STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.
The Diadem—Matricide and Fratricide—Horrors at
Bethone—Reign of a Woman—Contest between
Brothers—Jerusalem twice taken by the Romans.
Hitherto the history of the house of the Asmoneans has been a record
of the brave deeds of noble men; but from this point it becomes little
but a dark catalogue of crimes. We feel, in entering upon it, like a
traveller who, after threading a majestic mountain-pass, which looks
only the more sublime from the contrast of strong lights and shadows
thrown over it by passing clouds, comes on a waste and howling desert,
and quickens his pace instinctively, that he may the sooner reach a
fairer, brighter scene beyond.
The noble sons of Mattathias seem to have shown no rivalry or
emulation; each was ready to do his duty where the Lord had assigned
his post; and though three brothers ruled in succession, the first-born
of them was content to be the last to rise to power. Far otherwise
was it with Aristobulus, the son of John Hyrcanus. Ambition was the
idol that he worshipped. Not content with the authority, he must also
assume the title of King. He was the first of the race of Asmoneus who
put a diadem upon his head. He caused the assassination of one of his
brothers, whom he suspected of aspiring to the throne, and cast three
others into prison! Plunging into a yet more fearful depth of crime, on
finding that his own mother, by virtue of the will of Hyrcanus, claimed
a right to the sovereignty of Judea, Aristobulus overpowered her, threw
her into confinement, and suffered her there to perish of hunger!
The reign of this monster was but brief. Grievous remorse imbittered
and probably shortened his life. He died in a state of extreme anguish
of mind, having reigned over Judea for but one year, 105 B.C.
As soon as Aristobulus was dead, his queen restored his three
imprisoned brothers to freedom; the eldest of whom, Alexander Janneus,
ascended the vacant throne. But the warning given by the miserable
death of Aristobulus did not deter Alexander from following in his
steps, and dyeing his hand in the blood of a brother. Nor did his
barbarous cruelty end here.
King Alexander, entering into the temple, to officiate as high priest
in the feast of tabernacles, was rudely insulted by the people, to whom
he was personally odious. Disregarding the sanctity of the place, or
the solemnity of the occasion, the mob pelted the royal pontiff with
citrons; called him slave, and other opprobrious names; and wound up
his fury to such a pitch, that he fell on the crowds with his soldiery,
and six thousand lives were sacrificed to the revenge of the insulted
king. This was the commencement of a civil war, in which fifty thousand
persons are said to have perished.
The concluding and most horrible event of the war was Alexander’s
triumph over the town of Bethone. Eight hundred of its unfortunate
defenders were carried by the king to Jerusalem, and there crucified by
his command. Their wives and children were killed before their eyes as
they hung in their dying torments, while the tyrant and his wives sat
feasting and enjoying the horrors of the scene.
This most unworthy king of Judea died in camp of a quartan ague, 79 B.C.
Alexandra, the queen, a woman of prudence, assumed the reigns of
government on the death of her husband, and Judea was for about nine
years wisely ruled by a woman. Alexandra made her eldest son, Hyrcanus,
high priest at Jerusalem, he being at that time thirty-three years of
age. Hyrcanus was a man of quiet temper and indolent habits, unfitted
to make a struggle for his rights; and on the death of the queen,
Aristobulus, his younger brother, wrested from him both the high
priesthood and the kingdom, 70 B.C.
But Aristobulus wore not the crown in peace. Great disturbances arose
in Judea, having their origin in the ambition of Antipater, an Idumean
by birth, but professing the Jewish religion. Having been brought up in
the court of Alexander Janneus, and that of Alexandra his successor,
Antipater hoped through his favour with Hyrcanus, whom he naturally
regarded as their heir, to rise into importance in the state. These
hopes were disappointed by the dethronement of Hyrcanus. Henceforth the
anxious efforts of the Idumean were directed to rousing the dethroned
prince to make a vigorous struggle to regain his lost throne.
Hyrcanus was neither active nor ambitious—he valued his own ease above
the title of King of Judea; but at length being persuaded by Antipater
that his life was in danger from his brother—that he had no choice
but to reign or to perish—Hyrcanus engaged in the contest for power.
The generality of the people declared for Hyrcanus, while many of the
priesthood clung to the usurper, and a battle took place in which the
forces of Aristobulus were defeated.
An event occurred at this time which shows how far the Jewish people
had fallen from the piety of their ancestors, how the crimes of their
wicked rulers were emulated by those below them.
There was at Jerusalem a man named Onias, so noted for his sanctity
of life, that it was believed by his countrymen that to his fervent
prayers rain had been granted in a season of drought. Concluding that
the saint’s maledictions must equally prevail with his prayers, the
superstitious followers of Hyrcanus brought Onias forth, and urged him
to curse Aristobulus and his friends, who were then besieged in the
temple. Long the saint refused to listen to such evil entreaties; but
at length, to quiet the importunity of the people, he stood up in the
midst of them, and lifting up his hands towards heaven, the good man
uttered this prayer:—“O Lord God, Ruler of the universe! since those
that are with us are Thy people, and they that are besieged in the
temple are Thy priests, I pray that Thou wouldst hear the prayers of
neither of them against the other!”
Instead of being touched by the patriot’s prayer, the furious people
were so much enraged, that, snatching up stones, they hurled them
against the saint. Onias was actually stoned to death because he would
not defile with curses the lips so often employed in prayer, nor invoke
the Almighty’s vengeance upon the misguided people whom he yet regarded
as his brethren.
The contest which raged in Judea produced that which is the frequent
result of such intestine struggles—a third party being called in as
umpire, and that umpire taking advantage of the dissensions of the
rivals to establish his own power over both. Such an umpire was found
by the Asmonean brothers in the ambitious republic of Rome. The dispute
between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus was referred to the decision of
Pompey, a celebrated Roman general. Both the princes stooped to appear
in person to plead their respective causes before a stranger and a
heathen.
