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The Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake(s)

~142 BCE

by Jefferson Williams








Introduction & Summary

Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake(s) Summary

Textual Evidence

Text (with hotlink) Original Language Religion Date of Composition Location Composed Notes
Geographicum by Strabo possibly based on Posidonius Greek - Strabo
Greek - Posidonius		 Strabo - 7 BCE - ~23 CE
Posidonius - before c. 51 BCE		 Strabo - Amaseia in Pontus with some sections perhaps written at other locations.
Posidonius - Rhodes		 reports sea wave flooding between Tyre and Acre (aka Ptolemais). The account described a wave from the sea, like a flood-tide, submerged the fugitives; and some were carried off into the sea and destroyed, whereas others were left dead in the hollow places; and then, succeeding this wave, the ebb uncovered the shore again and disclosed the bodies of men lying promiscuously among dead fish while noting that like occurrences take place in the neighborhood of the Mt. Casius situated near Aegypt, where the land undergoes a single quick convulsion, and makes a sudden change to a higher or lower level, the result being that, whereas the elevated part repels the sea and the sunken part receives it
The Deipnosophistae by Athenaeus of Naucratis citing Posidonius Greek - Athenaeus
Greek - Posidonius		 Athenaeus - end of the 2nd/beginning of the 3rd century BCE
Posidonius - before c. 51 BCE		 Athenaeus - ?
Posidonius - Rhodes		 The Deipnosophistae cites Posidonius in stating that suddenly a wave from the ocean lifted itself to an extraordinary height and dashed upon the shore, engulfing all the men and drowning them beneath the waters. And when the wave receded it left behind a huge pile of fishes among the dead bodies.
The Jewish War by Josephus Greek, possibly translated from an earlier version in Aramaic Jewish about 75 CE Rome and ? Background information - Josephus Flavius recounted when Maccabean general Simon assisted Seleucid Emperor Antiochus VII Sidetes in, apparently successfully, sieging Dor against the Seleucid usurper Diodotus Tryphon (referred to as Trypho by Josephus).
Historia Chronike by John of Antioch Greek Christian - possibly Syrian Orthodox (Wikipedia citing Heinrich Gelzer's 3 volume edition Sextus Julius Africanus und die Byzantinische Chronographie, 1898 ?: v. ? p.41) beginning of Heraclius (r. 610-648 CE)' reign as suggested by Roberto (2016:271) Antioch? In a chronologically inconsistent passage, John of Antioch relates that a great earthquake happened in the East and a countless number of Syrians perished while the city of Tyre on the coast was submerged into the sea and a comet shone for several days. It is unclear from the passage whether, he is referring to the Posidonius Quake, the Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake, is conflating both earthquakes together, or is referring to a separate event. It is possible that the Posidonius Quake and the Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake were the same event.
The First Mithridates Comet and the Date of the Earthquake
The First Mithridates Comet

Triantafyllou et al. (2022:8) suggest that the comet mentioned by John of Antioch as occurring more or less coincident with the earthquake and tsunami was the first "Mithridates Comet".

a great earthquake happened in the East and a countless number of Syrians perished; the city of Tyre on the coast was submerged into the sea and a comet shone for several days, announcing to him [Antiochus [IX] surnamed Kyzikenos [r. 129 or 116 to 96 BCE] his death.
Dates for this comet by various catalogers are listed below:
Yoke (1962) and Seargent (2008:69-71) suggest that the Chinese catalogs which list comets in ~September 135 BCE and ~September 134 BCE are a repeat of the same event and that the correct date should be ~September 135 BCE. If we consider all possibilities, it may be best to date the comet to the Late Summer/Early Fall of 134 or 135 BCE. Triantafyllou et al. (2022:8) suggest that the appearance of the comet provides a terminus ante quem for the earthquake and tsunami.

Triantafyllou et al. (2022:8) further suggest that a battle at Dor between and Diodotus Tryphon and Sarpedon (Demetrius's general) provides a terminus post quem - since the earthquake and tsunami described in Strabo and Athenaeus of Naucratis' accounts occurs soon after the battle. Although Triantafyllou et al. (2022:8) date the battle at Dor to 138 BCE (based on a webpage at Livius.org), to my knowledge the date of this battle is not so well established and 138 BCE should be considered approximate. Karcz (2004) suggest the battle occurred between 145/144 and 138/137 BCE.

Unfortunately, John of Antioch's account is riddled with chronological inconsistencies which makes it hard to establish that the comet mentioned as occurring more or less at the same time as the earthquake and tsunami provides a reliable terminus ante quem. One glaring problem is that John of Antioch states that the comet was a portent of Antiochus [IX] surnamed Kyzikenos' death which is dated to 96 BCE - roughly 40 years after the appearance of the first Mithridates Comet. Triantafyllou et al. (2022:8) suggest that John of Antioch, writing 700+ years after this event, named the wrong Seleucid Emperor and should have named Antiochus VII Euergetes, nicknamed Sidetes [r. 138-129 BCE] instead. If this is the case, the The First Mithridates Comet (135/134 BCE) would have appeared about half a decade before Antiochus VII Euergetes, nicknamed Sidetes' death (129 BCE). This seems a reasonable supposition as the histories of this time period appear to be riddled with mistakes in assigning the correct Seleucid Emperor to the events various ancient historians are writing about (e.g. Malalas).

