Hircanus (III)

III. HIRCANUS, eldest son of Alexander Janneus King of the Jews, and brother to Aristobulus, of the Asmonæan race. After the death of Alexander Janneus, his wife In the Year of the World 3926, before J.C. 74, before the Vulgar Æra 78.Alexandra, or Salome, got possession of the Regency, which she enjoyed nine years, gave the High-Priesthood to Hircanus, and left Aristobulus, without imployment. As soon as she was dead¹, Aristobulus got together some troops, and made himself master of the principal forts in Antiq. l. 13. c. ult.the country; so that he wanted nothing, as we may say, but the Royal Ornaments and Name of King. Notwithstanding, Hircanus continued three years, or, as Josephus somewhere says, three months, in possession of the regal Power.b After a battle which was fought near Jericho between the forces of Hircanus and Aristobulus, wherein those of Hircanus were defeated, the latter retired to the Cittadel of Jerusalem, and they who were of his party into the Temple; but Aristobulus entring Jerusalem, soon made himself master of the Temple, and a Treaty of peace was set on foot between the two brothers. It was agreed, that Aristobulus should enjoy the honours of the Crown and High-Priesthood, and that Hircanus should continue a private person, with the peaceable enjoyment of his fortune.

But this peace was of no long duration; Antipater, Hircanus’s friend, never ceased solliciting him, to secure himself from the snares, which Aristobulus was laying for him, till he had determined him to put himself under the protection of the Arabian King. Some time after, he returned to Jerusalem, Æra 65.and taking Hircanus with him, carried him to Aretas King of Arabia, then at Petra. Antipater afterwards was often pressing Aretas to resettle Hircanus upon the throne of Judæa. To this end he made use of presents, prayers, and promises; and Aretas at last resolved to espouse his cause, and declare war against Aristobulus. A battle was fought, wherein Aristobulus was overcome, and forced to fly for safety to Jerusalem, and afterwards to secure himself in the Temple, where he was besieged by Hircanus and the Arabian army.

In the mean time Scaurus, Commander of the Roman army, came to Damascus, and having received Embassies both from Hircanus and Aristobulus, who desired his assistance, and offered him large sums of money; he embraced the party of Aristobulus, who proposed to give him four hundred talents, rather than that of Hircanus, who made less offers to him, and wrote both to Hircanus and Aretas, threatning them with Pompey’s, and the Roman arms, if they did not without delay retire from Jerusalem. Aretas obeyed without making any difficulty of it, and Aristobulus having sallied upon the troops of Hircanus, killed about seven thousand of his men.

The next year, Pompey came himself to Damascus c, where he received Embassies from Aristobulus and Hircanus. Pompey commanded these two Princes to come in person, and give an account to him of their conduct. After he had heard them, he dismissed them, and told them, he would come himself into their country, and decide their difference. Accordingly he came thither soon after, and laid siege to Jerusalem, Hircanus supplying the Roman Antiq. l. 14. c. 8.troops with plenty of all necessaries. The siege lasted three months, and the City and Temple were taken upon the 20th of December, in the year of the World 3940, before Jesus Christ 60, before the Vulgar Æra 64. Pompey restored the High-Priesthood to Hircanus, and the Dignity of Prince of the Jews; but without allowing him to use the Diadem; and subjected the Jews to the payment of a tribute to the Romans.

