http://latter-rain.com/Israel/antep

"In 168 BC Antiochus Epiphanes dared to occupy Jerusalem, enter the Holy of Holies, desecrate the sanctuary by offering unclean animals upon the alter of burnt-offerings, pollute the whole building by sprinkling it with water in which flesh had been boiled, dedicated the Temple itself to Jupiter Olympius, and erected the statue of that deity and plundered the temple treasures."

This is most interesting. Consider this action from the standpoint of Satan and his pension for counterfeit.

http://www.bibleonly.org/proph/dan/AE.html

"Antiochus IV promptly [175 BC] began to persecute the Jews. His father had not treated them well, but things now really got bad. In 170 BC he ordered the murder of the High Priest, Onias III. He issued a decree outlawing the Jewish religion. Antiochus didn't ignore his other ambitions, either.

"In 169 BC, his army conquered most of Egypt. In 168, he returned to finish the job. Unfortunately for him, by then Egypt was a protectorate of Rome. As Antiochus entered Egypt, the Roman Governor, Popilleus Laenas, confronted him and demanded the he leave Egypt immediately. Antiochus played a typical middle Eastern game and told the Governor that he would think about it. Popilleus took a stick, drew a circle around Antiochus in the sand, then demanded an answer before Antiochus left the circle. Antiochus withdrew from Egypt without fighting a single battle.

"Clearly, this was unsatisfactory for the egomaniacal Antiochus. Having no military adventures with any likely success, the Jews became the target of all his energy. All Jews were required, on pain of death, to sacrifice pigs to pagan gods on their altars. The failure of one family member to sacrifice was cause to execute the whole family. This led to the Maccabean rebellion.

"In 167 BC he desecrated the Temple by instituting pagan services there, including the sacrifice of a pig on the altar. Of singular importance for our understanding of prophecy is that Antiochus did not destroy any part of the temple. He did build extra structures, including pagan "enhancements" to the altar of sacrifice. However, none of this can be considered "throw(ing) down" the foundations of the sanctuary."

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1589&letter=A

[168 BC] "As long as he was occupied with preparations for his expedition against Egypt, Antiochus had no time for Palestine; but when the Romans compelled him to forego his plans of conquest, his rage at the unexpected impediment was wreaked upon the innocent Jews. An officer, Apollonius, was sent through the country with an armed troop, commissioned to slay and destroy. He first entered Jerusalem amicably; then suddenly turning upon the defenseless city, he murdered, plundered, and burnt through its length and breadth. The men were butchered, women and children sold into slavery, and in order to give permanence to the work of desolation, the walls and numerous houses were torn down. The old City of David was fortified anew by the Syrians, and made into a very strong fortress completely dominating the city. Having thus made Jerusalem a Greek colony, the king's attention was next turned to the destruction of the national religion. A royal decree proclaimed the abolition of the Jewish mode of worship; Sabbaths and festivals were not to be observed; circumcision was not to be performed; the sacred books were to be surrendered and the Jews were compelled to offer sacrifices to the idols that had been erected. The officers charged with carrying out these commands did so with great rigor; a veritable inquisition was established with monthly sessions for investigation. The possession of a sacred book or the performance of the rite of circumcision was punished with death. On Kislew (Nov.-Dec.) 25, 168, the "abomination of desolation" (Dan. xi. 31, xii. 11) was set up on the altar of burnt offering in the Temple, and the Jews required to make obeisance to it. This was probably the Olympian Zeus, or Baal Shamem."