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In the previous part we saw how in 164 BC the temple was purified after Antiochus Epiphanes had defiled it.
The Chassidim, the pious Jews, were content, but Judas and his family were not. They strove after independence, after the position of High-priest and in the end of king.
When Judas was killed, his brother Jonathan became leader and High-priest, and after him Simon (another brother of Judas) became High-priest and prince of Judea.
In 128 BC Judea became fully independent, and 5 Jewish kings and 1 queen from the house of Hasmon reigned.
The first one was John Hyrcanus, a son of Simon. He was High-priest and king. In his time the religious differences between Jews became more important. The next piece of this series is devoted to that.
John Hyrcanus expanded the state of Judea: he conquered Edom, then called Idumea, and forced the inhabitants to convert to Jewism. All men and boys were circumcised, whether they wanted or not. This included the ancestors of Herod, who became Jews in this way! Then John conquered Samaria, and the sanctity on the Gerizim was thoroughly destroyed. The Samaritans were already circumcised, so no arrangements for that needed to be made. But the relation between Jews and Samaritans did not improve by it! Samaria remained occupied by the Jews until “liberated” by the Romans. John was succeeded by his son Aristobulus I. He conquered Galilee and forced the heathens who lived there to became Jews. The next king was the sadistic Alexander Jannaeus; he had 800 of his opponents crucified before the windows of his palace, so he might enjoy the view. During his reign about 50.000 Jews were killed. He hated the pharisees, but he remained High-priest!
He was succeeded by his wife, Salome Alexandra. She made peace with the pharisees. By this the Sadducees lost much of their influence. In 67 BC she died, and this was the end of the prosperity of Judea.
She was succeeded by her son Hyrcanus II. Aristobulus II, his brother, revolted and deposed him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipater_the_Idumaean">Antipater, a converted Edomite, incited Hyrcanus to recover power, together with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretas_III>Aretas. This lead to a civil war, in which Aristobulus was beaten and besieged in Jerusalem.
In the meantime the Romans had conquered Syria, and both Aristobulus and Hyrcanus / Antipater tried to buy the support of the Romans. Aristobulus won: the Romans ordered Aretas to go home, and so he did. Aristobulus, king and High-priest, sent a golden votive offering to put in the temple of Jupiter in Rome! After some time the Romans began to distrust him. Pompey marched with an army to Jerusalem, the supporters of Hyrcanus opened the gates for him, but those of Aristobulus occupied the temple and were besieged in it for three months.
Then the temple was conquered, and much blood was shed. Pompey insisted at visiting the Holy of Holies, which was visited once a year only by the High priest. About what was in the Holy of Holies the heathens told peculiar stories. The head of a donkey was one of the less malicious. Pompey discovered that it was empty.
In order not to provoke the Jews even more he stayed there for a short time, and had the temple purified. He took nothing from the temple nor of its treasures.
Hyrcanus became High-priest again and leader of the people, but not king.
And Antipater became his trusted adviser. But the taxes rose.
Aristobulus and many of his supporters were brought to Rome to grace the triumph of Pompey. In latter days he and his sons revolted several times. This resulted in Hyrcanus to loose the leadership of Judea.
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