Editing Hasmonean dynasty (section)

==Roman intervention: the end of the Hasmonean Dinasty==
===Pompey the Great===
[[File:Pompée dans le Temple de Jérusalem.jpg|thumb|''Pompey in the Temple of Jerusalem'', by [[Jean Fouquet]]]]
While this civil war was going on, the Roman general [[Marcus Aemilius Scaurus (praetor 56 BCE)|Marcus Aemilius Scaurus]] went to Syria to take possession of the kingdom of the [[Seleucids]], in the name of [[Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus]]. Each of the brothers appealed to him through gifts and promises: Scaurus, moved by a gift of four hundred talents, decided in favour of Aristobulus; Aretas was ordered to withdraw his army from Judea and while retreating suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Aristobulus himself.

But the situation changed when Pompey, who had just been awarded the title "Conqueror of Asia" due to his decisive victories in Asia Minor over [[Kingdom of Pontus|Pontus]] and the Seleucid Empire, came to Syria (63 BC) having decided to bring Judea under the rule of the Romans. The two brothers, as well as a third party which, weary of Hasmonean quarrels, desired the extinction of the dynasty, sent delegates to Pompey; who delayed the decision and eventually, in spite of Aristobulus' gift of a golden vine valued at five hundred talents, decided that Hyrcanus II would had made a more acceptable ward of Rome than his brother. 
Aristobulus fathomed the designs of Pompey and assembled his armies; but Pompey was able to defeat him multiple times and capture his cities, so he entrenched himself in the fortress of [[Alexandrium]]. 
Soon realising the futility of resistance however, he surrendered at the first summons of the Romans, and decided to deliver Jerusalem to them. Despite this, the patriots were not willing to open their gates to the Romans, and a [[Siege of Jerusalem (63 BC)|siege]] ensued which ended in the capture of the city. Aristobulus was taken to Rome a prisoner, but Hyrcanus II was reappointed only to the office of High Priest, without actual political authority, factually ending the Hasmoean rule of the area and jewish independence with it.

Pompey entered the [[Holy of Holies]] (this was only the second time that someone had dared to penetrate into this sacred spot) [[Iudaea Province|Judaea]] had to pay tribute to Rome and was placed under the supervision of the Roman governor of Syria: <blockquote>In 63 BC, Judaea became a protectorate of Rome. Coming under the administration of a governor, Judaea was allowed a king; the governor's business was to regulate trade and maximise tax revenue.<ref>Hooker, Richard. {{cite web|title=The Hebrews: The Diaspora|url=http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/HEBREWS/HEBREWS.HTM|access-date=2006-01-08|archive-date=29 August 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829230214/http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/HEBREWS/HEBREWS.HTM|url-status=dead}} World Civilizations Learning Modules. Washington State University, 1999.</ref></blockquote>

In 57&ndash;55 BC, [[Aulus Gabinius]], proconsul of [[Roman Syria#Provincia Syria|Syria]], split the former Hasmonean Kingdom into Galilee, Samaria, and Judea, with five districts of legal and religious councils known as ''sanhedrin'' (Greek: συνέδριον, "synedrion"): "And when he had ordained five councils (συνέδρια), he distributed the nation into the same number of parts. So these councils governed the people; the first was at Jerusalem, the second at [[Umm Qais|Gadara]], the third at Amathus, the fourth at [[Jericho]], and the fifth at [[Sepphoris]] in Galilee."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0146&redirect=true|title=Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 1, Whiston chapter pr.|website=perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref><ref>"Josephus uses συνέδριον for the first time in connection with the decree of the Roman governor of Syria, Gabinius (57 BCE), who abolished the constitution and the then existing form of government of Palestine and divided the country into five provinces, at the head of each of which a sanhedrin was placed ("Ant." xiv 5, § 4)." via [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=229&letter=S&search=Gabinius Jewish Encyclopedia: Sanhedrin]</ref>

===Julius Caesar and Antipater===
When, in 50 BC, it appeared that [[Julius Caesar]] was interested in using Aristobulus and his family as his [[Patronage in ancient Rome|clients]] to take control of Judea from Hyrcanus II and Antipater, who were in turn clients of Pompey, the supporters of the latter had Aristobulus poisoned in Rome and executed Alexander in [[Antioch]].

