Aristobulus I

Aristobulus I
King and High Priest of Judaea
Aristobulus I from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum
Reign	c. 104–103 BC (1 year)
Predecessor	John Hyrcanus, Maccabean leader
Successor	Alexander Jannaeus
Died	c. 103 BC
Spouse	Salome Alexandra
Dynasty	Hasmonean
Father	John Hyrcanus I
Religion	Hellenistic Judaism

Judah Aristobulus I /ˌærᵻstəˈbjuːləs/ (Greek: Ἰούδας Ἀριστόβουλος Ioúdās Aristóboulos, the epithet meaning "best-advising"; reigned c. 104 – 103 BC) was the first ruler of the Hasmonean Dynasty to declare himself "king". He was the eldest of the five sons of John Hyrcanus, the previous leader.

Aristobulus was not only just the first king from the Hasmonean lineage, but the first of any Hebrew kings to claim both the high priesthood and the kingship title. The Sadducees and the Essenes were not concerned about the Aristobulus taking the title of king, but the Pharisees were infuriated: they felt that the kingship could only be held by descendants of the Davidic line (the Hasmoneans were Levites). The Pharisees began a massive rebellion, but Aristobulus died before any attempt to depose of him could occur.

According to the directions of John Hyrcanus, the country after his death was to be placed in the hands of his wife, and Aristobulus was originally to receive the high-priesthood only. Aristobulus did not approve of his father's wishes, instead, he seized the crown with the support of his brother Antigonus. To secure his kingship, he had his mother placed in prison where she starved to death; and to ensure himself of any possible endangerment from his family, he placed his three brothers into prison except for Antigonus.

Much of the Galilee region was annexed by Aristobulus, however, there was some resistance from the Arab Ituraean tribes from the northern parts of the region. The terrain made campaigning difficult against the Galilee inhabitants. In the end, Aristobulus would eventually conquer much of the territory from them. The Golan region was also taken during the campaign and Mount Hermon as well. The conquered inhabitants were forced to accept the Jewish faith, primarily, circumcision was forcibly performed as the main step to conversion.