However, the possibility that John of Antioch named the wrong Seleucid Emperor is not the only chronological inconsistency in his account. John goes on to state that the next Seleucid Emperor was Philip. In this case, John of Antioch is clearly referring to Philip II Philoromaeus [r. 65-64 BCE] as John names him as the last Seleucid King after which Syria was declared a Roman Province in 63 BCE - 70+ years after the appearance First Mithridates Comet.

In fact, John of Antioch's account contains so many chronological inconsistencies that it is best characterized as being consistently inconsistent. Given that, the most likely historiographic date for the Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake has to be derived from the date of the battle at Dor which may have occurred between 145 and 137 BCE.

Conflation Possibilities - The Dead Fish and Soldiers, Malalas Confusion, and the Seventeenth of Adar Quakes
Text (with hotlink) Original Language Religion Date of Composition Location Composed Notes
Geographicum by Strabo

The Deipnosophistae by Athenaeus of Naucratis

The Jewish War by Josephus

Historia Chronike by John of Antioch

First Mithridates Comet and the Date of the Earthquake

Conflation Possibilities - The Dead Fish and Soldiers, Malalas Confusion, and the Seventeenth of Adar Quakes

Archaeoseismic Evidence

Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Tel Ateret aka Vadun Jacob probable ≥9 Ellenblum et. al. (2015:5) estimated a displacement of ~2.5 m from this event which, though dated from the 3rd century BCE - ~142 BCE, probably struck around ~142 BCE. Using the scaling laws of Wells and Coppersmith (1994), ~2.5 m of strike-slip displacement corresponds to a magnitude of 7.1 - 7.4.
Tell Anafa possible Hellenistic Earthquake inferred from possible rebuilding - Although Herbert in Stern et al (1993) did not report any evidence for seismic destruction in Hellenistic times, they did date construction of a Late Hellenistic stuccoed building around ~125 BCE noting that a coin of Alexander Zebina (128-125 BCE) found in the construction fill of the bath's southern room is the latest find under any of the building's original floors. Herbert in Stern et al (1993) also reports that a massive leveling and terracing operation took place with the construction of the Late Hellenistic stuccoed building, obliterating earlier architectural remains. This could explain an absence of archaeoseismic evidence.
Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Tel Ateret aka Vadun Jacob



Tell Anafa



Landslide Evidence

1 PGA to Intensity conversions use Wald et al (1999).
Location (with hotlink) Status Minimum PGA (g) Likely PGA (g) Likely Intensity1 Comments
Jordan River Delta possible Niemi and Ben-Avraham (1994) estimated that Event 2 was younger than 3-5 ka and older than 1927 CE.
Gulf Of Aqaba possible Event D in R/V Mediterranean Explorer core P27 - ~143 BCE

2 cm. thick Mass Transport Deposit Event D was identified in R/V Mediterranean Explorer Canyon Core P27 by Ash-Mor et al. (2017). Ash-Mor et al. (2017) provided an unmodeled 14C date of ~143 CE (2093 ± 56 cal years BP).

R/V Thuwal Core 11 Unit J Turbidite - ~450-~50 BCE (1σ)

Bektaş et al. (2024) identified/interpreted a seismo-turbidite deemed Unit J of R/V Thuwal Core 11 which was taken near the southern terminus of the Aragonese Fault. They assigned a date of ca. 250 BCE to this turbidite which, based on Probability Density Functions (PDFs) presented in Fig. 8 of their paper, should have been deposited between ~450 and ~50 BCE (1σ) and may be due to two events spaced between 100 and 250 years apart.
Location (with hotlink) Status Minimum PGA (g) Likely PGA (g) Likely Intensity1 Comments
Jordan River Delta

Niemi and Ben-Avraham (1994) estimated that Event 2 was younger than 3-5 ka and older than 1927 CE.



