HYRCA'NUS (Lat., from (k. "rporcac, 11 yr ka nos ) . The name of two Jewish high priests and primes of thin Asmonean family. (1) .1(11IN (Ileb., Johanan) I I YRCANUS, son of Simon :Mac cabwus, was. during the lifetime of his father, governor of the seacoast, with his seat in Oa za•a, and defeated Cendelneus, the Syrian general. When Ptolemy succeeded in murdering Simon, an attempt was made also on Ilyreanus, but he escaped and obtained control of Judea I Mc. 135). At the beginning of Iris reign Antio chits Sidetes invaded the country, and Ilyreanus was compelled to sue for peace after having been shut up in Jerusalem. Antioehus showed him self inclined to be sparing and Jerusalem escaped destructiim. Shortly afterwards Judea assisted Antiochus in a campaign against his brother, Demetrius Nicator, in which, however, Antio•hus lost his life. Demetrius's short reign marked a period of internal dissensions in' Syria, which enabled Dyreanus to establish the independence of Judea. In this his alliance with Rome (a policy inaugurated by his uncle Judas and fol lowed by his father Simon) was of material help. After the fall of Demetrius and his rival Alex ander Zabina, blyrcanus began (me. 123) the conquest of troubleson e neighbors. First attack ing Aledaba in the Jordtin district. lie marched toward Scheehem and succeeded in destroying the Samaritan temple on :\ Irma Ocrizim (e. 120 u.•.), though the Samaritans were brought to submission till c. 109 8.c. Next the Lin means were conquered and compelled to accept the Jewish faith. Even the trans-Tordanie peo ples felt the power of llyrcanus. and under his strong rule Judea reached the highest point of its power and equaled the Judea of Solomon's day. Coins were minted with the inscription, ".1ohanan high Priest and Chief of the Common wealth of the Audeans." Like the .Alaceabees be fore him, Hyreanus was a Pharisee, hut because of an aspersion east upon his mother, who had been a prisoner of war, he became a Sadducee, and the latter part of his reign was involved in this factional difficulty. lie died in n.e. 105 and left five sons—Aristolodus. Ant ipunus, Alexander,
Alrsalom. and another whose name is not known— two of whom, Aristobulus 1. and Alexander Jan governed with the title of king. (21 Ilvw cAxus II., son of Alexander, and grandson of the preceding. On the death of his father, Ira-. 79 (or 7,3), he was appointed high priest by his mother. Salome Alexandra, who ruled Judea her self for several years. After her death (n.c. 60), he beeame temporal ruler also; hut his younger brother, .Aristobulus, an abler and more ener getic man, seized the government, and forced tlyreanus to make an agreement by %%loch Aris totrunts was to rule and be only high priest. Induced by the Iduntwan .Antipater, he broke this agreement, and, aided by Aretas, Kiug of Arabia Petro', he endeavored to win back his dominions. Seamus, the legate of Pompey, was bribed by Aristobulus, and Aretas had to akin thm the siege of Jerusalem. liy counter bribery on the part of Antipater, llyrcanus olitaincd the eontrol. Pompey took the kingship from Ilyrearms, leaving him high priest, and pro claimed Antipater governor of tire country. Aris tobulus and his two sons. who had been carried away captives, tried at dilierent times to wrest the power from -1ntipater, but failed. Finally, in n.c. 47, Cesar made Ilyreanus tetrarch and high priest and Antipater was made procurator. Those around Dyrcanus and Il•rcanus himself began to suspect .Antipater, and, while banqueting with Ant i pa ter was poisoned (!i.e. 43), though Ilyreanus was not involved in this act. in II.C. 40 Antigrants, son of Aristotailits II., with the help of the Parthians, invaded the land, cap tured ilyrcanus by treachery. cult MI his ears• and thus disqualified him for the ()dice of high priest, and carried him MI tar Seleneiti, on the Tigris. Some years later Ilerod, son of Antipater, ob tained supreme power in Judea, and invited the aged Ilyreanns home to Jerusalem. Por saute time he lived in ease and comfort, but, falling under suspicion of intriguing, against llerod, was put to death Iit.c. 30). l'on•ollt Gesehieb le der Jude?! (Berlin, 1854.75), vol. ii., chaps. i.-iii.