Hasmonean civil war
| Hasmonean Civil War | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pompey in the Temple of Jerusalem, Jean Fouquet 1470-1475 |
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
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Aristobulus supporters: Pharisees Mercenaries |
Hyrcanus supporters: Saducees Nabataean kingdom |
 Roman Republic
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| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
 Aristobulus II
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Hyrcanus IIAntipater Aretas III |
Gnaeus Pompeius MagnusMarcus Aemilius Scaurus
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| Strength | ||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown number of Hyrcanus loyalists (over 6,000) 50,000 Nabataean infantry and cavalry troops |
Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
| Over 12,000 killed (Including many civilians) | Over 6,000 killed | Light | ||||||
The Hasmonean Civil War was a civil war between two claimants to the Hasmonean Jewish Crown. What began as an inter-Jewish conflict became a highly decisive conflict that included the Nabataean Kingdom and ended with a Roman involvement. This conflict resulted in the loss of Jewish independence.
The Hasmonean Dynasty had been established after the Maccabean Revolt and had gained independence from the Seleucid Empire, after which it become a powerful regional kingdom. The kingdom reached its greatest extent during the reigns of Alexander Jannaeus and Salome Alexandra, who had 2 sons, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. Hyrcanus, the elder son, was not as popular with the people and mostly sided with the Saducees while his younger brother Aristobulus was very ambitious and popular and tended to side with the Pharisees. For this reason Aristobulus began making connections with military officials and owners of bastions even during his mother's lifetime.
Alexandra was very sick at the end of her days and Aristobulus began using his connections to take over the walled cities and bastions of the Hasmonean realm and used the money he found there to further hire mercenaries and declared himself king when she was still alive. Alexandra, who favored her elder son Hyrcanus, ordered the jailing of Aristobulus' wife and sons in the Antonia Keep in Jerusalem, to the north of the Temple Mount. She died shortly after, after which Hyrcanus was crowned King of Judea. The two brothers' forces engaged nearby Jericho, in which many of Hyrcanus' men joined Aristobulus, after that Hyrcanus quickly escaped to the Antonia Keep where his brother's family lies, however eventually after negotiations the brother made peace and Hyrcanus abdicated the throne to Aristobulus who ensured Hyrcanus' safety.
Antipater the Idumean, a rich Idumean and an influential person in the Judean politics had a very big dislike of Aristobulus and preferred Hyrcanus as king, for this reason he spoke with Hyrcanus, convincing him to fight for the crown, and spoke to Aretas III, king of the Nabataeans about the great qualities of Hyrcanus and his birthright and convinced him to support Hyrcanus, who at one night escaped and arrived in Petra, capital of the Nabataeans, where he gave many gifts to please Aretas, as well as making a deal with Aretas that he shall return Nabataea 12 cities that were taken from them by his father Alexander Jannaeus.
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Wikipedia