John Hyrcanus
John Hyrcanus | |
---|---|
Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum | |
Prince of Judaea | |
Predecessor | Simon Thassi |
Successor | Aristobulus I |
High Priest of Judaea | |
Predecessor | Simon Thassi |
Successor | Aristobulus I |
Born | 164 BCE |
Died | 104 BCE |
Issue | Aristobulus I Alexander Jannaeus Antigonus I Absalom fifth son, unnamed |
Dynasty | Hasmonean |
Father | Simon Thassi |
Religion | Hellenistic Judaism |
John Hyrcanus (
Name
Josephus explains in The Jewish War that John was also known as "Hyrcanus", but does not explain the reason behind this name. The only other primary sources — the Books of the Maccabees — never used this name with respect to John. The single occurrence of the name Hyrcanus in 2 Maccabees 3:11 refers to a man to whom some of the money in the Temple belonged during the c. 178 BCE visit of Heliodorus.[2]
The reason for the name is disputed amongst biblical scholars, with a variety of reasons proposed:
- Familial origin in the region of Hyrcania on the Caspian Sea[3]
- A Greek regnal name, which would have represented closer ties with the Hellenistic culture against which the Maccabees had revolted under Seleucid rule. However, the region of Hyrcania had been conquered by Mithridates I of Parthia in 141–139 BCE
- Given the name by the Seleucids after he fought in the region alongside Antiochus VII Sidetes against Phraates II of Parthia in 130–129 BCE, a campaign which resulted in the release of Antiochus' brother Demetrius II Nicator from captivity in Hyrcania
Life and work
He was the son of
Siege of Jerusalem
During the first year of John Hyrcanus's reign, he faced a serious challenge to independent Judean rule from the Seleucid Empire. Antiochus VII Sidetes marched into Judea, pillaged the countryside and laid a year-long siege on Jerusalem. The prolonged siege caused Hyrcanus to remove any Judean from the city who could not assist with the defence effort (Antiquities 13.240). These refugees were not allowed to pass through Antiochus’ lines, becoming trapped in the middle of a chaotic siege. With a humanitarian crisis on his hands, Hyrcanus re-admitted his estranged Jerusalemites when the festival of Sukkot arrived. Afterwards, due to food shortages in Jerusalem, Hyrcanus negotiated a truce with Antiochus.[6]
The terms of the truce consisted of three thousand talents of silver as payment for Antiochus, breaking down the walls of Jerusalem, Judean participation in the Seleucid war against the Parthians, and once again Judean recognition of Seleucid control (Antiquities 13.245). These terms were a harsh blow to Hyrcanus, who had to loot the tomb of David to pay the 3,000 talents (The Wars of the Jews I 2:5).
Under Seleucid control (133–128 BCE)
Following the Seleucid siege, Judea faced tough economic times which were magnified by taxes to the Seleucids enforced by Antiochus. Furthermore, Hyrcanus was forced to accompany Antiochus on his eastern campaign in 130 BCE. Hyrcanus probably functioned as the military commander of a Jewish company in the campaign.[7] It is reported that Antiochus, out of consideration for the religion of his Jewish allies, at one point ordered a two days' halt of the entire army to allow them to avoid breaking the Sabbath and Festival of Weeks.[8]
This enforced absence probably caused a loss of support for the inexperienced Hyrcanus among the Judean population.
Therefore, at a very early point in his thirty-one year reign of Judea, Hyrcanus had lost the support of Judeans in various cultural sectors. The Jerusalemites, the countryside Judeans and the religious leadership probably doubted the future of Judea under Hyrcanus. However, in 128 BCE Antiochus VII was killed in battle against Parthia. What followed was an era of conquest led by Hyrcanus that marked the high point of Judea as the most significant power in the Levant.[11]
Conquests
John Hyrcanus was able to take advantage of unrest in the
Hyrcanus also raised a new mercenary army that strongly contrasted with the Judean forces that were defeated by Antiochus VII (Ant.13.249). The Judean population was probably still recovering from the attack of Antiochus, and therefore could not provide enough able men for a Hyrcanus-led army.[12] John Hyrcanus's army was supported by the Judean State once again by funds that Hyrcanus removed from the Tomb of David.[14]
Beginning in 113 BCE, Hyrcanus began an extensive military campaign against Samaria. Hyrcanus placed his sons Antigonus and Aristobulus in charge of the siege of Samaria. The Samaritans called for help and eventually received 6,000 troops from Antiochus IX Cyzicenus. Although the siege lasted for a long, difficult year, Hyrcanus was unwilling to give up. Ultimately, Samaria was overrun and totally destroyed. Cyzicenus' mercenary army was defeated and the city of Scythopolis seems to have been occupied by Hyrcanus as well.[15] The inhabitants of Samaria were then put into slavery. Upon conquering the former Seleucid regions Hyrcanus embarked on a policy of forcing the non-Jewish populations to adopt Jewish customs.[16][17]
John Hyrcanus's first conquest was an invasion of the Transjordan in 110 BCE.
Hyrcanus also initiated a military campaign against the
Economy, foreign relations, and religion
After the siege of Jerusalem, Hyrcanus faced a serious economic crisis in Judea, although the economic difficulties probably subsided after the death of
Moreover, out of desperation, Hyrcanus sought for good relations with the surrounding Gentile powers, especially the growing Roman Republic. Two decrees were passed in the Roman Senate that established a treaty of friendship with Judea.[25] Although it is difficult to specifically date these resolutions, they represent efforts made between Hyrcanus and Rome to maintain stable relations. Also, an embassy sent by Hyrcanus received Roman confirmation of Hasmonean independence.[26] Hyrcanus was an excellent case of a ruler backed by Roman support.
