Editing Hasmonean dynasty (section)

===War of succession between Hyrcanus II (67–66 BC) and Aristobulus II (66–63 BC)===
Upon her death her elder son, [[Hyrcanus II]], sought Pharisee support and her younger son, [[Aristobulus II]], sought the support of the Sadducees; Hyrcanus, had scarcely reigned three months when his younger brother, Aristobulus, rose in rebellion. The conflict between them only ended when the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem in 63 BC and inaugurated the Roman period of Jewish history.

According to Josephus: "Now Hyrcanus was heir to the kingdom, and to him did his mother commit it before she died; but Aristobulus was superior to him in power and magnanimity; and when there was a battle between them, to decide the dispute about the kingdom, near Jericho, the greatest part deserted Hyrcanus, and went over to Aristobulus."<ref name="earlyjewishwritings.com">{{cite web|url=http://earlyjewishwritings.com/text/josephus/war1.html|title=Josephus, Wars Book I Ch.6:1|first=George|last=Lyons}}</ref>

Hyrcanus then took refuge in the citadel of Jerusalem, but the eventual capture of the Temple by Aristobulus II compelled him to surrender. A peace was concluded, according to the terms of which Hyrcanus was to renounce the throne and the office of high priest (comp. [[Emil Schürer]], "Gesch." i. 291, note 2), but was to retain the revenues of his previous role, as Josephus states: "but Hyrcanus, with those of his party who stayed with him, fled to Antonia, and got into his power the hostages (which were Aristobulus's wife, with her children) that he might persevere; but the parties came to an agreement before things should come to extremes, that Aristobulus should be king, and Hyrcanus should resign, but retain all the rest of his dignities, as being the king's brother. Hereupon they were reconciled to each other in the Temple, and embraced one another in a very kind manner, while the people stood round about them; they also changed their houses, while Aristobulus went to the royal palace, and Hyrcanus retired to the house of Aristobulus."<ref name="earlyjewishwritings.com"/> Aristobulus then ruled from 67–63 BC.

From 63 to 40 BC, the official government (by this time reduced to a protectorate of Rome as described below) was back in the hands of Hyrcanus II as High Priest and [[Ethnarch]], although effective power was in the hands of his adviser [[Antipater the Idumaean]].

====Intrigues of Antipater====
While Hyrcanus had retired to private life, [[Antipater the Idumean]], governor of Idumea, began to impress upon his mind that Aristobulus was planning his death, finally persuading him to take refuge with [[Aretas III|Aretas]], king of the [[Nabatæans]]. Aretas, bribed by Antipater, who also promised him the restitution of the Arabian towns taken by the Hasmoneans, readily espoused the cause of Hyrcanus and advanced toward Jerusalem with an army of fifty thousand. 
During the siege, which lasted several months, the adherents of Hyrcanus were guilty of two acts that greatly incensed the majority of the Jews: they stoned the pious Onias (see [[Honi ha-Magel]]) and when the besieged paid the besiegers to recive sacrificial lambs for the purpose of the [[Passover sacrifice|paschal sacrifice]], they instead sent a pig.{{refn|group=note|this according to rabbinical sources, Josephus instead (Ant. b.14 ch.2) mentions that Hyrcanus's faction kept the sum of one thousand [[Ancient drachma|drachmas]] and didn't provide the besieged with any sacrifice, impeding the fulfillment of their religious duties}}