Gulf Of Aqaba



Tsunamogenic Evidence

Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Tyre missing evidence Marriner et al (2005) undertook a litho and biostratigraphical study of four core sequences from the landward edge of the current harbor. AMS radiocarbon dating was performed on dateable material found in the cores. They attributed missing 1st millennium BCE strata to dredging activity undertaken in the Roman and Byzantine periods.
Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Tyre



Paleoseismic Evidence

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Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Dinar Trenches possible - indeterminate ≥ 7 Altunel et al (1999) claim evidence for a ~80 BCE Apamea Earthquake in Event 2 from their trenches but only two useful radiocarbon dates were obtained in their paleoseismic study. The date constraints from these two samples are large (~1550 BCE - 1360 ± 50 CE) and their historical earthquake assignment is speculative - based on consulting earthquake catalogs during that time span.
Hacipasa Trenches possible ≥ 7 The oldest event identified in the Ziyaret Trench dated to before 983 CE. A lower bound on age was not available due to insufficient radiocarbon dates.
Tekieh Trenches possible ≥ 7 Gomez et. al. (2003:15) may have seen evidence for an earthquake in the 1st or 2nd century BCE in Event B. Event B is estimated to have created ~ 2 meters of left lateral strike slip displacement which translates to an estimated Magnitude between 7.0 and 7.3 (7.0 and 7.2 according to Gomez et al, 2003:16-17). In terms of dating, an upper bound for Event B is 170 BCE - 20 CE while a lower bound for Events B and and the older Event C is from 1690 - 1400 BCE.
Tabarja Benches possible Mw = ~7.5 Elias et al (2007) examined uplifted benches on the Lebanese coast between Sarafand and Tripolis; some in the vicinity of Tabarja (~20 km. NE of Beirut). They identified four uplifts from 3 or more [sizeable Mw = ~7.5] earthquakes in the past ca. 6-7 ka. They attributed the latest uplift (B1) to the 551 CE Beirut Quake while the earlier events (B2, B3, and B4) were no more precisely dated than between ~5000 BCE and 551 CE. Bench uplift on the earlier events (B2, B3, and B4) would likely have been due to uplift on the Mount Lebanon Thrust system - as was surmised for Event B1 and the 551 CE Beirut Quake.
Jarmaq Trench possible ≥ 7 Nemer and Meghraoui (2006) date Event Y to between 2920-2879 BCE and 84-239 CE
Qiryat-Shemona Rockfalls possible Kanari, M. (2008) examined rockfalls in Qiryat-Shemona which were attributed to earthquakes. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was performed on soil samples beneath the fallen rocks. Kanari et al (2019) assigned Sample ID QS-6 to an earthquake in 199 BCE but the wide spread in ages indicate that this event could have occurred in the 2nd century BCE.
Bet Zayda possible ≥ 7 Wechsler at al. (2014) records event CH4-E6 with a modeled age of 392 BCE – 91 CE.
Jordan Valley - Dir Hagla Trenches possible ≥ 7 Reches and Hoexter (1981) report that Event A was dated from 200 BCE - 200 CE and exhibited 3.5 m of vertical displacement. Although the total vertical displacement could have been created by more than one seismic event, there were no broken layers between Event A the next Event (B) which was dated to between 700 and 900 CE. Further, they interpreted Event A created a fault scarp on the site. Kagan, E., et al. (2011) noted that the dip slip could have been magnified by local variations in the strike of the fault.
Dead Sea - Seismite Types n/a n/a If the Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake struck somewhere on the Lebanese littoral, it's epicenter might have been ~200-250 km. away from the Dead Sea Paleoseismic sites. If one assumes a magnitude of 6.5, this leads to projected PGAs of 0.08-0.10 g at the Dead Sea sites. At a magnitude of 7.0, those numbers go up to 0.14-0.18 g. This is below the 0.23 g threshold calculated by Williams (2004) and is, in some cases, above the 0.13 g threshold assumed in Lu et al (2020a) that one needs to break the Dead Sea sediments. So, while a northern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake could have left a mark in the Dead Sea, it would not likely have churned up seismites as thick the mid 2nd century BCE seismites we see in the outcrops. It also would not likely have extended to the Araba. This suggests that the causitive earthquake for the mid 2nd century BCE seismites was probably in the region. This further suggests that we may be dealing with an earthquake couplet where an earthquake in the northern part of the Dead Sea Transform struck within a short amount of time (1-2 decades or less) before or after an earthquake in the southern part of the Transform.

Calculator
Seismic Attenuation

Variable Input Units Notes
Magnitude
km. Distance to earthquake producing fault
Variable Output - Site Effect not considered Units Notes
unitless
unitless Conversion from PGA to Intensity using Wald et al (1999)
  

Dead Sea - Nahal Darga possible ≥ 7 Enzel et. al. (2000) identified a 20 cm. thick seismite in coarse grained lithology in Deformed Unit 8 in Stratigraphic Unit 10 which dated to 450-50 BCE (2400-2000 yrs BP).
Dead Sea - En Feshkapossible 7.9 - 8.8 Kagan et al (2011) identified two seismites which they estimate struck in the 2nd century BCE.
Depth (cm.) Thickness (cm.) Seismite Type Modeled Age (± 1σ) Modeled Age (± 2σ) Quake Assignment (Kagan) Quake Assignment (Williams)
393 l 4 121 BCE ± 25 119 BCE ± 58 mid 2nd century BCE possibly ~150 BCE southern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake
402 l.5 4 151 BCE ± 21 150 BCE ± 55 mid 2nd century BCE possibly ~150 BCE southern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake
Dead Sea - En Gedi possible 7.9 - 8.8 Migowski et. al. (2004) dated a 1 cm. thick Type 4 seismite at a depth of 302.48 cm. (3.0248 m) to 140 BCE.
Dead Sea - Nahal Ze 'elim possible 8.2 - 9.0 (All sites) At site ZA-2, Kagan et al (2011) observed a 8 cm. thick Type 4 intraclast breccia seismite at a depth of 516 cm. with modeled ages of 103 BCE ± 37 (1σ) and 103 BCE ± 75 (2σ). They suggested it struck in the middle of the 2nd century BCE. It may have formed during the southern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake.

