6th Century BC (Prophecies extending into the 2nd Century BC)
The Jewish people were under Persian rule, having returned from Babylonian exile. The chapter prophesies events during the Hellenistic period following the conquests of Alexander the Great.
The Persian Empire was the dominant power, but the chapter foretells the rise and fall of empires, including the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great and the subsequent division of his empire.
The events span from Persia to Greece, and the lands of the Seleucid and Ptolemaic kingdoms, which include parts of modern-day Turkey, Syria, Egypt, and Israel.
The Jewish people were navigating their identity and religious practices under foreign rule, facing pressures to assimilate into Hellenistic culture.
Alexander the Great
His conquests and the division of his empire are central to the prophecies.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
A Seleucid king known for his persecution of the Jews and desecration of the Temple.
- Daniel Chapter 8 (Vision of the Ram and Goat, related to the Medo-Persian and Greek Empires)
- 1 Maccabees (Historical account of the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus IV)