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1 Maccabees 1:16-20
New Catholic Bible
1 Maccabees 1:16-20
New Catholic Bible
16 The Temple of Jerusalem Is Sacked.[a] Once his kingdom had been firmly established, Antiochus was determined to become king of Egypt so that he might reign over both kingdoms. 17 He invaded Egypt with a massive force of chariots, elephants, and cavalry, supported by a large fleet. 18 When he engaged Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, in battle, Ptolemy fled in fear before him, amidst a great number of casualties. 19 The fortified cities in the land of Egypt were captured, and Antiochus plundered the kingdom.
20 After his return from his conquest of Egypt in the year one hundred and forty-three, Antiochus advanced upon Israel and Jerusalem with a massive force.
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- 1 Maccabees 1:16 This event took place in 169 B.C. The plunderer of the temple had great need of money after his first campaign in Egypt; after the second, he brutally occupied the city of Jerusalem. The arrogance of the king, who wanted to incarnate Zeus, impressed his contemporaries and especially the author of the Book of Daniel (Dan 7:8-25; 8:11-14; 9:27; 11:31, 36; 12:11ff). The prince who makes himself a god and plays with the life of human beings becomes the type of the Antichrist (Rev 13:15).
