HYRCANUS hûr kā’ nəs. Hyrcanus is a name derived from Hyrcania, a region S of the Caspian Sea to which many Jews had been transported. A man of that name is mentioned in 2 Maccabees 3:11. He was the son of Tobias, a prominent man who had deposited a large sum of money in the Temple. Heliodorus, an official of the Syrian ruler Seleucus IV, came to Jerusalem to confiscate the money. According to 2 Maccabees 3:24-29, Heliodorus was overwhelmed as the result of seeing an apparition, and the treasure was saved for the Temple. For John Hyrcanus, and Hyrcanus II, see Hasmoneans.