Historical record
Event and evidence
Ancient Judean narratives, Seleucid chronology, coinage, and later historical reconstruction securely establish the ruler and crisis; theological interpretation of Daniel remains debated.
- Date or range
- 175–164 BCE
- Geography
- Seleucid Syria and Judea
- Event class
- Second Temple crisis
- Confidence
- Strongly Supported
Textual relationship
Relevant prophecy texts
- Daniel 8
- Daniel 11
Concepts later connected with this event
- Little horn
- King of the North
- Abomination of Desolation
Historical fact and fulfillment are different claims
The event can be historically established while its relationship to prophecy remains interpretive, disputed, typological, or tradition-specific.
Reception history
Who connected it to prophecy?
- Jewish historical interpretation
- historical-critical scholarship
- Christian typological and futurist readings
Assessment
Arguments and objections
Reasons the event matters
- Daniel 8 and 11 closely match the Seleucid setting, policies, and sanctuary crisis.
Limits and objections
- Some Christian systems treat Antiochus as a type rather than the final referent.
Evidence trail
Sources and report provenance
- Primary text1
- Ancient history2
Coverage describes source types present; it is not a truth score or certainty percentage.
Historical record citation notes (3)
- Ancient historyFirst Maccabees
Locator: Daniel 8; Daniel 11
Narrates Antiochus IV, Temple desecration, revolt, and rededication. Relevant locator for this record: Daniel 8; Daniel 11.
- Ancient historySecond Maccabees
Locator: Daniel 8; Daniel 11
Provides a second ancient narrative of Antiochus IV, sanctuary desecration, persecution, revolt, and rededication. Relevant locator for this record: Daniel 8; Daniel 11.
- Primary textDaniel
Locator: Daniel 8; Daniel 11
Supplies kingdom, Son of Man, seventy-weeks, desecration, distress, and resurrection material. Relevant locator for this record: Daniel 8; Daniel 11.
Primary and secondary sources (3)
- Ancient history2
- Primary text1
Coverage identifies source families present; it is not a truth score or certainty percentage.
First Maccabees
ancient historical sourceCoverage class: Ancient history
Relevant text: 1 Maccabees 1–4
Publication date: late second or early first century BCE
What it supports: Narrates Antiochus IV, Temple desecration, revolt, and rededication.
Limitations: It is a partisan ancient narrative and must be compared with other evidence.
Consult the source or publisher before reproducing protected text, images, or apparatus content.
Second Maccabees
ancient historical sourceCoverage class: Ancient history
Relevant text: 2 Maccabees 4–10
Publication date: late second or early first century BCE
What it supports: Provides a second ancient narrative of Antiochus IV, sanctuary desecration, persecution, revolt, and rededication.
Limitations: Its theological and rhetorical aims require comparison with First Maccabees and external evidence.
Consult the source or publisher before reproducing protected text, images, or apparatus content.
Daniel
primary textCoverage class: Primary text
Relevant text: Daniel 2; 7–12
What it supports: Supplies kingdom, Son of Man, seventy-weeks, desecration, distress, and resurrection material.
Limitations: Dating, historical referents, and future extensions are heavily disputed.
Consult the source or publisher before reproducing protected text, images, or apparatus content.
Integrated report provenance (3)
- CCX-RPT-14 The Abomination of Desolation — Daniel, Jesus, and Historical Fulfillments
- CCX-RPT-24 The Abomination of Desolation: Exegetical, Historical, and Eschatological Trajectories
- CCX-RPT-43 Jewish Eschatology and Exegetical Traditions: A Comprehensive Analysis of Biblical and Interpretive Frameworks
Related records
Continue the evidence trail
Desecration of the Second Temple
Seleucid measures interrupted regular sacrifice and imposed an alien cult in Jerusalem, producing the strongest historical match for Daniel 11:31.
Open record →Maccabean revolt
A Judean revolt resisted Seleucid rule and cultic coercion, eventually recovering Jerusalem and the sanctuary.
Open record →