דניאל, פרק י״א, פסוק י״ט

After a period of vast military conquests, a powerful ruler's ambitions abruptly collapse, forcing him into a desperate retreat that ends in his complete and sudden destruction. The mighty king, identified as Antiochus, must abandon his campaigns and flee.

The primary approach among commentators is that the king turns back toward the fortified cities and strongholds of his own country. This retreat occurs just after he completes his conquest of the coastal islands [מצודת דוד]. Fearing for his life, he runs back to the safety of his own fortresses [יוסף אבן יחיא]. However, another perspective suggests his return is driven by financial pressure rather than military defeat. In this view, he goes back to his strongholds to collect the heavy taxes he owes the Romans [מלבי״ם].

Regardless of why he returns, his journey ends in total disaster. He stumbles, falls, and vanishes completely, meaning he dies and leaves absolutely no trace in the world [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The commentators offer different dramatic accounts of his final moments. One approach explains that during his journey home, he is struck by a severe disease that causes his flesh to rot and his limbs to fall away [מצודת דוד]. Another account attributes his death to a sudden, overwhelming panic caused by the sound of an elephant, which makes him trip, fall, and die with crushed bones [יוסף אבן יחיא]. A third perspective connects his death directly to his financial troubles. In a desperate attempt to raise funds for the Roman tax, the king robs a massive treasure from a pagan temple. This act enrages the local population, leading them to secretly assassinate him. Because he is murdered in hiding, his grave is never discovered, perfectly explaining why he vanishes without a trace [מלבי״ם].