Judaea under Hasmonaean Rule

Hasmonean or Hasmonaean name originated from Maccabee family ancestor Hasmoneus or Hasmon or Asamonaios.
Mattathias Maccabeus, a jewish priest from the town of Modein near Jerusalem rebelled against the decree by Seleucid king of Judaea  Antiochus IV Epiphanes imposing the Greek religion on the Jews. Judas Maccabeus, son of Mattathias overthrew the Seleucid armies and became High priest and ruler of Judaea. After his death in 160 BCE, his brother Jonathan succeeded him. He was killed in 142 BCE and Simon his younger brother succeeded him. Antiochus VII granted the Hasmonean high priest Simon Maccabeus the right to mint coinage. Jewish symbols were used on these coins. These were copper coins. Simon was assassinated in 134 BCE. John Hyrcanus I, son of Simon succeeded him as the high priest and ruler of Judaea.

John Hyrcanus I

Bronze Prutah issued during the reign of John Hyrcanus I, c.175-104 BCE.
 High priest and ruler of the Jewish nation from 134 -104 BCE.
 Obverse: Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews inside the wreath written in Hebrew.
Reverse: Pomegranate between two cornucopia.
 
 

 Aristobulus I
( Judas Aristobulus )
Judas Aristobulus is first hellenized king of Judaea and first to take the title of King or Basileus. He is son of Hyrcanus I. He seized the throne from his mother and killed his siblings. Historian Josephus wrote that Aristobulus conquered the Ituraeans of Lebanon and forcibly converted them to Judaism.


Bronze Prutah issued during the reign of Aristobulus I also called Judas Aristobulus
 High priest and ruler of the Jewish nation from 104 - 103 BCE.
 Obverse: Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews inside the wreath written in Hebrew.
Reverse: Pomegranate between two cornucopia.
 
 

Alexander Jannaeus

Alexander Jannaeus103-76 BCE  was the first of the Hasmonean  high priest denote himself as king on his coins. Coins were struck with his name and title in Greek and Hebrew.


Bronze prutah
Obverse : Anchor with a Greek legend KING ALEXANDER
Reverse : Diadem with eight-rayed star YEHONATAN THE KING between the rays of the star in Hebrew.

Bronze Prutah.
Obverse : Lily with a legend Yehonatan the King in Hebrew.
Reverse : An anchor within a circle and inscription King Alexander in Greek.


Bronze Prutah.
Obverse : Lily with a legend Yehonatan the King in Hebrew.
Reverse : An anchor within a circle and inscription King Alexander in Greek.
 

John Hyrcanus II

John Hyrcanus II was the last of high priest and Hasmonean dynastic rulers of Judaea from 76 to 40 BCE. He was was appointed high priest after his father Alexander Jannaeus died in 76 BCE. Hyrcanus  II became the ruler of Judaea after his mother's death in 67 BCE. Aristobulus II brother of John usurped power in 67 BCE. They fought a bitter war and asked Pompey the Great to help. Pompey helped John Hyrcanus II to regain his kingdom. He lost power again to Aulus Gabinius, a military commander and restored to it by Julius Caesar. Mark Antony appointed Herod and Phasael as rulers of Judaea in 42 BCE. In 40 BCE, his nephew Mattathias Antigonus with the help of Partian invaders disfigured him by cutting off his ears thus disqualifying him to be High priest. He was exiled to Babylon. He later returned to Jerusalem in 36 BCE with the permission of by then King Herod.  In 30 BCE, King Herod executed him to avoid any future power struggle with him.
 
 

Aristobulus II

Aristobulus II usurped power in 67 BCE from his brother John Hyrcanus II but did not prevail long. Pompey the Great helped John Hyrcanus II to regain his kingdom in 64 BCE. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain power in 56, Aristobulus was sent to Rome as a prisoner and remained there until his death in 49 BCE.


 

Mattathias Antigonus

Mattathias Antigonus ruled part of Judaea between 40-37 B.C.E. Mattathias Antigonos was son of Aristobulus II, nephew of John Hyrcanus II and great-great-grandnephew of Judah Maccabee. Parthian king Orodes II  invaded Jerusalem and help Mattathias Antigonos win the position of High Priest. Rome backed Herod as king of the Jews and aided him in a war against Mattathias. In 37 BCE.  Mattathias was defeated and the Hasmonaean Dynasty came to an end. Antigonus was deposed and executed by the Romans under Mark Antony.  He was the last of the Maccabees and introduced the seven-branched candlestick on the coins.
 
 


 

Bronze Prutah of  Mattathias Antigonus 40-37 BCE
Obverse: Double cornucopia with a Hebrew legend around.
Reverse: Ivy wreath with a Greek legend

Bronze Prutah of Mattathias Antigonus,40-37BCE
Obverse: Double cornucopia with Hebrew legend  Mattataya the high priest and coincil of the Jews.
Reverse: Ivy wreath with ribbons with Greek legend King Antigonus.



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