A History of The Hasmonean State: Josephus and Beyond

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Kenneth Atkinson tells the exciting story of the nine decades of the Hasmonean rule of Judea (152 - 63 BCE) by going beyond the accounts of the Hasmoneans in Josephus in order to bring together new evidence to reconstruct how the Hasmonean family transformed their kingdom into a state that lasted until the arrival of the Romans. Atkinson reconstructs the relationships between the Hasmonean state and the rulers of the Seleucid and the Ptolemaic Empires, the Itureans, the Nabateans, the Parthians, the Armenians, the Cappadocians, and the Roman Republic. He draws on a variety of previously unused sources, including papyrological documentation, inscriptions, archaeological evidence, numismatics, Dead Sea Scrolls, pseudepigrapha, and textual sources from the Hellenistic to the Byzantine periods. Atkinson also explores how Josephus’s political and social situation in Flavian Rome affected his accounts of the Hasmoneans and why any study of the Hasmonean state must go beyond Josephus to gain a full appreciation of this unique historical period that shaped Second Temple Judaism, and created the conditions for the rise of the Herodian dynasty and the emergence of Christianity. No extract of this content is available for preview Cover HalfTitle Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Chapter 1 Introduction Preceding Studies Josephus the Historian and His Works Josephus and His Methods of Writing History Chapter 2 The Creation of the Hasmonean State The Hasmonean Family: Their Background The Hasmonean Revolt against the Seleucids The Creation of the Hasmonean State Simon’s Military Conquests and the Early Expansion of the Hasmonean State Chapter 3 John Hyrcanus: His Role During Simon’s Reign and his Consolidation of Political and Secular Powers His Family Background Hyrcanus as High Priest and Political Ruler Problems and Sources for Reconstructing the Reign of Hyrcanus The Siege of Dok The Siege of Jerusalem by Antiochus VII Sidetes Diplomatic Relations between the Roman Republic and the Hasmonean State The Parthian Campaign of Antiochus VII Sidetes Chronological Inconsistencies in the Writings of Josephus The Samaritans Conclusion Chapter 4 Judah Aristobulus: The Creation of the Hasmonean Monarchy His Family and His Royal Title The Succession Process The Wife of Aristobulus: Salina or Salome/Shelamzion? Aristobulus and the Itureans The Physical Decline of Aristobulus The Death of Aristobulus Chapter 5 Alexander Jannaeus: A Period of conquest and expansion Alexander Jannaeus in the Works of Josephus The Name and Title of Jannaeus: Texts and Numismatics The Beginning of His Reign The Succession of Jannaeus The Siege of Ptolemais The War of Scepters Reaches Judea Jannaeus’s Wars of Expansion: Chronological Problems The Siege of Gaza Chronological Problems with the Transjordan Campaign of Jannaeus Internal Opposition to Jannaeus The Invasion of Demetrius III The Invasion of Antiochus XII Dionysus Further Victories in the Transjordan The Final Years of Alexander Jannaeus Chapter 6 Shelamzion Alexandra: A Hasmonean Golden Age Her Name and Family Background Alexandra and the Rise of the Pharisees Alexandra’s Preparation for the Monarchy Political and Religious Strife during the Reign of Alexandra The Damascus Campaign of Alexandra Lucullus and Tigranes: The Impact of their Fighting for Understanding the Reign of Alexandra The Final Days of Alexandra Chapter 7 Pompey and the Hasmoneans: Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II, and the End of the Hasmonean State The Brief Reign of Hyrcanus II The Arrival of the Romans The 63 B.C.E. Roman Siege of Jerusalem Chapter 8 After the Roman Conquest Judea after the Departure of Pompey The Final Hasmonean Revolt against Roman Rule and the Roman Civil Wars Chapter 9 Conclusion: Josephus, Rome, and the Hasmonean History Stasis in Josephus’s Books: Their Impact on His Accounts of the Hasmonean State Personalities and Roman Supremacy in Josephus’s Books Roman Doubts Concerning Jewish Loyalty: The Parthians and the Hasmoneans The Accuracy of Josephus’s Accounts of the Hasmonean State The Hasmonean State and the Seleucid Empire Conclusion Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors