Seleucid Takeover

The Seleucids, a Greek dynasty ruling from Syria, took control of the Land of Israel from the Ptolemies around −200, after the Battle of Panium. At first, Seleucid rule was not necessarily disastrous for the Jews, but over time tensions increased, especially as Hellenistic influence grew among parts of the Jewish elite. The crisis became severe under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who interfered in the Temple, supported Hellenizing factions, and eventually issued decrees against Jewish religious practice. From a Jewish perspective, the Seleucid takeover is important because it leads directly to the Maccabean Revolt and the story of Hanukkah.