At site ZA-1, Kagan et al (2011) in Table 4 reports a 15 cm. thick seismite which they also assigned a date of mid second century BCE (i.e., assumed to be the same seismite). This appears to be the same seismite which Ken-Tor et al (2001a) labeled as Event A. Event A is an 11 cm. thick Type 4 seismite which Ken-Tor et al (2001a) dated as 200 BCE ± 160 (± 2σ) and estimated the most probable age as 400-200 BCE. Ken-Tor et al (2001a) assigned Event A to to the potentially dubious 64 BCE Pig on the Wall Quake. Williams (2004) and Agnon et. al (2006) redated Event A to better match the radiocarbon dates. Williams (2004) and Agnon et. al (2006) estimated dates of ~150 BCE and ~140 BCE respectively.
Araba - Introduction n/a n/a n/a
Araba - Taybeh Trench possible ≥ 7 LeFevre et al. (2018) reports a modeled age for Event E6 of 139 BCE ± 22.
Araba - Qatar Trench unlikely ≥ 7 Klinger et. al. (2015) did not observe any mid 2nd century BCE seismic events.
Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Dinar Trenches



Altunel et al (1999) claim evidence for a ~80 BCE Apamea Earthquake in Event 2 from their trenches but only two useful radiocarbon dates were obtained in their paleoseismic study. The date constraints from these two samples are large (~1550 BCE - 1360 ± 50 CE) and their historical earthquake assignment is speculative - based on consulting earthquake catalogs during that time span.



Hacipasa Trenches

The oldest event identified in the Ziyaret Trench dated to before 983 CE. A lower bound on age was not available due to insufficient radiocarbon dates.



Tekieh Trenches

Gomez et. al. (2003:15) may have seen evidence for an earthquake in the 1st or 2nd century BCE in Event B. Event B is estimated to have created ~ 2 meters of left lateral strike slip displacement which translates to an estimated Magnitude between 7.0 and 7.3 (7.0 and 7.2 according to Gomez et al, 2003:16-17). In terms of dating, an upper bound for Event B is 170 BCE - 20 CE while a lower bound for Events B and and the older Event C is from 1690 - 1400 BCE.



Tabarja Benches

Elias et al (2007) examined uplifted benches on the Lebanese coast between Sarafand and Tripolis; some in the vicinity of Tabarja (~20 km. NE of Beirut). They identified four uplifts from 3 or more [sizeable Mw = ~7.5] earthquakes in the past ca. 6-7 ka. They attributed the latest uplift (B1) to the 551 CE Beirut Quake while the earlier events (B2, B3, and B4) were no more precisely dated than between ~5000 BCE and 551 CE. Bench uplift on the earlier events (B2, B3, and B4) would likely have been due to uplift on the Mount Lebanon Thrust system - as was surmised for Event B1 and the 551 CE Beirut Quake.



Jarmaq Trench

Nemer and Meghraoui (2006) date Event Y to between 2920-2879 BCE and 84-239 CE



Qiryat-Shemona Rockfalls

Kanari, M. (2008) examined rockfalls in Qiryat-Shemona which were attributed to earthquakes. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was performed on soil samples beneath the fallen rocks. Kanari et al (2019) assigned Sample ID QS-6 to an earthquake in 199 BCE but the wide spread in ages indicate that this event could have occurred in the 2nd century BCE.



Bet Zayda (aka Beteiha)

Wechsler at al. (2014) records event CH4-E6 with a modeled age of 392 BCE – 91 CE.



Jordan Valley - Dir Hagla Trenches

Reches and Hoexter (1981) report that Event A was dated from 200 BCE - 200 CE and exhibited 3.5 m of vertical displacement. Although the total vertical displacement could have been created by more than one seismic event, there were no broken layers between Event A the next Event (B) which was dated to between 700 and 900 CE. Further, they interpreted Event A created a fault scarp on the site. Kagan, E., et al. (2011) noted that the dip slip could have been magnified by local variations in the strike of the fault.



Dead Sea - Seismite Types



Dead Sea - Nahal Darga

Enzel et. al. (2000) identified a 20 cm. thick seismite in coarse grained lithology in Deformed Unit 8 in Stratigraphic Unit 10 which dated to 450-50 BCE (2400-2000 yrs BP).



