Cleopatra was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a royal family of Macedonian Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great’s death during the Hellenistic period. Cleopatra originally ruled jointly with her father Ptolemy XII Auletes and later with her brothers Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she married as per Egyptian custom, but eventually became sole ruler. As pharaoh, she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne. She later elevated her son with Caesar, Caesarion, to co-ruler in name. After Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesar’s legal heir, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (later known as Augustus). With Antony, she bore the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios, and another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus.
The Bible does not directly mention Cleopatra by name. However, some scholars have speculated that she may be alluded to in certain prophetic passages, primarily in the book of Daniel. Here are a few potential connections:
Daniel 11
Daniel 11 contains an extensive prophecy about events affecting the people of Israel under foreign powers from the 6th to 2nd centuries BC. Some interpreters see parallels between the “king of the South” in verses 11:5-35 and the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt, including Cleopatra. For example:
“Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority.” (Daniel 11:5 ESV)
This may refer to the power struggle between Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII, whom she later deposed.
“For the ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant.” (Daniel 11:30 ESV)
“Kittim” was an ancient name for Cyprus and the lands west of it. This may foresee the arrival of Roman forces under Pompey and later Caesar in Egypt’s civil conflicts. Cleopatra allied with these Roman leaders for power.
Isaiah 19
Isaiah 19 foretells judgment on Egypt and the demise of its idols. Verses 18-25 predict Israel and Egypt will eventually worship the true God together. Some think Cleopatra’s consortion with Rome hints at this future fusion:
“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:23-25 ESV)
Daniel 8
Daniel’s vision here of a goat and ram symbolize Greece and Persia. The “little horn” that follows (8:9-12) is often seen as the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who desecrated the temple around 167 BC. But some think it could represent Rome and thus relate to Cleopatra’s connections there later on:
“Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.” (Daniel 8:8-9 ESV)
So while Cleopatra is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible, these prophecies may contain veiled references to her reign and its significance in the ancient Mediterranean world leading up to the coming of Christ.
Cleopatra was born in 69 BC into the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt at the time. She was the daughter of Ptolemy XII and probably had two older sisters, Cleopatra VI and Berenice IV. Her family lineage traced back to Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great’s generals who took control of Egypt following Alexander’s death in 323 BC. The Ptolemies adopted many Egyptian traditions and customs, but also retained much of their Macedonian Greek heritage.
Cleopatra showed great aptitude for learning at a young age and was trained in rhetoric, philosophy, literature, art, music, medicine, and foreign languages. Ancient writers such as Plutarch portrayed her as an extremely talented and intelligent monarch. She was the only Ptolemaic pharaoh to actually speak the Egyptian language. By her late teens, Cleopatra was made coregent with her father Ptolemy XII. When Ptolemy XII was driven into exile in 58 BC, the younger Cleopatra tried to rule alone for a short time before being forced to flee herself due to palace intrigues and upheavals. Her younger brother Ptolemy XIII then became pharaoh.
In 48 BC Cleopatra was restored to power when the Roman dictator Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt pursuing his rival Pompey. Cleopatra saw Caesar as a way to regain sole control of the kingdom, so she had herself secretly smuggled into his personal quarters where they became lovers. With his support, she was able to depose Ptolemy XIII and declare Caesar’s son Caesarion her co-ruler in 47 BC. After Caesar’s return to Rome, Ptolemy XIII died and was replaced by their younger brother Ptolemy XIV on the throne alongside Cleopatra.
Cleopatra travelled with Caesar to Rome as an official state visit in 46 BC where she and Caesarion were installed in one of Caesar’s country villas. Her presence and influence in Rome scandalized conservative Romans who viewed her as a foreign seductress. Caesar even erected a golden statue of Cleopatra represented as the goddess Isis in the temple of Venus Genetrix. After Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, Cleopatra returned to Egypt where she had Ptolemy XIV killed, leaving Caesarion as her sole co-regent. She then aligned with the Roman leaders Mark Antony and Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) against Caesar’s assassins Brutus and Cassius.
With Mark Antony, Cleopatra regained much of the former Ptolemaic empire and even expanded into new territories. They had three children together – the twins Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene II in 40 BC and Ptolemy Philadelphus in 36 BC. Cleopatra promoted her son Caesarion as Caesar’s rightful heir which brought increasing tensions with Octavian. After losing to Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Antony committed suicide by stabbing himself. Cleopatra did the same shortly after using an asp to poison herself according to tradition. Their three children were brought to Rome where Caesarion was later killed but the twins were raised by Antony’s wife Octavia Minor, Octavian’s sister.
Although she was only pharaoh for about 21 years, Cleopatra had a profound impact on her era. Her relationships with powerful Roman men like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony shaped the politics of the late Roman Republic and transition to the Roman Empire under Caesar Augustus. Cleopatra also influenced culture through her patronage of the arts and scholarship in Alexandria, one of the leading centers of the Hellenistic world. Her suicide marked the end of centuries of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.
Clearly, Cleopatra lived during a pivotal time in Mediterranean history. The implications of her life intersect with several biblical prophecies. However, the Bible does not provide decisive biographical details about her. We have to rely on other historical sources for insights into her personal story. Yet through veiled allusions, the broad prophetic narrative of Scripture incorporates her significance in the religious and political dynamics leading up to the coming of Christ “when the fullness of time had come” (Galatians 4:4).