However, Hyrcanus and Antipater would soon turn to the other side: <blockquote>At the beginning of the civil war between [Caesar] and Pompey, Hyrcanus, at the instance of Antipater, prepared to support the man to whom he owed his position; but after Pompey was murdered in Egypt, Antipater led the Jewish forces to the help of Caesar, who was besieged at Alexandria. His timely help and his influence over the Egyptian Jews won the favour of Caesar, and secured him an extension of his authority in Palestine, while Hyrcanus was confirmed the title of [[ethnarch]]. Joppa was restored to the Hasmonean domain, Judea was granted freedom from all tribute and taxes to Rome, and the independence of the internal administration was guaranteed."<ref>Bentwich, ''Josephus'', Chapter I, "The Jews and the Romans.</ref></blockquote>

[[Image:Mattathias Antigonos.jpg|thumb|Coin of Antigonus, BC 40–37]]
Antipater and Hyrcanus's newly won favour led the triumphant Caesar to ignore the claims of Aristobulus's younger son, [[Antigonus the Hasmonean]], and to confirm them in their authority, despite their previous allegiance to Pompey. Josephus noted, <blockquote>Antigonus... came to Caesar... and accused Hyrcanus and Antipater, how they had driven him and his brethren entirely out of their native country... and that as to the assistance they had sent [to Caesar] into Egypt, it was not done out of good-will to him, but out of the fear they were in from former quarrels, and in order to gain pardon for their friendship to [his enemy] Pompey.<ref>http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/wars-jews/b1c10.htmlM{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref></blockquote>
Hyrcanus II' restoration as [[ethnarch]] in 47 BC coincided with Caesar's appointment of Antipater as the first [[Procurator (ancient Rome)|Procurator]] of [[Judea|Judea (Roman province)]] "Caesar appointed Hyrcanus to be high priest, and gave Antipater what principality he himself should choose, leaving the determination to himself; so he made him procurator of Judea."<ref>Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', [[William Whiston]] translation, xiv 140; at [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0146&layout=&loc=14.140]</ref>

Antipater appointed his sons to positions of influence: Phasael became Governor of Jerusalem, and Herod Governor of Galilee. This led to increasing tension between Hyrcanus and the family of Antipater, culminating in a trial of Herod for supposed abuses in his governorship, which resulted in Herod's flight into exile in 46 BC. Herod soon returned, however, and the honours to Antipater's family continued. Hyrcanus' incapacity and weakness were so manifest that, when he defended Herod against the [[Sanhedrin]] and before [[Mark Antony]], the latter stripped Hyrcanus of his nominal political authority and his title, bestowing them both upon the accused.

[[Assassination of Julius Caesar|Caesar was assassinated]] in 44 BC spreading unrest and confusion throughout the Roman world, including Judaea. Shortly thereafter, Antipater the Idumean was assassinated in 43 BC by the Nabatean king, [[Malichus I]], who had bribed one of Hyrcanus' cup-bearers to poison him. However, Antipater's sons managed to maintain their control over Hyrcanus and Judea.

===Mattathias Antigonus (40–37 BC) and the Parthian invasion===
[[File:Prise de Jérusalem par Hérode le Grand.jpg|thumb|''The taking of Jerusalem by [[Herod the Great]], 36 BC (sic)'']]
[[File:Parthian_Empire_at_it's_greatest_extent.png|thumb|Parthian Empire at its greatest extent, {{circa|lk=no|60}} BC]]
In 40 BC a [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] army crossed the Euphrates, joined by [[Quintus Labienus]], a Roman republican general, who was once sent as ambassador to the Parthians, and who now, following the events of the [[Liberators' civil war]], assisted them in their invasion of roman territories, and was able to entice Mark Antony's Roman garrisons around Syria to rally to his cause.

