Rival of Demetrius I who (ca. 153
BCE)
claimed to be son of Antiochus IV.
Balas attracted the support of a loose coalition of Egypt, Rome, Pergamum,
Cappodocia & Judea --
all of which were interested in weakening the Seleucid dynasty. In return
for Judean support he appointed Judah
Maccabee's brother, Jonathan, high priest, giving legitimacy to the
Hasmonean family's de facto rule in Jerusalem.
Following his decisive military defeat of Demetrius (150
BCE), he claimed
the Seleucid throne & married Cleopatra
Thea, the daughter of the
Egyptian ruler, Ptolemy VI. But once in office Balas quickly proved to be
an incompetent ruler. His reckless involvement in a plot to
assassinate his father-in-law cost him his wife & the support of
Egypt. His own troops abandoned him when Demetrius II
attacked Syria (147
BCE) with Egyptian aid. As other allies deserted him, only the
Jews continued
to support him, since he allowed them to reclaim a greater degree of
religious & political independence than his predecessors. The
circumstances of his death are uncertain. Either he was killed by
Demetrius' forces or murdered as a refugee in Arabia.
References: 1 Maccabees
10:1-11:19.
Josephus, Antiquities
13.35-58, 80-87, 106-119.
Justin, Epitome
39.1-2.
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