The book of Daniel contains several prophecies relating to the rise and fall of kingdoms that affected the people of Israel from the 6th to 2nd centuries BC. While Daniel does not directly name Cleopatra, some interpreters see possible allusions to her and her family dynasty in a few key passages, especially Daniel 11.
In Daniel’s vision of four beasts in chapter 7, the winged leopard symbolizing Greece (7:6) foretells Alexander’s rapid conquest and the subsequent division of his empire among his generals after his death. Ptolemy I took control of Egypt, establishing a Greek dynasty there that lasted nearly three centuries until Cleopatra’s demise.
Daniel 8 features a vision of a ram and goat representing Persia and Greece. It highlights the Greco-Persian wars of the 5th-4th centuries BC and then the rise of a “little horn” (8:9) commonly identified as the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes who persecuted the Jews around 167 BC. But some interpreters associate this little horn with Rome, as it expanded its power toward the South and East during Cleopatra’s time.
The most extensive prophecy that may relate to Cleopatra is in Daniel 11 which outlines a succession of conflicts between Southern and Northern kings leading up to Antiochus IV’s persecution under the Seleucids. The earlier part of Daniel 11:5-20 seems to follow the lineage of Ptolemaic rulers from Egypt (the South) and Seleucid rulers from Syria (the North). The “beautiful branch” of Daniel 11:7 may refer to Ptolemy IV Philopator (reigned 222–205 BC). Some consider Ptolemy XII Auletes as a candidate for Daniel 11:10 and view his daughter Cleopatra as the “daughter of women” from Daniel 11:17. The struggles between Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII could also be seen in Daniel 11:25-27.
So in summary, while Cleopatra is never explicitly identified, the book of Daniel incorporates veiled references to the Ptolemaic dynasty she was part of during the Intertestamental Period as God’s people navigated kingdoms that rose and fell according to His providential plan leading up to the coming of Christ in the fullness of time.
The book of Isaiah contains prophecies relating to various nations that interacted with Israel over the centuries. Egypt was one of Israel’s primary neighbors and rivals so it features prominently throughout the book. The lengthy oracle against Egypt in Isaiah 19 seems to span multiple eras, ranging from Isaiah’s near future all the way through the Intertestamental Period and beyond.
In Isaiah 19:1-15 the prophet announces impending judgment on Egypt and its idols in the more immediate future, most likely referring to the Assyrian conquest of Egypt during the late 7th century BC.
Beginning in verse 16, the prophecy takes a more cryptic symbolic turn describing Egypt’s fall as a time when “women will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he is waving over them” (Isaiah 19:16). Some interpreters associate this “waving of the hand” language with the rise of Rome, which Cleopatra interacted with and ultimately succumbed to.
Isaiah 19:18-22 predicts a time when Egyptians will forsake their idols and worship the true God, even erecting an altar and pillar to the Lord in the land. It also foretells religious tension between Egypt, Assyria, and Israel followed by a resolution and highway between them.
Finally, Isaiah 19:23-25 reveals a future era of peace and blessing between Egypt, Assyria, and Israel as they unite in worship of the one true God: “whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” Some interpreters associate this prophecy with the inclusion of Gentiles into God’s covenant people in the Messianic era. Cleopatra’s relationship with Rome could hint at this coming fusion between Israel, Egypt, and the other nations.
So in summary, Isaiah 19 contains an extensive prophecy regarding Egypt’s future that potentially incorporates symbolic references to Cleopatra’s interactions with Rome and their significance in God’s redemptive plan for the nations in the dawning Messianic age.
Outside of the book of Daniel, a few other minor prophets make cryptic references to Egypt’s fate that could relate to the era of Cleopatra’s last days ruling over the fading Ptolemaic dynasty before the Romans took over.
The prophecy in Zechariah 10:10-11 predicts God would strengthen His people and “all the scepter of Egypt” would pass away. This likely refers to the demise of Cleopatra’s dynasty which was the last native royal house to rule Egypt until modern times.
Ezekiel 29-32 contains several pronouncements of judgment against Egypt. Some portions (such as Ezekiel 29:17-20) seem to foretell Babylon’s conquest of Egypt after its failed revolt around 568-567 BC. But other parts may look further ahead to the Roman annexation of Egypt that marked the end of Cleopatra’s reign.
So in conclusion, while the minor prophets do not directly identify Cleopatra, they make predictions about Egypt’s future judgment and downfall that proved true in her generation as Roman control succeeded the long-established Ptolemaic dynasty that failed to endure.
In summary, Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last pharaoh ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt before it was annexed as a province of the Roman Empire. She reigned from 51-30 BC and was known for her relationships with Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Cleopatra is not directly mentioned in the Bible, but some prophecies in the books of Daniel, Isaiah, and the minor prophets potentially allude to her reign and its significance in the Intertestamental Period leading up to the coming of Christ.
While the Scriptures do not offer decisive biographical facts about Cleopatra as a historical figure, the broad prophetic narrative incorporates the implications of her rule within the succession of kingdoms impacting Israel before the advent of Jesus Christ. As an influential Hellenistic queen whose policies and liaisons with Rome helped transition Egypt into the spheres of Greek and Roman dominance, Cleopatra’s life intersected with several biblical prophecies looking ahead to the Messianic age “when the fullness of time had come and God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4).