Selemia (Hastings' Dictionary)

One of the swift scribes who wrote to the dictation of Ezra (2 Es 14"). SELEUIAS CZfKtidoit), 1 E8 9»=Shelemiah, Ezr 10". SELEUCIA (StXeiJrao, WH SeXet^xk), the great maritime fortress of Syria, was built by Seleucus Nikator. It ivas the seaport of his new capitjil Antioch, and in it he was buried. The town was situated on the southern slopes of Mt. Pieria, and on the level ground at its foot.

On three sides it was protected by nature as well as by art ; and on the side of the sea, where the ground is level, it was strongly fortified. Seleucia was taken by Ptolemy Euergetes (1 Mac 11*), and afterwards (c. B.C. 220) recovered by Antiochus the Great. It was one of the most important mUitai-y stations of the Seleucidoe, and was greatly improved by the Romans. In St. Paul's time it was a ' free city ' — a privilege granted to it after its capture by Pompey.

It was afterwards greatly favoured by the emperors, who enlarged the harbour, con- structed moles, etc. The geographical position of Seleucia, at the mouth of tlie Orontes valley, gave it great commercial importance. Thence ships sailed soutliward along the Syrian and Phoenician coasts to Egypt, and w^estward to Cyprus, the coast of Asia Blinor, and the Roman world.

And it was in one of these trading ships that Paul and Barnabas, after coming down from Antioch, sailed for Cyprus on their first missionary journey (Ac IS''). There are many remains of the old walls, temples, tlieatres, and other buildings of Seleucia. The walls of the inner harbour, now a morass, can be followed throughout ; the canal through which ships passed from the outer to the inner harbour can be traced ; and the piers of the outer harbour can still be seen beneath the sea.

The most re- markable relic of Seleucia, however, is the great rock-hewn channel, partly a tunnel, which was apparently made to convey to the sea the waters of a stream that might, in times of flood, have endangered the city, and at the same time to store water for the use of the people (Chesney, Euphrates Expedition ; Conybeare and Howsou, Life and Epp. of St. Paul ; Baedeker, Guide to Svria and Palestine). C. W. WILSON.

SELEUCID^, the members of a Syrian dynasty founded by Seleucus, one of the generals of Alexander. They ruled over Syria from B.C. 312 to B.C. 65, their empire extending, when they were at the height of their prosperity, from Mesopotamia in the east to the borders of Greece in the west. The Seleucid era begins with Olym. 117, 1, A.tJ. 442, B.C. 312, and was very largely used, especially in the districts round the Euphrates and Tigris.

The Seleucid year was usually regarded as beginning in autumn, out Schiirer (I. i. 30-44) argues in favour of spring. None of the Seleucidse are expressly named in any of the books of canonical Scripture, but in Daniel allusions are made to several of them, including the four kings bearing the name Seleucus. In the Books of Maccabees Seleucus IV. is mentioned by name.

From certain references in Josephus' Antiquities, it has been commonly sup- posed that the Jewish historian had written a special History of the Seleucidse. Destinon, who in his Qudlen des Fl. Josephus, pp. 21-29, has investigated the subject carefully, decides against the existence of such a work. LlTEBATtTRE.— Ewald, Biit. of I^ael, v., London, 1S80, pp. 28©- 864 ; Schiirer, BJP I. i. 1(;»-185,— for genealogy', I. ii. 393 ; Ryssd in art. ' Syrien ' in PRE 3 xv. 176 f.. Driver, Daniel, pasniu.

J. Macpherso.v. SELEUCUS I. (Nikator), the founder of tha Seleucid dynasty, on the death of Alexander, in B.C. 323, after a successful conflict secured recogni- tion for himself under this title as ruler over all the countries between the Hellespont and the Mediter- ranean on the one side, and the Indus and Jaxartes (Sir-Daria) on the other. In the partition ol SELEUCUS II. SELF-SURRENDER 433 temtoriea which took place in B.C.

321 he obtained the governorship of Babylon, and, though driven out by Antigonus in B.C. 316, he succeeded in B.C. 312 in establishing himself in the Babylonian pro- vinces in the east as well OS in the Syrian provinces in the west. He then founded the Seleucid dynasty, which held its place for about two hundred and hfty years. He died by the hand of an as.sassin in n.c. 282.