Dead Sea - En Feshka

Kagan et al (2011) identified two seismites which they estimate struck in the 2nd century BCE.

Depth (cm.) Thickness (cm.) Seismite Type Modeled Age (± 1σ) Modeled Age (± 2σ) Quake Assignment (Kagan) Quake Assignment (Williams)
393 l 4 121 BCE ± 25 119 BCE ± 58 mid 2nd century BCE possibly ~150 BCE southern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake
402 l.5 4 151 BCE ± 21 150 BCE ± 55 mid 2nd century BCE possibly ~150 BCE southern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake


Dead Sea - En Gedi

Migowski et. al. (2004) dated a 1 cm. thick Type 4 seismite at a depth of 302.48 cm. (3.0248 m) to 140 BCE.



Dead Sea - Nahal Ze 'elim

ZA-2
At site ZA-2, Kagan et al (2011) observed a 8 cm. thick Type 4 intraclast breccia seismite at a depth of 516 cm. with modeled ages of 103 BCE ± 37 (1σ) and 103 BCE ± 75 (2σ). They suggested it struck in the middle of the 2nd century BCE. It may have formed during the southern Dead Fish and Soldiers Quake.
ZA-1
At site ZA-1, Kagan et al (2011) in Table 4 reports a 15 cm. thick seismite which they also assigned a date of mid second century BCE (i.e., assumed to be the same seismite). This appears to be the same seismite which Ken-Tor et al (2001a) labeled as Event A. Event A is an 11 cm. thick Type 4 seismite which Ken-Tor et al (2001a) dated as 200 BCE ± 160 (± 2σ) and estimated the most probable age as 400-200 BCE. Ken-Tor et al (2001a) assigned Event A to to the potentially dubious 64 BCE Pig on the Wall Quake. Williams (2004) and Agnon et. al (2006) redated Event A to better match the radiocarbon dates. Williams (2004) and Agnon et. al (2006) estimated dates of ~150 BCE and ~140 BCE respectively.



Araba - Introduction



Araba - Taybeh Trench

LeFevre et al. (2018) reports a modeled age for Event E6 of 139 BCE ± 22.



Araba - Qatar Trench

Klinger et. al. (2015) did not observe any mid 2nd century BCE seismic events.



Notes

Ambraseys (2009)

[139 BC Ptolemais]

Following the battle between Tryphon and Sarpedon, while the latter was marching with his army along the coast of Lebanon, a sea wave flooded the shore between Ptolemais (Acre) and Sidon, engulfing and drowning his men. Strabo says that when the water receded it left behind a pile of fish among the dead bodies. This battle probably took place about six years after Alexander Balas’ death in 145 BC (Clinton 1830, v, 327). However, the sequence of events for the years following Alexander’s death would put the event between 138 and 125 BC (Pauly.W iv, 2, col. 2800). There is no evidence that this event was connected with an earthquake.

The flood wave of 139 BC on the coast of Lebanon is another example for which the sources do not mention an earthquake. Yet again, modern writers assign to it not only a seismic origin, but also a magnitude of M 7.0 (Ben Menahem1979,286). Assuming that such a large event in fact occurred, it should have caused havoc in the coastal area of southern Lebanon and Palestine, for which there is not a hint in the sources.

Notes

I know also that Poseidonius the Stoic speaks of a great quantity of fishes in these words: “When Tryphon of Apameia, who had seized the kingdom of Syria, was attacked near the city of Ptole mais by Sarpedon, Demetrius’ general, the latter was defeated and forced to retreat into the interior with his troops. Tryphon’s army were marching along the coast after their victory in the battle, when suddenly a wave from the ocean lifted itself to an extraordinary height and dashed upon the shore, engulfing all the men and drowning them beneath the waters. And when the wave receded it left behind a huge pile of fishes among the dead bodies. The followers of Sarpedon, hearing of this disaster, came up and gloated over the bodies of their enemies, while they also carried away an abundanace of fish and offered sacrifice to Poseidon, god of the rout, near the suburbs of the city.” [Ath.Deipnos. VIII. 333c/LCL.iv.12–14).
A marvellous occurrence of a very rare kind is reported as having taken place on this shore between Tyre and Ptolemais: at the time when the Ptolemaeans, after joining battle with Sarpe don the general, were left in this place, after a brilliant rout had taken place, a wave from the sea, like a flood-tide, submerged the fugitives; and some were carried off into the sea and destroyed, whereas others were left dead in the hollow places; and then, suc ceeding this wave, the ebb uncovered the shore again and dis closed the bodies of men lying promiscuously among dead fish. (Str. xvi. ii. 26/LCL. vii. 272)

References

Ambraseys, N. N. (2009). Earthquakes in the Mediterranean and Middle East: a multidisciplinary study of seismicity up to 1900.

