Bible Dictionary
ZEUS
Zeus was the chief god of Greek religion. In the inter-testamental period, pagan rulers associated the Jerusalem temple with Zeus Olympius and the Samaritan sanctuary at Gerizim with Zeus Xenius; Zeus is also identified with Jupiter in Acts.
Biblical Usage
In Acts 14, Zeus is the Revised Version margin’s name for Jupiter, whom the people of Lystra associated with Barnabas. In 2 Maccabees, Antiochus Epiphanes designated the Jerusalem temple as Zeus Olympius and the Gerizim sanctuary as Zeus Xenius.