Heliodorus
PeopleWhat is the meaning of Heliodorus in the Bible?
Heliodorus served as the treasurer for the Seleucid king Seleucus IV Philopator and was dispatched to Jerusalem to confiscate the Temple's treasury. According to the narrative in 2 Maccabees, he encountered a divine intervention that caused him to collapse, after which he was restored to health by the high priest Onias III.
SIGNIFICANCE
This account underscores the perceived divine protection over the Jerusalem Temple and illustrates the tension between Hellenistic political authority and Jewish religious institutions during the Second Temple period.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
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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.