus gained a decisive victory] (Dan. xi. 11. 15). The interference of the Romans, to whom the regents had turned for help, checked Antiochus in his career; but in order to retain the provinces ot < Jele-Syria. Plue- nicia, and Judaea, which he had reconquered, really un- der his power, while he seemed to comply with the de- mands of the Romans, who required them to be surren- dered to Ptolemy, "h gavt him \ Ptolemy, his daugh- ter Cleopatra] a young maiden" j as his betrothed wife ] (Dan. xi. 17). But in the end his policy only partially succeeded. After the marriage of Ptolemy and Cleo- patra was consummated (Ii.C. 103), Cleopatra did -not stand "ii his side," but supported her husband in main- taining the alliance with Rome. The disputed prov- inces, however, remained in the possession of Antio- chus: and Ptolemy was poisoned at the time when he was preparing an expedition to recover them from Se- lettcits, the unworthy successor of Antiochus. B.C. 181.
Tetradrachm of Ptolemy V.
I I kins:, r., hound with fillet adorned with
'.' . hasiakiii iiTDAKMAinr. Eagle. 1., on thunder- bolt.)
6. Ptolemy VI. Philometor | '\'i\<>jti)rc)f>, ue.mother- loving). On the death of Ptolemy Epiphanes, his wife, Cleopatra, held the regency for her young son. Ptolemy Philometor, and preserved peace with Syria till she died. B.C. 17:'.. The government then fell into unwor- thy hands, and an attempt was made to recover Syria (comp. '_' Mace. Lv, 21 I. Antiochus Epiphanes Bet ms to have made the claim a pretext for invading Egypt The generals of Ptolemy were defeated near Pelusium, probably al the close of B.C. 171 (Clinton, F.H. iii,319; l Mai c.i,16 sq.) ; and in the nexl j ear Antiochus, hav- ing secured the person of the young king, reduced al- most the whole of Egypt (comp. 2 Mace, v, 1). Mean- while Ptolemy Euergetes [I, the younger brother of Ptolemy Philometor, assumed the supreme power al Alexandria; and Antiochus, under the pretext of re- covering the crown for Philometor, besieged Uexan-
dria in II. ( '. 169. By this time, however, his sellish de- signs were apparent : th< brothers were reconciled, and Antiochus was obliged to acquiesce for the time in the arrangement which they made. But while doing so.
he prepared for another invasion of Egypt, and was al- ready approaching Alexandria, when he was met hy the Roman embassy, led by < '. Popillius Lamas, who, in the name of the Roman Benate, insisted on his immedi- ate retreat i li.c. L68), a command which the late vic- tory at Pydna made it impossible to disobey. (Oth- ers reckon only three campaigns of Antiochus against Egypt in 171. J7n. 168 [ Grimm on 1 Mace. i. 18]. Vet the campaign of 169 Beems clearly distinguished from those in the years before and after, though in the de- scription of Daniel the campaigns of 170 and lo'J are not noticed separately. |
Tetradrachm of Ptolemy VI. Egyptian talent, (06». Head of king, r., bound with fillet /.
MAtor •iaumhtofuX. Eagle, 1., with palm-branch, on thunderbolt.)
These campaigns, which are intimately connected with the visits of Antiochus to Jerusalem in B.C. 17n, 168, are briefly described in Dan.xi,25 30: ■• //. An- tiochus] shall stir up his power and his couragi against tin king of th south with a great army} andthi king of the south [Ptolemy Philometor] shall & stirred up to batik with a very great and mighty army; but h shall not stand: for they [the ministers, as it appears, in whom he trusted] shall forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed ofth portion of his m<at shall de- stroy him, and his army shall m, It away, and many shall