Daniel 11:10-19

Seleucus III. (Ceraunos), 226 223, and Antiochus III. (the Great), 223 187: Ptolemy IV. (Philopator), 222 205, and Ptolemy V. (Epiphanes), 205 181.

Seleucus Callinicus left two sons, Seleucus Ceraunos and Antiochus. The former succeeded him, but was murdered, after two years, in the course of an expedition in Asia Minor (Pol yb. v. 40). Ant iochus, who then came to the throne, determined to resume the war with Egypt, hoping, in view of Ptolemy Philopator's effeminacy and supineness, that an easy task lay before him (Polyb. v. 42) [360]. First, acting on the advice of his friend, the physician Apollophanes, he recovered the important fortress of Seleukeia (Polyb. v. 58 60, see above, on Daniel 11:7); then Theodotus, Ptolemy's præfect in Cœle-S yria (v. 40), in vited him treacherously to take possession of that province, and enabled him further to secure Tyre, Ptolemais, and other neighbouring towns (v. 61). Meanwhile Ptolemy, roused from his lethargy by the loss of Cœle-Syria, had advanced his troops as far as Pelusium; and his ministers, wishing to gain time for further warlike preparations, succeeded in obtaining from Antiochus an armistice for four months. Antiochus accordingly retired for the winter to Seleukeia, leaving garrisons in Phœnicia and Cœle-Syria, which (being ignorant of Ptolemy's real intentions) he hoped he had now finally secured (v. 62 66). However, in the following spring (218), a large Egyptian army, which had meantime been organized, marched under Nicolaus through Palestine as far as a spot between Lebanon and the sea, where it was met by Antiochus and completely defeated (v. 68 69). After this Antiochus advanced into Palestine, takes Philoteria, Scythopolis (Beth-shean) and Atabyrium, as also Abila, Gadara, and Rabbath-Ammon, on the E. of Jordan, leaves a governor, with 8000 soldiers, in Samaria, and retires into winter-quarters at Ptolemais (v. 70 71).

[360] The events summarized in Daniel 11:10 are narrated at length in Polyb. v. 58 71, 79 87 (v. 62 68, 79 87, are translated in Mahaffy, l.c., pp. 250 263).

In the next spring (217) Antiochus and Ptolemy both take the field, with armies of 60,000 or 70,000 men each (v. 79). Ptolemy, starting from Alexandria, advances to within 50 stadia of Raphia (the border-fortress of Palestine, in the direction of Egypt); Antiochus first marches to Gaza, then by slow stages, passing Raphia, to within five stadia of the spot on which the army of Ptolemy was encamped (v. 80). In the battle which ensued (v. 82 85), Antiochus was defeated (with the loss of 10,000 infantry, 300 cavalry, besides 4,000 prisoners), and fell buck upon Gaza, retiring afterwards to Antioch (v. :86). He then sent to Ptolemy to ask terms of peace, which Ptolemy, satisfied with his victory, and with its natural consequence, the recovery of Cœle-Syria, granted for one year (v. 87).

The second part of Daniel 11:12 refers plainly to Ptolemy's victory at Raphia; but it is impossible to feel certain which of the events just described are referred to in Daniel 11:10; Daniel 11:10; Daniel 11:10 a. The sequence of events as described in these verses seems, in fact, not to agree with that of the narrative of Polybius.