Answer
His true parentage is the subject of dispute regarding Alexander II Zabinas' lineage. While some believe he was the illegitimate son of Alexander Balas, others claim he was the son of a merchant named Protarchus. Despite these differing accounts, both agree that he was presented as a contender for the Seleucid throne by the Ptolemaic king Ptolemy VIII Physcon in a bid to undermine Demetrius II Nicator's reign.