II. HIRCANUS, the son of Joseph, and grandson to Onias II. the High-Priest. Joseph his father was Receiver of the King of Egypt’s Revenues, and had many sons; but he principally loved Hircanus, because he found more wit and industry in him, than in his other children. Joseph had this son by his own niece: the matter, as it is reported by Josephus the Historian, is as follows. Joseph Antiq. l. 12. c. 4.going to Alexandria, upon affairs relating to his office of Receiver, was accompanied thither by his brother Solymius, who carried one of his daughters with him, whom he designed to marry at Alexandria, if he could find a suitable match for her among the Jews of that place. When they were arrived there, Joseph fell passionately in love with a young woman whom he saw dancing. He owned his weakness to his brother, and desired his assistance to procure this young girl for him, but to manage the matter so secretly, that he might not suffer in his reputation. Solymius promised him: but instead of the dancer, he put his own daughter into his brother’s bed, who having drunk a little, did not perceive that she was his niece. This intrigue lasted for some time, without Joseph’s making a discovery; his passion instead of diminishing, was every day still more inflamed. He confessed to his brother, that he was apprehensive he should not be able to get the better of himself in this particular, and his great uneasiness was, Exod. xxxiv. 16. Deut. vii. 3. 1 Kings xi. 2. Nehem. x. 30. and xiv. 25. Ezra ix. 10.that the Law would not allow him to marry this young woman, because she was a stranger; and that if the Law would permit it, the King would never consent to it.
Hereupon his brother discovered the whole affair to him, and told him, that the person whom he was so passionately fond of, was his own niece, that it was in his power to marry her when he pleased; that what he had done was to prevent his committing so scandalous a sin, as that of having such a commerce with a strange woman as was forbidden by the Law; that he had chosen rather to injure his own daughter, than expose him to this infamy. Joseph was extremely affected with his brother’s friendship, expressed his gratitude to him, and at the same time married his daughter, by whom the year following he had the Hircanus we are here speaking of.
Levit. xviii. 12, 13. xx. 19. Antiq. l. 12. c. 4. p. 404, & seq.The Law of Moses does indeed forbid the marriage of the aunt with her nephew, but not the uncle’s with his niece. The reason which the Jewish writers give for it, is, that the aunt with respect to the nephew being in the same line as the mother, has naturally the superiority over him, which natural superiority could not subsist in marriage, in which state the woman is a degree lower: wherefore the nephew’s marrying his aunt would in a manner overthrow the order of nature; but the marriage of the uncle with the niece is not liable to the same inconveniences; for each still continues in that rank of order with respect to one another, wherein nature had placed them.
In the year of the World 3795, before J. C. 205, before the Vulgar Æra 209.Joseph at a particular time sent Hircanus to the distance of seven days journey from his house, with three hundred yoke of oxen, and servants to sow a large piece of ground. But to make a trial of his son’s wit, he took away the traces, wherewith the oxen were fastened to the plow; so that when they were come to the place appointed, the plowmen finding no traces, would have sent immediately to their master for them; but Hircanus rejected this proposal, ordered ten pair of oxen to be killed, distributed the flesh of them among his labourers, and made use of the hides in preparing bands and traces for his plows. At his return, his father commended his wisdom, and was pleased with what he had done.
Some time after, Ptolemy Philopater King of Egypt, having had a son by his wife Eurydice, all the Governours of Provinces, and Receivers of the King’s Revenues, went to Alexandria, to make their complements and presents upon the birth of young Prince Ptolemy Epiphanes. Joseph sent his youngest son Hircanus thither, with Joseph. Antiq. l. 12. c. 4. p. 404, 405.letters directed to Arion his Agent at Alexandria, that he might furnish him with something wherewithal to make a present to the King and Queen. The other persons who had been sent with this commission, gave some more, some less: but none had offered any thing above the value of twenty talents. Hircanus designing to excel them all in liberality, compelled Arion to give him a thousand talents, with which he bought an hundred young lads, whom he presented to the King, and as many handsome young girls, whom he presented to the Queen.
His present was very well received; and when he proposed to go away, the King gave him letters of recommendation for his father and brothers, who being provoked with the excessive expence he had been at, at Alexandria, laid an ambush for him in the way; but he defended himself so well, that he killed two of his brothers, and dispersed those who had formed designs upon his life.
When he came to Jerusalem, and saw no one would receive him, he retired to the other side of Jordan, where he passed the remainder of his life in a very fine house, which he had built for himself in a place called Tyre, imploying himself in levying contributions upon the Arabians, compelling them to pay by force of arms, and making war upon them. Here he continued during the seven last years of Seleucus Philopater’s reign. But In the year of the World 3829, before J. C. 171, before the Vulgar Æra 175.when he saw that Antiochus Epiphanes had got possession of the kingdom, he was afraid lest this Prince should hunt him out, by reason of the mischief, which he had done the Arabians; he therefore killed himself, and Antiochus Epiphanes confiscated his fortune.
Antiq. l. 12. c. 15.This Hircanus is spoken of in the second 2 Macc. iii. 11.book of Maccabees, and is called Hircanus the son of Tobias; because in reality he was the grandson of Tobias, and Joseph’s own son. When Heliodorus proposed to carry off the treasures of the Temple by the order of King Seleucus, he was told, that the greatest part of the riches which were lodged there, were left in trust by Hircanus the son of Tobias, Receiver of the King’s Revenues.