Editing Alexander II Zabinas (section)

===Relations with Judea===
Under Antiochus VII, the Judean high-priest and ruler [[John Hyrcanus|John Hyrcanus I]] acquired the status of a [[vassal]] prince, paying tribute and minting his coinage in the name of the Syrian monarch.{{sfn|Hoover|1994|p=43}} Following Antiochus VII's death, John Hyrcanus I ceased paying the tribute and minted coinage bearing his own name,{{sfn|Hoover|1994|p=47}} but ties were kept with the Seleucid kingdom through [[monogram]]s, representing Seleucid kings, that appeared on the early coins.{{sfn|Hendin|2013|p= 265}} The dating of this event is conjectural, with the earliest date possible 129 BC but more likely 128 BC.{{sfn|Barag|Qedar|1980|p= 18}} Demetrius II apparently planned an invasion of Judea, which was halted due to the king's failed invasion of Egypt and the uprising that erupted in Syria.{{sfn|Shatzman|2012|p=51}} According to Josephus, John Hyrcanus I "flourished greatly" under Alexander II's rule;{{sfn|Hoover|1994|p=50}} apparently, the Judean leader sought an alliance with Alexander II to defend himself against Demetrius II.{{sfn|Shatzman|2012|p=51}}
[[File:Bronze prutah of John Hyrcanus I.jpg|thumb|alt= Coin of John Hyrcanus I. On the obverse, an inscription. The reverse depicts two cornucopia in the position of a wreath with a pomegranate in the middle|Bronze [[prutah]] of [[John Hyrcanus|John Hyrcanus I]]. The letter alpha above the Jewish's leader name might represent Alexander II]]
The 127 BC embassy sent by Judea to Rome asked the senate to force the Syrian abandonment of: [[Jaffa]], the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] harbours which included [[Yavne|Iamnia]] and [[Gaza City|Gaza]], the cities of [[Gezer|Gazara]] and Pegae (near [[Kfar Saba]]), in addition to other territories taken by King Antiochus VII. A Roman ''[[senatus consultum]]'' (senatorial decree), preserved in Josephus's work ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'' (book XIV, 250), granted the Jews their request regarding the cities, but did not mention the city of Gazara.{{sfn|Finkielsztejn|1998|p=46}} The senatorial decree mentions the reigning Syrian king as Antiochus son of Antiochus, which can mean only [[Antiochus IX Cyzicenus|Antiochus IX]], who assumed the throne in 199 SE (114/113 BC).{{sfn|Seeman|2013|p=196}} The decree might indicate the Syrians had already abandoned Gazara in c. 187 SE (126/125 BC). This supports the notion that an agreement between Alexander II and John Hyrcanus I was signed early in the Syrian king's reign.{{#tag:ref|Kuhn asserted that the alliance was sealed only after the death of Demetrius II and before the ascension of his successor [[Antiochus VIII Grypus|Antiochus VIII]].{{sfn|Kuhn|1891|p=[https://archive.org/stream/beitrgezurgesch01kuhngoog#page/n21/mode/2up 16]}}|group=note}} Such a treaty would have established the alliance between Alexander II and Judea, and stipulated a territorial agreement where John Hyrcanus I received the lands south of Gazara including that city, while Alexander II maintained control over the region north of Gazara including Samaria.{{sfn|Finkielsztejn|1998|p=46}}

John Hyrcanus I recognised Alexander II as his sovereign.{{#tag:ref|John Hyrcanus I was virtually independent and his gestures towards Alexander II were just a facade.{{sfn|Ehling|1998|p=51}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Jacobson|2013b|p=21}} The earliest series of coins minted by the high priest showed the Greek letter Α (alpha) positioned prominently above John Hyrcanus I's name. The alpha must have been the first letter of a Seleucid king's name, and many scholars, such as Dan Barag, suggested that it represents Alexander II.{{#tag:ref|French numismatist [[Louis Félicien de Saulcy]] suggested in 1854 that the alpha represented the initial letter of the name of either Antiochus VII or Alexander II. Numismatists Dan Barag and Shraga Qedar suggested Alexander II or Antiochus VIII instead.{{sfn|Barag|Qedar|1980|p= 18}} Historian Baruch Kanael considered it implausible that the alpha designated a king, since no Seleucid king is known to have settled for the appearance of his initials instead of his full name on the coins of vassal states.{{sfn|Kanael|1952|p= 191}} Some scholars attribute the alpha series coins to [[Hyrcanus II|John Hyrcanus II]], and many interpretations were offered to explain the letter.{{sfn|Brug|1981|p= 109}} For example, the numismatist [[:de:Arie Kindler|Arie Kindler]] suggested that it might represent [[Salome Alexandra]], mother of John Hyrcanus II, or, in the view of the numismatist [[Ya'akov Meshorer]], might be a reference for [[Antipater the Idumaean]], John Hyrcanus II's advisor and the power behind the throne.{{sfn|Hendin|2013|p= 265}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Barag|Qedar|1980|p= 18}} Another clue indicating the relationship between Alexander II and John Hyrcanus I is the latter's use of the double cornucopiae motif on his coins; a pomegranate motif appeared in the centre of the cornucopiae to highlight the authority of the Jewish leader.{{sfn|Hoover|1994|p=50}} This imagery was apparently a cautious policy by John Hyrcanus I. In case Alexander II was defeated, the Judean coins motifs were neutral enough to appease an eventual successor, while if Alexander II emerged victorious and decided to interfere in Judea, the cornucopiae coins could be used to show the king that John Hyrcanus I already accepted Alexander II's suzerainty.{{sfn|Hoover|1994|p=51}} The high priest eventually won the independence of Judea later in Alexander II's reign;{{sfn|Jacobson|2013b|p=21}} once John Hyrcanus I severed his ties with the Seleucids, the alpha was removed.{{sfn|Barag|Qedar|1980|p= 18}}