In 175 BCE Heliodorus murdered Seleucus IV, the brother of Antiochus Epiphanes, in a failed attempt to size the Syrian crown. Antiochus moved quickly to take the throne thereby succeeding Seleucus IV as ruler of the Seleucid kingdom. It was Seleucus who sent Heliodorus, at the instigation of Apollonius, to plunder the Temple at Jerusalem (II Maccabees 3:1-40, cf Daniel 11:10-16).

Antiochus Epiphanes undertook a series of military campaigns to consolidate his power and to secure the territory of the Seleucid kingdom. In 168 BCE his military ambitions came to an brought abrupt halt when the Roman Senate ordered him to withdraw from Cyprus and Egypt. The Romans, however, allowed him to keep southern Syria against the Egyptian claim thereby allowing him to keep the Seleucid realm in tact.

On his withdrawal from Egypt in 167 BCE he took Jerusalem by force, garrisoned troops there, and set about to Hellenize Judea. He plundered the Temple (I Maccabees 1:21-24) and compelled Jews to adopt Greek culture and religion. He instituted laws of conformity forbidding ritual circumcision and observance of the Sabbath and Holydays under the penalty of death. By his order sacrifices to the gods were to be made in every Judean town. Each month Seleucid soldiers searched Jewish homes to discover whether or not any Jews possessed a copy of the Torah or had circumcised their children.

In 167 BCE, following an uncompromising policy of suppression of Judaism, he caused erection of a pagan altar to Zeus Olympus on the altar of burnt-offering at the Temple. This desecration occurred on Kislev 25. These events led to the rebellion by the Maccabees (166-160 BCE). Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers took Jerusalem in 164 BCE. On Kislev 25, exactly three years from its defilement, the Jews cleansed and rededicated the Temple. Hanukkah is the eight-day festival celebrating this event.