Nicanor (1)
Peopleâš¡ IN BRIEF (SUMMARY)
Nikanor served as a general for Antiochus IV Epiphanes and later for Demetrius I Soter, leading Seleucid forces against the Jewish rebels during the Maccabean Revolt. He was defeated by Judas Maccabeus at the Battle of Adasa, where he was killed.
What is the meaning of Nicanor (1) in the Bible?
Nikanor served as a general for Antiochus IV Epiphanes and later for Demetrius I Soter, leading Seleucid forces against the Jewish rebels during the Maccabean Revolt. He was defeated by Judas Maccabeus at the Battle of Adasa, where he was killed.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding Nikanor's role clarifies the political and military tensions described in 1 and 2 Maccabees, specifically regarding the Seleucid attempts to suppress Jewish autonomy and the origins of the festival of Hanukkah, which commemorates the defeat of his forces.
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Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been editorially modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and formatted for fast contextual reference.