In the year uses 2S0 Southern Syria, including Judea, earn' under the control of the Ptolemies, who retained it, though not without frequent opposition on the part of the Seleneids. till n.c. 2(11. l'pon the death of Ptolemy Philopator the Jews transferred their allegiance to the Selen °ids. and aided Antioehus III. (B.C. 223-157 in obtaining control of Jerusalem. The grav ity of the error soon became apparent. The at tempt was made IT Ant OehILS IV., surnamed Epiphanes B.C. 175-1641. to assimilate the Jew ish cult to Greek customs. He was prompted to this step by the conflicts between rival priestly families in Jerusalem. which kept the country in constant turmoil. Antioehus believed that he could strike at the root of the evil by wiping out the peculiar features of the Jewish cult. The sacrifices were forbidden, the scrolls of the Law burned, and observance of the Sabbath and of such ides as circumcision was torbidden. At different periods Antiochus sent his generals to Jerusalem to pillage and burn and to force the Jews into the Greek religion. The temple of Jerusalem rededicated to Jupiter Oly In pus; idol altars were built in every village, and the people were forced to observe Greek rites.
At. this juncture the heroic family of Mat t:1116as, a priest of the house of the Asinoneans, or :Maccabees, rose at :Malin, near Lydda, to gether with a few patriots, against the power of the Syrians. The national Cause quickly gath ered strength, and after the death of Alattathias tux. 166) his son, -Judas Macealneus, led the national hosts to victory against the Syrians. titter his death (n.c. 161) his brothers, Jonathan and Simon, eon ipleted the work of deliverance, and reinstituted the Sanhedrin (ix. 145). Dur ing their rule, alliances were twice formed with the Romans. and the country once more began to prosper. Clider Simon more especially. Syrian tale became a mere shadow; his was an almost absolute power—so much so that, in the year 170 of the Seleueidan era /3.c. 142). a new Jewish era was commenced, and pnblic documents bore date, "In the first year of Simon. high priest and chief of the Jews." Simon's son, John Ilyreanus, after a brief period of vassalage to the Syrians, extended his over Samaria, Galilee. and Idumea—his grand triumph, in the eyes of his countrymen, being the destruction of the Samari tan temple on :Mount Gerizim (ux'. 129) : but in reality his most surprising success was the sub jugation of (lie Idnineans and their forced con version to the Jewish religion. His son Aristo bultis added Iturea to his dominions, but died after a short reign—of remorse, as was said, for having connived at the murder of his brother. He was succeeded by a younger brother, Alexander Janmens. Constantly tighting and generally beaten. this king yet emdrived to enlarge his ter ritories. The internal conditions of the .Jewish State during his reign were most lamentable. Bit ter feelings existed between the two parties, Phar isees and Saddneecs, into which the people were divided. The Pharisees even did not hesitate to
call in the aid of a Seleueid ruler against Alex ander. After a brief period of peace lie died (it.c. 7S). enjoining his wife, Alexandra, to ally herself with the Pharisees as the best means of retaining her authority. This she did, and governed prudently for nine years. The Pharisaic party, however, abused the power which fell into their hands. and a reaction took place. Aristobulus, youngest son of the Queen. and a prince of great spirit, placed himself at the head of the Government, marched to Jerusalem, took possession of the city, and ejected his elder broth er, HyreannA II., from the sovereignty. The lat ter, at the instigation of Antipater. an Idumean, and father of 'Herod the Great, fled to Aretas, King of Northern Arabia, who was induced. by the promise of a cession. of the territory which had been acquired by Alexander Janineus, to take up arms on his behalf. This led to the inter ference of the Romans. who were then fighting both in Syria and Armenia. Jerusalem was cap tured (n.e. ) by Pompey, who had decided in favor of Hyreanus, and Judea was made depend ent on the Roman Province of Syria. Hyreanus was appointed etbnarch and high priest. Aristob ulus, his two sons, Alexander and Antigouus, and two daughters, were carried captive to Rome. In B.C. 54 Crassus plundered the temple, which Pompey had piously spared. He fell shortly afterwards in the war against the Par thians, and his companion. Cassius Longinus, succeeded in completely routing the army of Aris tobulus, who had been released by Ctesar.
Meanwhile, the war between Caesar and Pompey broke out. in Syria, the partisans of the latter were numerous, and contrived to poison Aristob ulus, and execute his son Alexander. who were Caesareans (we. 49). After the death of Pompey, however, Hyrcanus. or rather Autipater the ldumean (who was both his minister and mas ter), saw the necessity of securing the favor of Caesar. With Hyrcanus 11. ended the line of Asmonean princes; they exercised (nominally) supreme authority both in the civil and religious affairs of l'alestine; hut, as already indicated, the real religious authority had passed into the hands of the priesthood, and especially of the Sanhedrin (q.v.). The Idumean (Herodian) dy nasty. which succeeded the Asmonean. virtually commenced with Antipater, who prevailed on Caesar to restrict Hyrcanus to the high priest hood, and obtained for himself the office of Pro curator of .Judea. while his eldest son. I'hazael, was appointed Governor of Jerusalem. and his youngest son Herod Governor of Galilee. The Jewish or National Party took alarm at this sudden increase of Idumean power; strife ensued: and ultimately Antipater perished by poison; hut Herod. by the assistance of the Romans, finally entered Jerusalem in triumph (me. 37), and caused Antigonus, the last male representative of Asmonean line, and his most dangerous enemy, to be put to death.