Hasmonean dynasty

Quick Facts: Who was Hasmonean dynasty?

Subject:

Hasmonean dynasty

Known for:

Jewish ruling dynasty of Judea during the Hellenistic period, c. 141–37 BC.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Hasmonean dynasty (; Hebrew: חַשְׁמוֹנָאִים Ḥašmōnāʾīm; Greek: Ασμοναϊκή δυναστεία) was the Jewish ruling dynasty of Judea during the Hellenistic times of the Second Temple period (part of classical antiquity), from c. 141 BC to 37 BC. Hasmonean rulers took the Greek title basileus ("king") and the kingdom attained regional power status for several decades. Between c. 141 and c. 116 BC the dynasty ruled Judea semi-autonomously within the Seleucid Empire, and from roughly 110 BC, with the empire disintegrating, gained further autonomy and expanded into the neighboring regions of Perea, Samaria, Idumea, Galilee, and Iturea. Forces of the Roman Republic intervened in the Hasmonean Civil War in 63 BC, turning the kingdom into a client state and marking an irreversible decline of Hasmonean power; Herod the Great displaced the last reigning Hasmonean client-ruler in 37 BC. Simon Thassi established the dynasty in 141 BC, two decades after his brother Judah Maccabee (יהודה המכבי Yehudah HaMakabi) had defeated the Seleucid army during the Maccabean Revolt of 167 to 160 BC.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

According to 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, and the first book of The Jewish War by historian Josephus (37 – c. 100 AD), the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (r. 175–164) moved to assert strict control over the Seleucid satrapy of Coele Syria and Phoenicia after his successful invasion of the Ptolemaic Egyptian Kingdom (170–168 BC) was turned back by the intervention of the Roman Republic. He sacked Jerusalem and its Temple, suppressing Jewish and Samaritan religious and cultural observances, and imposed Hellenistic practices (c. 168–167 BC). The steady collapse of the Seleucid Empire under attacks from the rising powers of the Roman Republic and the Parthian Empire allowed Judea to regain some autonomy; however, in 63 BC, the kingdom was invaded by the Roman Republic, broken up and set up as a Roman client state. Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II, Simon's great-grandsons, became pawns in a proxy war between Julius Caesar and Pompey.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The deaths of Pompey (48 BC) and Caesar (44 BC), and the related Roman civil wars, temporarily relaxed Rome's grip on the Hasmonean kingdom, allowing a brief reassertion of autonomy backed by the Parthian Empire, rapidly crushed by the Romans under Mark Antony and Augustus. The Hasmonean dynasty survived for 103 years before yielding to the Herodian dynasty in 37 BC. The installation of Herod the Great (an Idumean) as king in 37 BC made Judea a Roman client state and marked the end of the Hasmonean dynasty. Even then, Herod tried to bolster the legitimacy of his reign by marrying a Hasmonean princess, Mariamne I, and planning to drown the last male Hasmonean heir at his Jericho palace. In 6 AD, Rome joined Judea proper, Samaria and Idumea into the Roman province of Judaea.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Hasmonean dynasty

True or False: “The Hasmonean dynasty's initial rise to prominence was directly linked to the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus IV Epiphanes.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): Mattathias sparked the revolt in 170–167 BC, which preceded Simon Thassi establishing the dynasty in 141 BC.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Hassan al-Banna — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, a major global Islamist movement in Egypt.
• Hassan Gouled Aptidon — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: First President of Djibouti, leading the nation through its struggle for independence.
• Hassan-i Sabbah — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Founder of the Nizari Ismaili movement, known as Hasan I of Alamut.
• Hassan II — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: King of Morocco, ruling from 1961 until his death in 1999.
• Hassan Nasrallah — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Lebanese Shia cleric and militant leader of Hezbollah for over three decades.
• Hassan Rouhani — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Iranian politician who served as President of Iran from 2013 to 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hasmonean dynasty