Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II

Josephus

The Jewish War 1.117–122

ca. 75

Meanwhile Alexandra fell ill, and her younger son Aristobulus seized the opportunity. With all his many friends—all won over to his cause by his dashing nature—he took control of all the fortresses, used the money found there to gather a force of mercenaries, and declared himself king. His mother sympathized with Hyrcanus’ complaints at this turn…

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Josephus relates that after Alexandra’s death, Hyrcanus accepted Aristobulus’ victory and conceded the kingship to him in exchange for an honored position as the king’s brother. Despite this apparent truce, the conflict between the brothers would continue, due in part to the involvement of the Idumean leader Antipater I, father of Herod the Great, who was an enemy of Aristobulus and supporter of Hyrcanus. Both Hyrcanus and Aristobulus appealed to Pompey, then in the process of making Syria a province of the Roman Empire. Pompey ultimately sided with Hyrcanus and, after besieging Jerusalem and defeating Aristobulus, installed Hyrcanus as high priest. This was the first direct Roman intervention in Judean affairs and ushered in the Roman period.

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Creator Bio

Josephus

37–100

Flavius Josephus was born into a prominent Jewish priestly family and served as a general stationed in the Galilee during the First Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE). He was captured by the Romans and eventually integrated into the Flavian imperial aristocracy, who commissioned him to compose chronicles of the Jewish–Roman war and the history of the Jews. Josephus’ works, all written in Greek, include The Jewish War, Jewish Antiquities, Against Apion, and his autobiography, Life of Josephus. These writings provide important insights into the Judaisms of the Second Temple period and include one of the few surviving accounts of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

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