In addition to Rome, Hyrcanus was able to maintain steady relations with
Furthermore, the minting of coins by Hyrcanus demonstrates John Hyrcanus's willingness to delegate power. Sixty-three coins found near
In Judea, religious issues were a core aspect of domestic policy. Josephus only reports one specific conflict between Hyrcanus and the
Ultimately, one of the final acts of John Hyrcanus's life was an act that solved any kind of dispute over his role as High Priest and ethnarch. In the will of Hyrcanus, he provisioned for the division of the high priesthood from secular authority. John Hyrcanus's widow was given control of civil authority after his death, and his son
Legacy
John Hyrcanus the High Priest is remembered in rabbinic literature as having made several outstanding enactments and deeds worthy of memorial, one of which being that he cancelled the requirement of saying the avowal mentioned in Deuteronomy 26:12–15 once in every three years, since he saw that in Israel they had ceased to separate the
Before John Hyrcanus officiated as Israel's High Priest, the people had it as a practice to do manual work on the
The Mishnah (Parah 3:4[5]) also relates that during the tenure of John Hyrcanus as High Priesthood, he had prepared the ashes of two Red heifers used in purifying those who had contracted corpse uncleanness.[38]
In what is seen as yet another one of John Hyrcanus's accomplishments, during his days any commoner or
In the later years of his life, John Hyrcanus abandoned the sect of the Pharisees and joined the Sadducees. This prompted the famous rabbinic dictum: "Do not believe in yourself until your dying day."[41] At his death, a monument (Hebrew: נפשיה דיוחנן כהן גדול) was built in his honour and where his bones were interred. The monument was located in what was outside the walls of the city at that time, but by Josephus' time was between the second[a] and third[b] walls of Jerusalem, and where the Romans had built a bank of earthworks to break into the newer third wall encompassing the upper city, directly opposite John's monument.[42]
See also
- Hasmonean coinage
- Hyrcanus II
- Hyrcanus inscription
- List of Hasmonean and Herodian rulers
Notes
- ^ This wall, according to Josephus, only encompassed the northern quarter of the city (Josephus, Wars v.iv.2)
- Agrippa I(Josephus, Wars v.iv.2)
References
- Pirke Avot2:4
- ^ "2 Macc 3:11". Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
- ^ Jacob Neusner (1965). A History of the Jews in Babylonia. Vol. 1. Brill Archive. p. 12. GGKEY:8U6UBQ3DD5Z.
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities XIII 11:1 and Jewish Wars I 3:1.
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities 13.12.1
- ^ H. Jagersma. A History of Israel from Alexander the Great to Bar Kochba. (Minneapolis.: Fortress Press, 1986), 83.
- ^ Joseph Sievers, and Jacob Neusner, ed. The Hasmoneans and Their Supporters: From Matthias to the Death of John Hyrcanus I. (Atlanta.: Scholars Press, 1990), 140.
- ^ Heinrich Graetz, History of the Jews, vol. II, (Jewish Publication Society, 1893), ch. I, p. 5
- ^ Sievers, 139
- ^ Jagersma, 89
- ^ Elias Bickerman. The Maccabees. (New York: Schocken Books, 1947), 150
- ^ a b Sievers, 141
- ^ Gaalyahu Cornfled. Daniel to Paul: Jews In Conflict with Graeco-Roman Civilization. (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1962), 50
- ^ Bickerman, 149–150
- ^ Jagersma, 83
- ^ ISBN 9780199730049.
John Hyrcanus I, who embarked upon further territorial conquests, forcing the non-Jewish populations of the conquered regions to adopt the Jewish way of life and destroying the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim.
. - .
- ISBN 978-81-7268-095-4.
- ^ Sievers, 142
- ^ George W. E. Nickelsburg. Jewish Literature Between The Bible And The Mishnah, with CD-ROM, Second Edition. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 93
- Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ISSN 2077-1444.
- ^ Sievers, 157
- ^ W. D. Davies. The Cambridge History of Judaism, Vol. 2: The Hellenistic Age. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989), 331–332
- ^ Jagersma, 84
- ^ David Noel Freedman. The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, H–J: Volume 3. (New Haven: Yale University Press), 1992
- ^ Davies, 332
- ^ Cornfeld, 52
- ^ Sievers, 153–154
- ^ Nickelsburg, 93
- ^ Sievers, 155
- ^ Gaalyahu, 55
- ^ Jerusalem Talmud, Sotah 5:5
- ^ Maimonides' Mishnah Commentary (Ma'aser Sheni 5:15), vol. 1, Mossad Harav Kook: Jerusalem 1963, p. 233
- ^ Jerusalem Talmud with a Commentary of Solomon Sirilio, Ma'aser Sheni 5:5
- Babylonian Talmud(Sotah 48a).
- Babylonian Talmud(Rosh Hashanna 18b)
- ^ Maimonides' Mishnah Commentary (Ma'aser Sheni 5:15), vol. 3, Mossad Harav Kook: Jerusalem 1967, p. 260
- Babylonian Talmud(Sotah 48a)
- ^ Jerusalem Talmud, Ma'aser Sheni 5:5, Commentary of Solomon Sirilio.
- Babylonian Talmud(Berakhot 29a)
- ^ Josephus, De Bello Judaico (Wars of the Jews) v.ix.2; ibid. v.xi.4
External links
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Richard Gottheil; Meyer Kayserling (1901–1906). "Hyrcanus, John (Johanan) I.". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.