Antiochus I
PeopleWhat is the meaning of Antiochus I in the Bible?
Antiochus I Soter, born in 324 BC, was the son of Seleucus I Nicator and succeeded him as king of the Seleucid Empire. He consolidated the dynasty's power by defeating the Gauls, earning the epithet Soter (Savior), and engaged in prolonged conflicts with Eumenes I of Pergamum and Ptolemy II of Egypt.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding Antiochus I Soter provides essential historical context for the political landscape of the Hellenistic world during the intertestamental period, clarifying the geopolitical pressures that influenced Jewish communities under Seleucid rule prior to the Maccabean revolt.
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Source Attribution
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.