Khirbet el-‘Eika

Leibner (2021) reports that this site, as well as other Galilean sites, was abandoned around 145/4 BCE. The cause has not been determined but military activity due to Hasmonean expansion is suspected. It is also possible that an earthquake was involved.

8 Maccabees

Wikipedia reports the following:

8 Maccabees, in Greek, a brief account of the revolt which draws on Seleucid sources, preserved in the Chronicle of John Malalas (pp. 206–207 in Dindorf).[3][4]
Footnotes

3 Davila, James R. (2009) "The More Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Project" (PDF). University of St. Andrews. which states that 8 Maccabees is a brief account of the revolt drawing on Seleucid sources and now preserved in the Chronicle of John Malalas, §§206-207

4 John Malalas, Chronographia. Edited by Ludwig A. Dindorf. Vol. 15 of Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae. Bonn: Weber, 1831 which, in Latin translation of Book (?) L.VIII (50.8), states

Machine Translation into English

because he demanded tribute from the Jews, subjects of his kingdom. for as he marched through Palestine in great famine, The Jews were forced to buy corn from Egypt. And so they set out for Antioch, calling on King Antiochus they had, that Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, should be exhorted by letters not to exact tribute from the Jews, who exported to Egypt only grain necessary for subsistence. But Ptolemy, having received Antiochus of letters, he exacted all the more strictly the tributes from the Jews. And so Antiochus moved his arms against him, and the battle took place when it was committed, a great multitude fell from the parts of Antioch; the king himself escaped by flight to his own lands, Meanwhile the Jews of Jerusalem, hearing these things, thought that Antiochus had fallen in battle, they gave; and they lighted the pyres, congratulating them, and Antiochus Epiphanes, having gathered again army, Ptolemy is adored 3 and having been killed by him, he dispersed his troops. On the other hand, what is the opposite? the Jews of Jerusalem, congratulating themselves on the defeat inflicted by Ptolemy, had marched into Jerusalem he moved his arms, and surrounded them with a siege; He then laid waste the captives, giving all the Jews to be exterminated. And the high pontiff of Eleagus, and the Maccabees, having been abducted from Antioch, he punished with death. He also overthrew the priesthood of the Jews, and the temple of Solomon at Jupiter at Olympia and he said to Minerva. But he defiled the house of God with swine's flesh; It was also forbidden to the Jews the religion of the country, the rites of the Greeks, for three years, forced them to observe.

Then Antiochus died; after whom his son, Antiochus Glaucus, called Hierax, reigned for 2 years.

This was received by Demetrianus, Seleucus F, who reigned in the years of his husband. Now there was a certain Jew, named Judas, of Antioch coming, he obtained by his entreaties to Demetrius, that the temple should be built again for himself and for the remains of the Maccabees; whom Judas buried in Antioch the great, in a place called Cerateum: where also was the synagogue of the Jews. For Antiochus had put them to death near the city, on the side of Jupiter Cassius, on the Mount of Ever-Weeping. Judas but having cleansed the temple and the city, he celebrated the Passover to God. This was the second captivity of the Jews: εἰ in the Chronicles handed down by Eusebius to Pamphili.

Demetrius was succeeded in the kingdom by Antiochus, grandson of Grypis, son of Laodiots, Ariarath, king of Cappadocia daughters; And he reigned ΥΙ years. And in the eighth year of his Macedonian empire, Antioch suffered an earthquake Great This happened at the 10th hour of the 21st day of the month of Pertius, or February; In the year of the plague, the first wall was thrown down by Seleucus Nicator

Latin

eo quod a Judaeis, regno suo subjectis, tributa exigeret. Grassante enim per Palaestinam fame maxima, Judaei ex Aegypto frumentum emere coacti sunt. Antiochiam itaque profecti, Antiochum regem exoratum habuerunt, uti Ptolomaeum, Aegypti regem, per literas hortaretur, uti vectigalia ἃ Judaeis non exigeret, qui non nisi in victum necessarium frumenta Aegypto exportabant. Ptolomaeus autem, acceptis Antiochi literis, tributa ἃ Judaeis eo strictius exigebat. Itaque adversus eum arma movit Antiochus: praelioque commisso, ingens ex Antiocbi partibus cecidit multitudo; rex sutem ipse fuga in fines suos evasit, Judaei interim Hierosolymitani his auditis, Antiochum in praelio cecidisse rati, Ptolomaeo sese dederunt; pyrasque, illi congratulantes, accenderunt, Antiochus autem Epiphanes, collecto iterum exercitu, Ptolomaeum adoritur 3 eoque occiso, copias ejus profligavit. Audito vero, quid contra se fecissent Judaei Hierosolymitani, cladem a Ptolomaeo illatam gratulantes, in Hierosolymas arma movit, easque obsidione cinxit; captas deinde vastavit, Judaeis internecioni datis omnibus. Eleagzarum autem Pontificem Maximum, et Maccabaeos, Antiochiam abductos, morte multavit.. Sacerdotium etiam Judaeorum subvertit, Templumque Salomonis Jovi Olympio et Minervae dicavit. Sed et Dei domum porcinis carnibus conspurcavit; Judaeis etiam interdicta religione patria, Graecorum ritus, per tres annos, eos observare coegit.

