Hellenistic Kingdoms

For 300 years after Alexander's death in 323 BC, Greek kings ruled the lands he had conquered. During this time, Greek ways of life, beliefs, and customs spread throughout these lands. This spread of Greek culture is called Hellenization. It allowed both Jewish and Greek learning to thrive.

However, it also created problems for the Jewish people because Greek customs often went against Jewish beliefs. These problems became very serious in the 160s BC. Greek rulers tried to force the Jewish people to abandon their faith. Greek culture later mixed with Roman rule to prepare the way for the Messiah (God's chosen one), just as the prophet Daniel had said would happen. This era's history is accurately described in several of Daniel’s prophecies (see Daniel 7:6; 8:8–14, 21–26; 11:4–45).

Successors (Diadochoi), 323 to 301 BC

After Alexander died suddenly in 323 BC, his top generals fought for power and control. These generals were called diadochoi, meaning "successors."

1. Ptolemy I was one of Alexander the Great's strongest and most capable Macedonian generals. He became the governor of Egypt in 323 BC, the year Alexander died, and he ruled Egypt successfully until his death in 285 BC.

2. Antigonus was a high-ranking general in Alexander's army and acted as the active regent for much of Alexander's empire. In 315 BC, Antigonus invaded Syria and Palestine. However, his attempt to reunite the empire did not succeed, and he died in battle in 301 BC.

3. Seleucus I, one of Alexander's high-ranking generals, became the governor of Babylon in 321 BC. When he learned about Antigonus's plans to reunite the empire, he sought protection from Ptolemy in Egypt in 316 BC. After regaining control of Babylon in 315 BC and Syria in 312 BC, he ruled until his death in 281 BC.

4. Lysimachus became the governor of Thrace and Bithynia (in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey) after Alexander died.

5. Cassander served as the governor of Macedonia until 294 BC. Demetrius I, the son of Antigonus, then took control of Macedonia and Achaia. He founded the Antigonid dynasty, which ruled until the Romans took over Greece after the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC.

Alexander's empire was divided into four kingdoms ruled by Macedonian Greeks:

1. Egypt

2. Babylon and Syria

3. Macedonia and Achaia

4. Parts of Asia Minor

During the 200s BC, the Ptolemies and the Seleucids fought many wars over Palestine. Daniel 11 accurately describes this conflict.

Ptolemies, 323 to 30 BC

Ptolemy I and his descendants (known as the "king of the south" in Daniel 11) ruled Egypt for nearly three hundred years. After Ptolemy I took control of Judea in 319 BC, he moved some Jewish people to Alexandria. This city became a large and important Jewish community and a center for both Jewish and Greek learning. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, was created in Alexandria during this time. Although the Ptolemies were worshiped as gods and spread Greek culture in Egypt, they were generally tolerant of the Jews and their belief in one God. The Ptolemaic dynasty ended with Cleopatra VII's death when Rome took control of Egypt in 30 BC.

Seleucid Empire, 321 to 64 BC

Seleucus I and his descendants (known as the "king of the north" in Daniel 11) ruled Syria and, for a time, Babylon until the Roman general Pompey took control of Syria in 64 BC. The Seleucids, like the Ptolemies, spread Greek culture and the worship of rulers in their territories. However, they were less tolerant of the Jews' refusal to participate than the Ptolemies.

After the Seleucid king Antiochus III took control of Judea around 200 BC, he gave important jobs and authority to Jews who adopted Greek ways of living. His son, Antiochus IV, harshly persecuted the Jews. He executed those who observed the Sabbath, kept copies of the Torah, or refused to worship at the altar of Zeus (the main Greek god) that he set up in the temple in Jerusalem. This event is noted in Daniel as the "abomination of desolation" (Daniel 11:31). This persecution led to the revolt of the Jewish priest Mattathias and his sons. The Jewish state gained some freedom to rule themselves for nearly one hundred years under their descendants, the Hasmoneans.

Passages for Further Study

Daniel 11:4–39