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Daniel calls the respective kingdoms, "the king of the south" and "the king of the north."
These two kingdoms were specifically the Egyptian kingdom (Ptolemies) on the south,
and the Seleucid kingdom, on the north. This prophecy shows, over 300 years in advance,
the exact political conditions in Palestine during our period of discussion. History proves
that this prophecy gave the precise state of affairs that did exist.

Daniel did not stop in verse 20, however, concerning the political situations in
Palestine. In verse 21 Daniel speaks about a "vile person" who was to arise in the
kingdom of the north -- the Seleucid kingdom. This person was to be most wicked and
was to cause many terrible indignities to the Jews. Verses 21 through 39 describe the
activities of this man. And, the prophecies concerning him were fulfilled to the letter.
This king of the north -- the vile person -- was Antiochus Epiphanes.

Antiochus Epiphanes Appoints Jewish High Priest

In the year 175 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes obtained the throne of the Seleucid
kingdom, and thereby assumed control of Palestine.

When Antiochus took over the Seleucid kingdom there was a reaction between
several of the priests in Jerusalem who were contending for the position of High Priest
among the Jews. Jason, the brother of the reigning High Priest, persuaded Antiochus
Epiphanes to permit him to be High Priest in his brother's stead. Because of the large
sum of money he offered for the honor, Antiochus transferred the priesthood to Jason.
The position of High Priest had dwindled to more of an aristocratic political honor.
There was little regard paid to the Law of God by these High Priests. Most of them were
outright Hellenists. See Cyc. Bib. Theo. and Ecc. hit. vol. i, p. 271.

About three years later, however, a Jew, Menelaus, of the tribe of Benjamin (not
from Aaron), offered Antiochus Epiphanes a larger bribe than Jason, and he was named
High Priest instead. Because of this, Jason fled beyond Jordan to the Ammonites for
refuge.

Many of the Jews thought that Jason had been unjustly deprived of his priesthood.
A good number of the Jews in Palestine began to take sides -- between these two men --
some were for Jason and others for Menelaus. So hot did tempers become between these
factions that a good deal of violence broke out between them. Actually, those on the side
of Jason were fighting in rebellion against the recognized authority that Antiochus
Epiphanes had set up. The High Priest, Menelaus, had been given his position by the
Seleucid government -- even though Menelaus had bribed Antiochus into giving it to him
-- and fighting against this authority constituted fighting against the dictates of the
Seleucid Kingdom. See Antiquities of the Jews, xii, 5, 1-5.

The Jewish War for Independence

The Jewish war for independence from the Seleucid Kingdom has often been
called the Maccabean Revolt. Some people have hastily assumed that this revolt was