He is the captain ( v) of the king of the South, I'toleniv Soter of Kgypt, referred to in Dn 11' as having become stronger than the king. Ue founded several cities which became famous, among them Antioch and Apaniea on the Oronte-s, Laodicea and Seleucia, Edessa and Bera'a. He settled many Jews, who had served their time under him, in Antioch and others of the cities founded by him, and conferred upon them all the rights of citizen- ship. LlTERATORE.— Josephus, Ant. xu. iii.

1 ; Srliiirer, HJP n.L U«, ii. 271 ; Ewald, Ul v. 237 ; Drivur, Daiii.l. t.x.vv. I(i5t. 1. M.\CP1IKRS0N. SELEUCUS H. (Callinicus), king of Syria, B.C. 24G-2iJ, son of the grandson of Nikulor, Antiochus II. Tlieos. His mother, Laodice, having murdered the Egj'ptian princess Berenice, Ptolemy Euergetes, the brother of the murdered lady, in order to avenge his sister's death, invaded the territories of the njTian monarch, and plundered Syria and Babylonia.

Keference to this episode is made in Dn U'"*. Ptolemy took possession of Seleuci.a, which for a considerable time was retained by the Egj'ptians. Seleucus afterwards sought to retali- ate, and for this purpose led an expedition against Egj'iit, but was immediately jmt to flight. We have no particulars about the close of his reign. I.ITKRATCRB. — Bevan, Short Com. on Daniel, 1892, pp. 174-177 ; Kwald, UI V. 271, 2S3 ; Driver, DanUI, 167 f. J. Macpher.son. SELEUCUS HI.

(Ceraunus), king of Syria, B.C. 22i>-L'J3, son of Callinicus and brother of Antioclius the Great. These brothers are referred to in Dn 11'° in the word ' his sons.' Seleucus did not make war directly with Egypt, but his campaign in Asia Minor may be regarded as preliminary to the expeilition carried out against Egypt by his brother. Seleucus was killed in that camjiaign, after a reign of two years, before the accession of Ptolemy rhilopator, against whom Antioclius fouglit unsuccessfully (cf.

Driver, Daniel, 10811'.) J. Macpheiko.v. SELEUCUS lY. (Philopator), king of Syria, B.C. 187-175, son of Antiochus the Great and brother of Antiochus Epiphanes. Dn 11*" refers to this Selencus, whether we understand the writer to speak of him as .sending an exactor, or (transposing two words) as himself the exactor who rises up in the place of his father. In the former case, we shall unilerstand by the exactor Heliodorus, whom Sel- euiMis Is said (2 Mac 3' 5'") to have .

sent to obtain the money trea.sured up in the temple of Jenisalein. Bevan nrefers the above transposition, remlering tlie paiwage ttius : ' And there shall ari.se in his place an exactor, who shall cause the royal dignity to pa.ss away.' Such a designation would be very suitable for Seleucus, who was notorious for his avarice. He is spoken of in 2 Mac 3^ as ' the king of Asia.' In 1 Mac ■?'

, 2 Mac 14' he is alluded to as father of Demetrius, and in 2 Mac 4' mention is made of his death, and of the fact that he was Bucceeiled by Antiochus. After having reigned twelve years, Seleucus was murdered, some say by Heliodorus, his minister, who sought to win the kingdom to him.self ; but others say at the instigation of his brother Antiochus, who was on his way from Home, where he bad been detained for some years as a hostage.

This latter view seems to bo most agreeable to the language of Daniel. vol. IV. — 28 LrrERATUKR. — Bevan, Short Com. on Daniel, p. 185 f. ; Schiiror, HJP I. i. 172, also his art. 'Seleucus' in Riehm, Uamltrortrr- btich, p. 1467; Ewald, Ul v. 291 f., 304; Driver, Danifl, pp. xxxviii, 101 f., 178 (.; Fairweather and Black, J Sloe pp. 14U, 159, 189 ; J08. 4»t. XII. iv. 10. J. MACPHERSON.