[Illustration: POMPEY.]
Various intrigues and negotiations followed Aristobulus, perceiving at
last that the decision of Pompey was not likely to be in his favour,
abruptly withdrew to make preparations for war. His conduct towards the
Roman general was marked by mingled deference and distrust. Fearful of
offending one who would be so powerful either as an ally or a foe, he
endeavoured by every means to induce Pompey to recognize his title to
the crown.
The blessing of Heaven did not rest upon the efforts of this ambitious
prince. Pompey thought himself mocked and deceived, and before the year
was concluded he had put Aristobulus in fetters, and had laid siege to
Jerusalem.
Ill fares the city that is divided in itself! Hyrcanus and many of the
Jews, allowing the spirit of patriotism to be lost in the spirit of
party, supplied the foreign foe with every necessary for carrying on
the siege. For three months the city held out, when, a breach being
made large enough for an assault, the fierce soldiery rushed within
even the wall which protected the temple. A savage massacre of the
defenders followed, and none acted more cruelly herein than the Jews
of the opposite faction. In this terrible scene of destruction, the
priests, who were in the temple at the time when it was carried by
storm, went on with the daily service, without being deterred by the
horror of seeing their friends fall around them, or the fear of sharing
their fate. Many of these heroic priests were slain by the enemy’s
sword, and their blood mingled with that of the sacrifices which they
were offering on the altar of God, 63 B.C.
Pompey entered the temple as a conqueror; and not contenting himself
with viewing the splendour of the outer courts, he violated the
feelings of all pious Jews by intruding into the Holy of holies. The
sound of the heathen victor’s tread echoed in that sacred place into
which the high priest alone had been privileged to enter, but had it
not been as much profaned when an Aristobulus or an Alexander presumed
there to worship a holy God, while they were stained with the guilt of
a brother’s murder?
Hyrcanus was restored to the office of high priest, he was also made
prince of Judea; but the dignity of the title was lost with the
independence of his unhappy country. Judea was no longer free—she was
under tribute to the Roman conquerors—she now bowed to the yoke of that
nation which was at length to crush her even to the dust.
[Illustration: ROMAN TRIUMPH.]
Aristobulus was carried to Rome, where, with his two sons, he was
compelled to grace the triumph of Pompey. Bitter must have been the
humiliation of the ambitious Asmonean prince when following the
triumphal chariot of his heathen conqueror through streets thronged
with eager multitudes! In vain might he long that the earth would open
before him to hide his disgrace from the curious gaze of unpitying
eyes! _They who exalt themselves shall be abased._ Aristobulus long
remained a prisoner in Rome; and when at length political changes in
that city seemed to open to him a path to freedom and to power, his
ambitious career was suddenly closed by poison, administered to him as
he was returning to his country, 49 B.C.
Hyrcanus bore the name of ruler in Jerusalem, but the real power lay in
the hands of the ambitious Antipater, the Idumean, who enjoyed great
favour with the Romans. Phasael, his eldest son, was made governor of
Jerusalem; Herod, his second son, governor of Galilee. The latter,
who afterwards sat on the throne of Judea under the title of Herod
the Great, was a man of singular energy and courage, as well as of
political talent. He strengthened his influence with the Jews by
marrying Mariamne, the beautiful grand-daughter of Hyrcanus, and thus
allying himself to the royal family of the Asmoneans.
In the year 40 B.C., Antigonus, son of Aristobulus, assisted by the
Parthians, made a desperate effort to win the regal power, in aspiring
to which his father had lost first his freedom and then his life.
Antipater the Idumean was dead—he also had perished by poison; and
his son Herod was absent from Judea, when the Parthians marched upon
Jerusalem, plundered the country round, seized upon the city, and made
Antigonus king. Hyrcanus and Phasael were delivered up in chains to the
mercy of the conqueror. Phasael, knowing his death to be determined
upon, in desperation dashed out his own brains against the walls of his
dungeon. Antigonus spared the life of Hyrcanus, his dethroned uncle;
but cut off his ears, that he might be for ever disqualified from being
high priest, as no one with a member imperfect was capable of holding
the office.
Herod, hearing of the dethronement of Hyrcanus and the death of his
own brother Phasael, hastened to Rome, to seek there for help from
his powerful allies. Aided by them, he brought a large force into the
field, and besieged the new king in Jerusalem, 38 B.C. It was not till
the next year that the city was taken, as it was desperately defended
by the Jews. At length the Romans entered on every side, and filled all
the streets with blood and slaughter, till Herod himself interceded for
the people, exclaiming that the Romans would make him king only of a
desert.
Antigonus, seeing that all was lost, surrendered himself to the enemy.
Herod did not consider himself secure in the kingdom which was bestowed
upon him by his Roman allies, as long as one prince of the blood-royal
remained alive on the earth. With great difficulty he obtained from
the Roman general a decree condemning Antigonus to death. The sentence
was executed on the unhappy prince; and beneath the axe of the lictor
perished the last king of the male line of the Asmonean race. We have
now followed the thread of the history of that race from its first
glorious commencement to the period when, stained as it was with blood,
and darkened with crime, we trace by it only the miseries and wrongs of
unfortunate princes in the realm once ruled by their fathers. We behold
in that history the end of ambition. The descendants of the noble
Mattathias were great until they aspired to be greater, and glorious
until they ceased to seek God’s glory rather than their own.
CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS.
107-38 B.C.
B.C.
Cataline’s conspiracy at Rome 66
Cæsar’s invasion of Britain 55
Battle of Pharsalia 48
Death of Cæsar 44