73. B.C. 143 to 78

B.C. 143 to 78

Chapter III

Timeline View:

1. When the Jews heard of the massacre at Ptolemais, and the death of their honored high-priest, they were filled with consternation and sorrow. To avert the dangers which this state of discouragement threatened, Simon, the only surviving brother of Judas and Jonathan, called the people together in the Temple, and offered himself as their leader. The people were encouraged and animated by the terms in which the offer was made, and they accepted it with joy. The first act of Simon was to put the country in a state of complete defence, by repairing all the fortresses, and storing them with provisions and munitions of war. Then considering that, bad as the conduct of Demetrius Nicator had been, that of Tryphon was much worse, Simon sent an embassy to the former, offering to acknowledge his sovereignty, and to assist him against Tryphon. Demetrius, who led an indolent and dissipated life at Laodicea, and left the war to his generals, saw the value of this offer, which he gladly accepted, and, in return, agreed to acknowledge Simon as the high-priest and prince of the Jews, to relinquish all claim upon them for tribute customs, and taxes, and to grant an amnesty for all past offences against himself. This being committed to writing in the form of a royal edict, and properly ratified, amounted to a charter of freedom and independence; and was so considered by both parties. Accordingly, with this year (b.c. 143), the Jews commenced a new epoch, dating from it as from the first year of “the freedom of Jerusalem.” This era is used on the coins of Simon, as well as by Josephus, and by the author of the first book of Maccabees.

Parthians

2. The next care of Simon was to reduce the fortresses which still held out; and he had the inexpressible satisfaction of compelling the Syrian garrison in the citadel of Jerusalem, which had so long been a standing grievance to the Maccabees, to surrender. He made his son John commander of the forces, and ultimately sent him with king Demetrius to the wars in the East, where, from his exploits in Hyrcania, he acquired the surname of Hyrcanus. In the third year of his reign, he renewed the alliance with the Romans and Lacedaemenians, and sent, as a present to the former, a great shield of gold, worth fifty thousand pounds. The senate was pleased, and wrote to all the kings in these parts, commanding them to consider the Jews as friends and allies of the Romans. The next year Antiochus Sidetes ascended the Syrian throne, his brother Demetrius being held in bondage by the Parthians. He confirmed to Simon all the grants of his predecessor, and added the regal prerogative of coining money. When, however, he had subdued and slain the usurper Tryphon, be altered his tone, and demanded back the strongholds which Simon had taken, and the tribute which had been relinquished. He sent a powerful army to enforce his demand; which was met and defeated by the Jews under the conduct of Simon’s two eldest sons, John and Judas. This victory procured an interval of repose, during which Simon and two of his sons were treacherously murdered, while on a visit at Jericho to his son-in-law, Ptolemy, who aspired to his office and power (b.c. 136). He sent also to destroy John Hyrcanus, who, however, had timely warning, and fled to Jerusalem, where the people elected him in his father’s room, and shut their gates against the murderer. Baffled in this, Ptolemy applied to Antiochus for an army to assist him in bringing the country again under the Syrian yoke. Without waiting for his movements, Hyrcanus marched against him, and besieged him in a fortress near Jericho, to which he had fled. The siege was, however, broken up when the sabbatical year opened, and Ptolemy sought refuge beyond the Jordan until Antiochus should arrive (b.c. 135). What afterwards became of him is not known.

3. Antiochus arrived soon after, with a large army, and besieged Hyrcanus in Jerusalem, which was reduced to great extremities for want of provisions. When the Feast of Tabernacles approached, Hyrcanus begged a week’s respite for the celebration of the festival. This was not only granted, but the king supplied victims for the sacrifices, and was in the end so much mollified that he concluded a peace, although he knew that the city lay at his mercy. But he again reduced the country under the Syrian dominion, dismantled Jerusalem, and exacted tribute for the fortresses which were held out of Judaea. Antiochus was, not long after, killed in a battle with the Parthians, from whom Demetrius contrived to escape. Of the confusion occasioned by these events, Hyrcanus availed himself to enlarge his territories, as well as to recover the independence of Judaea; and no sort of service, tribute, or homage, was ever after paid by him or his descendants to the kings of Syria.

4. The next exploit of their prince must have been very acceptable to the antipathies of the Jews; for he invaded Samaria, took Shechem, the chief seat of the Samaritans, and destroyed their temple on Mount Gerizim.

