One critique you often see of the traditional view of Daniel 8 is that Alexander's Empire was divided into Fifths not Fourths. The truth is you could argue even more then that, but what matter here is a Jewish Perspective.
However even Josephus in Antiquities of The Jews opens Book 12 by describing Alexander's Empire as being divided into Fifth.
Now when Alexander King of Macedon had put an end to the dominion of the Persians, and had settled the affairs in Judea after the forementioned manner, he ended his life. And as his government fell among many, Antigonus obtained Asia: Seleucus, Babylon: and of the other nations which were there, Lysimachus governed the Hellespont, and Cassander possessed Macedonia. As did Ptolemy the son of Lagus seize upon Egypt.
My view is that Seleucus is not included in the original Four Horns of Daniel 8, instead they are Antigonous, Lysimachus, Cassander and Ptolemy.
The Little Horn is not an Individual but the Seleucid Kingdom as a whole. It's described as coming out of one of the Four which is explained by the Paralleled Prophecy in Daniel 11:5 where the progenitor of the Kings of The North is first described as "one of his princes" in relation to the King of The South. Seleucus I Nicator was an Admiral serving under Ptolemy from 316-311 BC before he became a King.
And indeed the first part of how The Little Horn is Described fits Seleucus I and Antiochus Megas better then it does Epiphanes who's attempt to be a Conquer were ultimately failures.
But the bulk of what's said of The Little Horn becomes focused on Antiochus IV Epiphanes because that's what's most central to what interests Daniel.
But it could have further relevance to the continued legacy of the Seleucid Kingdom. But I don't here mean that in the a way Futurist would, I don't mean Epiphanes as Type of the "Antichrist".
First even just the Saga of the Hasmonaean Revolt doesn't really end with the death of Epiphanes, there's also the continued War between the Maccabees and Seleucid Kingdom under Antiochus V Eupater and Demetrius I Soter. Demetrius I was the last at all strong ruler of the Seleucid Kingdom proper, but out of the declining Ashes of the Seleucid Empire emerged the kingdoms of Pontus, Pergamon, Cappadocia and Commagene. Mithridates IV of Pontus the "Poison King" was very likely a Maternal Grandson of Antiochus IV Epiphanes but that wouldn't be his only connection to the Seleucid Dynasty.
Commagene also had it's own Antiochus IV Epiphanes who was contemporary wit the First Jewish-Roman War, a son of his who Josephus simply called Epiphanes fought in that War on Rome's side. A descendent of his sister was Avidius Cassius as a Roman Usurper during the time of Marcus Aurelius who made Antioch one of his Capitals. Jotapian a Usurper from the Crisis of the Third Century also likely had descent from the Commagene Seleucids. There was also a 221 Usurper named Seleucus.
It's also my persona unverifiable hunch that Eutropia the Mother of the Second Wives of both Constantius I and Constantine I who was of Syrian Origin may also have a similar Seleucid Ancestry. Which is true would give Seleucid Ancestry to Cosntantius II, Cosntantius Gallus and Julian The Apostate. And I have another post connecting the Seleucids through Avidius Cassius to the Carolingians.
But it's not just about Genealogy. The City of Antioch was founded by Seleucus and served as their Capital and then Rome's Syrian Capital. The reason the Seleucid rulers are called King of The North in Daniel 11 is because of Antioch's connection to Jebel Aqra which called by the Amorites Mount Zaphon which is also the Hebrew word for North used in Daniel 11. Antioch remained a very important city down to the time of Justinian.
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