After Julius Cæsar had reduced all Syria and Egypt to his obedience, he confirmed the High-Priesthood to Hircanus, together with the Government of his Nation, and declared him Ethnarch, and the Roman people’s In the year of the World 3957, before J. C. 43, before the Vulgar Æra 47.friend. (Antiq xiv. 17.) Thus Hircanus continued in the peaceable possession of these two Dignities, from the year of the World 3940, when he received them from Pompey, to the year of the World 3964, before Jesus Christ 36, before the Vulgar Æra 40, when he was taken prisoner by the Parthians, and carried to Babylon. But as Antiq. l. 14. c. 24, 25. & de Bello, l. 1. c. 11.he was naturally stupid and lazy, Antipater had the principal share in the government of Affairs, and left Hircanus, as we may say, the name only of Prince of the Jews. He engaged Hircanus to marry Mariamne the daughter of Alexandra, and grand-daughter of Hircanus, to his son Herod; and procured the Government or Intendancy of the two principal parts of Hircanus’s Dominions for his sons Herod and Phasaël; Galilee for Herod; Jerusalem and the territories adjacent for Phasaël. The Grandees among the Antiq. l. 14. c. 16, 17. & de Bello, l. 1. c. 8.Jews grew jealous of Antipater and his sons, and even accused Herod of having very much exceeded his power in some things, that he had done in Galilee. But Hircanus, who favoured Herod, advised him secretly In the year of the World 3958, before J. C. 42, before the Vulgar Æra 46. a Antiq. l. 14. c. 17. b In the year of the World 3964, before J. C. 36, before the Vulgar Æra 40. Antiq. l. 14. c. 24, 25.to fly in the night-time from Jerusalem, and return to his Government a. Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, having ingaged the Parthians, who were then in Syria b, by great promises, to come and restore his father to his throne; Pacorus, the King of Parthia’s son, went to Jerusalem; and having been received by Phasaël, Herod’s brother, as a Guest, persuaded him to come with Hircanus to Barzaphernes, who commanded the Parthian army, that they might bring things to an accommodation. But Barzaphernes ordered Hircanus and Phasaël to be seized; conducted Antigonus to Jerusalem, and put Hircanus and Phasaël into his hands. Antigonus fearing lest Hircanus might some time or other be restored by the interest of the people, to the High-Priesthood, ordered his ears to be cut Levit. xxi. 17,18, &c.off, that so for the future he might be rendred incapable of this Dignity: the Law of Moses excluding all such from it, as are any way maimed. After this he gave him up to the Parthians, who carried him in fetters beyond the Euphrates.

Antiq. l. 15. c. 2, 3.He continued there till the year of the World 3968, before Jesus Christ 32, before the Vulgar Æra 36. Herod was at that time King of the Jews; and this artificial Prince apprehending always some revolution, desired to have Hircanus in his power, to watch him, and prevent his giving him disturbance. Hircanus therefore sollicited thereto by Herod, and pressed by the natural inclination, which all men have to see their native country, procured permission from Phraates King of Persia, to return into Judæa. Herod at first loaded him with honours: but he had not been there long, before he saw that all the caresses of Herod were feigned.

In the year of the World 3974, before J. C. 26, before the Vulgar Æra 30.After the defeat of Antony, Alexandra, Mariamne’s mother, and the daughter of Hircanus, believed that Herod, who had always adhered to the interest of Antony, would feel the effects of Augustus’s resentment; she imagined it possible for Hircanus to be once more placed upon the throne of Judæa; she endeavoured to inspire him with these hopes, and sollicited him to ask of Malchus King of Arabia, that he would allow him a retreat at his court. Hircanus, who had no ambition, at first rejected these proposals; but at last overcome by the importunities of his daughter, he wrote to Malchus, desiring him to send a detachment of horse, which might conduct him as far as the lake Asphaltites, a frontier of Arabia, to secure him from the ill-will and treachery Antiq. l. 15. c. 9.of Herod.

Dositheus, who was charged with these letters, discovered the whole design of Hircanus to Herod. Herod desired Dositheus to carry the letters sealed to Malchus, and bring his answer. Malchus answered, that he would very willingly furnish him with horses and every thing necessary, and offered him a secure sanctuary in his dominions. As soon as Herod had received these letters, he sent for Hircanus, and asked him, what correspondence he carried on with Malchus? Hircanus would not own any; but Herod producing the letters, and convicting him, put him to death, in the year of the World 3974, before Jesus Christ 26, before the Vulgar Æra 30.

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