5. The next year (b.c. 129), Hyrcanus attacked the Idumeans (Edomites), who, during the Captivity, had established themselves in the southern part of Judaea, having Hebron for their capital, and had since maintained themselves there. Having subdued them, Hyrcanus gave them the choice of adopting the Jewish religion, or of quitting the country and seeking a settlement elsewhere. They accepted the former alternative, and afterwards gradually incorporated with the Jews, so as not ultimately to be distinguishable from them.

6. In the course of the two following years, two several embassies were sent to Rome, and obtained decrees highly favorable to Hyrcanus and to the Jewish nation, chiefly as securing them against the aggressions of their neighbors. By his alliances, his consolidation of the government, his conquests, and the wealth which they afforded, Hyrcanus succeeded in raising the nation to a position of much greater dignity and power than it had occupied since the return from Babylon. After enjoying several years of peace and honor, he died b.c. 106.

7. The principality was left by Hyrcanus to his wife; but the government was seized by his eldest son Aristobulus; and as his mother refused to relinquish her claim, he sent her to prison, where he left her to die of hunger. He also imprisoned the three youngest of his brothers; but skewed some affection for Antigonus, the next in age to himself, and employed him in public business. Aristobulus was the first who assumed the royal title and diadem. He extended his dominion by subduing the Itureans, who, like the Edomites before, chose rather to accept the Jewish religion than to abandon their country. The short reign of Aristobulus was brought to its close through his remorse and horror at discovering that it was an unjust suspicion which had caused him to put to death Antigonus, the brother whom he had trusted and loved.

8. Immediately after his death, his three imprisoned brothers were liberated, and the eldest of them, Alexander Janneaus, was advanced to the throne. He had, talents for war, which enabled him to enlarge his dominions, although, in other respects, his reign was far from happy. He subdued the Philistines, who accepted the alternative of adopting the Jewish religion. Moab, Ammon, Gilead, and part of Arabia Petrea, also yielded to his arms. This reign was, however, much troubled by the Pharisees, a sect whose name occurs first in the time of Hyrcanus, but who must have arisen earlier, as they had then attained to much power and importance. Their turbulent character and lofty pretensions induced Alexander to follow the example of Hyrcanus in attaching himself to the rival sect of the Sadducees. This, as well as the general disfavor with which he regarded the principles of the more powerful body, led them to detest his person and government; and they lost no opportunity of exasperating the mind of the people against him by vilifying his administration, and by all sorts of charges and insinuations against his conduct and character. His return with loss and disgrace from the siege of Amathus beyond the Jordan, damaged his reputation with the people, and gave increased boldness to the Pharisees. At length they openly assaulted him while engaged in the most sacred act of the ritual service. At the feast of tabernacles, as he stood at the altar, performing the functions of his office, the Pharisees, and the multitude incited by them, cast at him the citrons which the Jews usually carried in their hands on that occasion. This was the commencement of a civil war, which lasted nine years, in which all parties suffered, and in which above 50,000 persons perished. During this war, both parties committed the most shocking barbarities on each other. The concluding act of it was the taking of Bethone by Alexander. He then brought 800 of the prisoners to Jerusalem, and caused them all to be crucified in one day, and their wives and children put to death before their eyes; while he sat feasting with his women in view of the horrid spectacle.

9. Alexander spent three years more in reducing the fortresses which had fallen into hostile hands during these troubles, and in extending his power beyond the Jordan; where, it should be observed, the country was chiefly occupied by, or under the control of, tribes of Arabian origin, which had settled in these parts; and hence the whole country beyond Jordan, excepting the northernmost part, came ultimately to be considered as part of Arabia, and is so named by ancient geographers.

10. Returning victorious to Jerusalem, Alexander abandoned himself to luxury, drunkenness, and sloth, which brought on a quartan ague, under which he languished for three years and then died. b.c. 82.

11. Before his death, Alexander delivered the government to his wife Alexandra, and appointed her the guardian of the young princes. Following the dying counsels of her late husband, she convened the leaders of the Pharisees, and committed to them the management of affairs. With this they were so wonderfully mollified, that they not only secured her own peaceful succession, but bestowed a most magnificent funeral on their old enemy. Being now the dominant party, and, in fact, greatly exceeding the other party in popularity and numbers, the queen soon became a mere tool in their hands. She was obliged to yield to their most unreasonable demands; and they used their power with no sparing or gentle hand. They raised a grievous persecution against the Sadducees, and, in general, used their authority in a most oppressive and arbitrary manner—especially against the former friends and adherents of Alexander Jannaeus. Many of the most valuable persons, finding that the queen was unable to protect them, abandoned Jerusalem, and withdrew to obscure towns.

Princesses