Mortuus deinde est Antiochus; post quem regnavit filius ejos, Antiochus Glaucus, Hierax vocatus, annis II.

Honc excepit Demetrianus, Seleuci F, qui regnavit, annos vri. Judaeus vero quidam, nomine Judas, Antiochiam veniens, ἃ Demetriano Precibus suis obtinuit, ut templum sibi iterum et Maccabaeorum concetur reliquiae; quas Judas in Antiochia magna sepelivit, in loco qui dicitur, JCerateum: ubi etiam erat synagoga Judaeorum. Hos enim prope ab urbe, e regione Jovis Cassii, neci dederat Antiochus, in Monte semper lachrymanti. Judas autem gepurgato "Templo, urbeque instaurata, Pascham Deo celebravit. Erat haec secunda Judaeorum captivitas: εἰ in Chronicis tradidit Eusebius Pamphili.

Demetriano successit in regno Antiochus, Grypi nepos, filius Laodiots, Ariarathi Cappadocum regis filiae; Et regnavit annos ΧΙ. Ánno autem octavo imperii ejus Macedonicl, terrae motum passa est Antiochia Magna. Aécidit hoc ad horam X diei XXI mensis Perittii, sive Februari; anno pest jacta ἃ Seleuco Nicatore prima moenium

Notes
Wikipedia page for Books of the Maccabees



Chronographia by John Malalas in Greek and Latin - embedded



Chronographia by John Malalas in from Jeffries et al (1986) - embedded



Diodotus Tryphon at Livius.org



Historical Explorations

Macabee vs. Seleucid Military and Diplomatic History

  • from Chat GPT 4o, 7 June 2025
  • summarized by ChatGPT version 4o

Military Interactions Between the Maccabees and the Seleucid Empire
164–120 BCE

The period following the rededication of the Temple in 164 BCE saw a transition from rebellion to state-building by the Hasmoneans. Judah Maccabee’s early victories gave way to prolonged phases of guerrilla warfare and diplomatic maneuvering under his brothers, especially Jonathan and Simon. During this time, the Seleucid Empire weakened due to internal succession crises and external conflicts with the Parthians and Romans. This allowed the Hasmoneans to gain de facto independence by 141 BCE and later to pursue territorial expansion under John Hyrcanus, who forcibly converted the Idumeans and extended Jewish control over Samaria and Galilee.

Period Hasmonean Leader Major Military Events Outcome
164–160 BCE Judah Maccabee Victory at Jerusalem (1 Macc. 4:36–61); Temple rededicated (Hanukkah origin); defeat at Beth Zechariah (162 BCE); Judah killed at Elasa (161 BCE) Religious freedom briefly restored; Judah dies in battle; Eleazar also slain
160–142 BCE Jonathan Apphus Guerrilla war continues; diplomacy with Alexander Balas and Demetrius II; appointed High Priest (1 Macc. 10:15–21); victories over Apollonius; captured and executed by Tryphon Political status elevated; military control of Jerusalem consolidated; assassinated while under Seleucid pretense of diplomacy
142–135 BCE Simon Maccabee Expels Seleucid garrison from Jerusalem's citadel (1 Macc. 13:49–52); gains formal independence from Demetrius II (142 BCE); assassinated by Ptolemy son of Abubus Establishes independent Jewish state; fortifies key cities (Joppa, Gezer); sets the stage for dynastic rule
135–120 BCE John Hyrcanus Besieged by Antiochus VII (~134 BCE); pays tribute and temporarily submits (Jos. Ant. 13.8.2); later expands Hasmonean control over Idumea and Samaria; enforces conversion of Idumeans Temporary subjugation; major expansion of Jewish state after Seleucid collapse post-129 BCE
Sources

1 Maccabees (Sefaria translation)

Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews (Sefaria translation)

