162 BC

Millennium:	1st millennium BC
Centuries:	3rd century BC 2nd century BC 1st century BC
Decades:	180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC
Years:	165 BC 164 BC 163 BC 162 BC 161 BC 160 BC 159 BC

162 BC in various calendars

Gregorian calendar	162 BC CLXII BC
Ab urbe condita	592
Ancient Egypt era	XXXIII dynasty, 162
- Pharaoh	Ptolemy VI Philometor, 19
Ancient Greek era	154th Olympiad, year 3
Assyrian calendar	4589
Balinese saka calendar	N/A
Bengali calendar	−754
Berber calendar	789
Buddhist calendar	383
Burmese calendar	−799
Byzantine calendar	5347–5348
Chinese calendar	戊寅年 (Earth Tiger) 2536 or 2329     — to — 己卯年 (Earth Rabbit) 2537 or 2330
Coptic calendar	−445 – −444
Discordian calendar	1005
Ethiopian calendar	−169 – −168
Hebrew calendar	3599–3600
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	−105 – −104
- Shaka Samvat	N/A
- Kali Yuga	2939–2940
Holocene calendar	9839
Iranian calendar	783 BP – 782 BP
Islamic calendar	807 BH – 806 BH
Javanese calendar	N/A
Julian calendar	N/A
Korean calendar	2172
Minguo calendar	2073 before ROC 民前2073年
Nanakshahi calendar	−1629
Seleucid era	150/151 AG
Thai solar calendar	381–382
Tibetan calendar	阳土虎年 (male Earth-Tiger) −35 or −416 or −1188     — to — 阴土兔年 (female Earth-Rabbit) −34 or −415 or −1187

Year 162 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Corculum/Lentulus and Figulus/Ahenobarbus (or, less frequently, year 592 Ab urbe condita) and the Second Year of Houyuan. The denomination 162 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Events

By place

Seleucid Empire

• The Maccabees, under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus, continue their struggle against the Seleucids and persecute the Hellenising faction in Judea.
• Seleucid forces still control the Acra, a strong fortress within Jerusalem that faces the Temple Mount. Judas Maccabeus lays siege to the fortress and in response, the Seleucid general and regent to the young Seleucid king Antiochus V, Lysias, approaches Jerusalem and besieges Beth-zechariah, 25 kilometres from the city. Judas lifts his own siege on the Acra, and leads his army south to Beth-zechariah. In the ensuing Battle of Beth-zechariah, the Seleucids achieve their first major victory over the Maccabees, and Judas is forced to withdraw to Jerusalem.
• Lysias then lays siege to the city. Just when capitulation by the Maccabees seems imminent, Lysias has to withdraw when the commander-in-chief under the late Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Philip, rebels against him. As a result, Lysias decides to propose a peaceful settlement which is accepted by the Maccabees. The terms of peace involve the restoration of religious freedom, permission for the Jews to live in accordance with their own laws, and the official return of the Temple in Jerusalem to the Jews.
• With the aid of the Greek statesman and historian Polybius, the son of the former Seleucid king Seleucus IV Philopator, Demetrius escapes from Rome, where he has been held as a hostage for many years, and returns to Syria to claim the throne from his nephew Antiochus V. In the resulting dispute, Antiochus V and his regent, Lysias, are overthrown and put to death. Demetrius then establishes himself on the Seleucid throne.

Georgia

• The king of Caucasian Iberia, Saurmag I, dies. Having no son, he is succeeded by his son-in-law, Mirian.

Deaths

• Antiochus V Eupator, ruler of the Seleucid Empire, who has reigned since 164 BC (b. c. 173 BC)
• Lysias or Lusias, Seleucid general and governor of Syria and regent for Antiochus V Eupator
• Saurmag I, king of Caucasian Iberia
• Gnaeus Octavius, Roman statesman and general