Antiochus Vii

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(Surnamed Sidetes, Σιδήτης , Sidḗtēs , after Sida in Pamphylia, where he was educated): Younger son of Demetrius Soter and brother of Demetrius Nicator, whose wife, Cleopatra, he married when Demetrius was taken prisoner by the Parthians. Antiochus overthrew the usurper, Tryphon, and ascended the throne himself and reigned from 139 to 130 bc. He defeated John Maccabeus and besieged Jerusalem ( Ant. , Xiii , viii, 2), but concluded a favorable peace ( Ant. , Xiii , viii, 3) from fear of Rome. Later he waged war with the Parthians and was slain in battle (1 Macc 15:2-9, 28-31).