Britannica: Judah Maccabee

Britannica: John Hyrcanus

Livius.org: Jonathan Apphus

Livius.org: Diodotus Tryphon

Jewish Virtual Library: Hasmonean Dynasty

Seleucid Monarchs (312–63 BCE) with References in John Malalas

  • from ChatGPT 4o, 7 June 2025
  • summarized by ChatGPT version 4o

Seleucid Monarchs (305–63 BCE) with References in John Malalas

Monarch Reign Notable Events Malalas Reference
Seleucus I Nicator 305–281 BCE Founder; victorious at Ipsus; assassinated in Thrace. Book 8.198–199
Antiochus I Soter 281–261 BCE Galatian campaigns; consolidation. Book 8.200
Antiochus II Theos 261–246 BCE Second Syrian War; dynastic strife. Book 8.201
Seleucus II Callinicus 246–225 BCE Lost Parthia & Bactria; civil war with Antiochus Hierax. Book 8.202
Seleucus III Ceraunus 225–223 BCE Brief reign; assassinated during Asia Minor campaign. Book 8.203
Antiochus III the Great 223–187 BCE Expanded empire; defeated by Rome at Magnesia. Book 8.204
Seleucus IV Philopator 187–175 BCE Quiet reign post-Apamea; assassinated by Heliodorus. Not mentioned
Antiochus IV Epiphanes 175–164 BCE Hellenization of Judea; triggered Maccabean Revolt. Not mentioned
Antiochus V Eupator 164–161 BCE Child ruler under Lysias; killed by Demetrius I. Not mentioned
Demetrius I Soter 161–150 BCE Returned from Rome; assassinated in civil war. Not mentioned
Alexander Balas 150–145 BCE Claimed to be son of Antiochus IV; overthrown by Demetrius II. Not mentioned
Demetrius II Nicator 145–139 BCE; 129–126 BCE Defeated by Parthians; returned briefly before death. Not mentioned
Antiochus VI Dionysus 145–142 BCE Minor puppet king under Tryphon; died in captivity. Not mentioned
Diodotus Tryphon 142–138 BCE Usurper; fought Antiochus VII; killed in defeat. Not mentioned
Antiochus VII Sidetes 138–129 BCE Last strong Seleucid; killed in Parthian campaign. Not mentioned
Alexander II Zabinas 128–123 BCE Egyptian-backed usurper; overthrown by Grypus. Not mentioned
Antiochus VIII Grypus 125–96 BCE Civil war with half-brother Antiochus IX; assassinated. Not mentioned
Antiochus IX Cyzicenus 114–96 BCE Rival claimant; killed in dynastic conflict. Not mentioned
Antiochus X Eusebes 95–92 BCE Son of IX; defeated rival sons of VIII; murdered. Not mentioned
Philip I Philadelphus 94–83 BCE One of many rival claimants during collapse. Not mentioned
Antiochus XII Dionysus 87–84 BCE Killed fighting Nabataeans; further decline. Not mentioned
Antiochus XIII Asiaticus 69–64 BCE Last Seleucid; deposed by Pompey in 64 BCE. Not mentioned
Sources

John Malalas, Chronographia (English translation)

Wikipedia: Seleucid Empire

Livius.org: Seleucid Dynasty

Britannica: Seleucid Dynasty

Hasmonean Rulers (167–37 BCE) with References in John Malalas

  • from ChatGPT 4o, 7 June 2025
  • summarized by ChatGPT version 4o

Hasmonean Rulers (167–37 BCE) with References in John Malalas

Note on Malalas

Despite Malalas’ interest in Seleucid kings, he does not mention the Hasmonean rulers by name in his Chronographia. His narrative largely omits Judea between the time of Antiochus IV and Herod.

Ruler Period of Leadership Titles Held Notable Events Malalas Reference
Mattathias 167–166 BCE Priest Launched Maccabean Revolt after refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods. Not mentioned
Judas Maccabeus 166–160 BCE Military Leader Defeated Seleucid armies; recaptured and rededicated the Temple (Hanukkah). Not mentioned
Jonathan Apphus 160–142 BCE High Priest, Strategos First Hasmonean High Priest; executed by Diodotus Tryphon. Not mentioned
Simon Thassi 142–134 BCE High Priest, Ethnarch Declared de facto independence from Seleucid rule; murdered by son-in-law Ptolemy. Not mentioned
John Hyrcanus I 134–104 BCE High Priest, Ethnarch Expanded Judea into Idumea and Samaria; enforced Jewish conversion of Idumeans. Not mentioned
Aristobulus I 104–103 BCE King, High Priest First Hasmonean to take royal title; short and harsh reign. Not mentioned
Alexander Jannaeus 103–76 BCE King, High Priest Massive territorial expansion; fought Pharisees and faced civil war. Not mentioned
Salome Alexandra 76–67 BCE Queen Pharisee-aligned rule; rare period of peace and stability in late Hasmonean period. Not mentioned
Hyrcanus II 67–66 BCE; 63–40 BCE High Priest, Ethnarch Deposed and restored multiple times; weak puppet ruler under Roman protection. Not mentioned
Aristobulus II 66–63 BCE King, High Priest Contested the throne with Hyrcanus II; taken prisoner by Pompey. Not mentioned
Antigonus II Mattathias 40–37 BCE King, High Priest Restored Hasmonean rule with Parthian help; captured and executed by Herod and Romans. Not mentioned
Sources

Wikipedia: Hasmonean Dynasty

Encyclopaedia Britannica: Hasmonean Dynasty

John Malalas, Chronographia (English Translation)

Paleoclimate - Droughts

References