The Parthians split their army, and under [[Pacorus I of Parthia|Pacorus]] conquered the [[Levant]]: <blockquote>Antigonus... roused the Parthians to invade Syria and Palestine, [and] the Jews eagerly rose in support of the scion of the Maccabean house, and drove out the hated Idumeans with their puppet Jewish king. The struggle between the people and the Romans had begun in earnest, and though Antigonus, when placed on the throne by the Parthians, proceeded to spoil and harry the Jews, rejoicing at the restoration of the Hasmonean line, thought a new era of independence had come.<ref>Bentwich, Chapter I.</ref></blockquote> When Antipater's son [[Phasael]] and [[Hyrcanus II]] set out on an embassy to the Parthians which got captured, Antigonus, who was present, cut off Hyrcanus's ears to make him unsuitable for the High Priesthood, while Phasael was put to death. Antigonus, whose Hebrew name was Mattathias, bore the double title of king and High Priest for only three years, as he had not disposed of Antipater's other son [[Herod the Great|Herod]], the most dangerous of his enemies.

===Herod the Great and Mark Antony===

Herod fled into exile and sought the support of Mark Antony. He was designated "King of the Jews" by the [[Roman Senate]] in 40 BC as Antony <blockquote>then resolved to get [Herod] made king of the Jews...[and] told [the Senate] that it was for their advantage in the [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] war that Herod should be king; so they all gave their votes for it. And when the senate was separated, Antony and [[Augustus|Caesar]] [Augustus] went out, with Herod between them; while the consul and the rest of the magistrates went before them, in order to offer sacrifices [to the Roman gods], and to lay the decree in the Capitol. Antony also made a feast for Herod on the first day of his reign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://earlyjewishwritings.com/text/josephus/war1.html|title=Josephus, Wars Book I|website=earlyjewishwritings.com}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=February 2023}}</blockquote>

The struggle thereafter lasted for some years, as the main Roman forces were occupied with defeating the Parthians and had few additional resources to use to support Herod. After the Parthians' defeat however, in 37 BC Herod was victorious over his rival; Antigonus was delivered to Antony, executed and the Romans assented to Herod's proclamation as King of the Jews, bringing about the end of the Hasmonean rule over Judea.

===The last Hasmoneans===
Antigonus was not the last Hasmonean; however, the fate of the remaining male members of the family under Herod was not a happy one. [[Aristobulus III]], grandson of Aristobulus II through his elder son Alexander, was briefly made high priest, but was soon executed (36 BC) due to Herod's jealousy. His sister Mariamne was married to Herod, but also fell victim to his jealousy. Her sons by Herod, [[Aristobulus IV]] and Alexander, were in their adulthood also executed by their father.

[[Hyrcanus II]] had been held by the Parthians since 40 BC. For four years he lived amid the [[Babylonian Jews]], who paid him every mark of respect, until 36 BC when Herod, who feared that the last remaining male Hasmonean might gain the support of the Parthians to retake the throne, invited him to return to Jerusalem. The Babylonian Jews warned him in vain as Herod received him with every mark of respect, assigning him the first place at his table and the presidency of the state council, while awaiting an opportunity to get rid of him. As the , Hyrcanus was too dangerous a rival for Herod. In the year 30 BC, charged with plotting with the King of Arabia, Hyrcanus was condemned and executed.

The later Herodian rulers [[Agrippa I]] and [[Agrippa II]] both had Hasmonean blood, as Agrippa I's father was [[Aristobulus IV]], son of Herod by [[Mariamne I]], but they were not direct male descendants. The Hasmoneans did not have defined rules for succession and Agrippa was viewed as legitimate via his grandmother, Mariamne I.