In 66 BCE
Pompey, an ambitious and outstanding military leader, set out for the
eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. The unending feuds between the
later Seleucid princes had allowed for anarchy to reign in many of
their lands. The Hasmoneans had made incursions upon the Seleucid
empire until their frontier reached the former borders of the kingdoms
of David and Solomon. The Nabateans, whose capital was at Petra, had
extended their control as far north as Damascus. They controlled the
lucrative spice and perfume trade between Arabia and the Mediterranean
ports.
In 64 BCE,
at the height of the civil war between John~Hyrcanus II and
Judas~Aristobulus II both appealed to Pompey who decided in favor or
Hyrcanus II. Aristobulus II then withdrew his claim but the leaders of
Jerusalem refused to submit to the Romans. In response, Pompey detoured
from his Nabatean campaign to conquer the capital. This ended Pompey’s
conquests in the East.
Pompey then
occupied himself with the political settlement of the Near East. He
ended Seleucid reign in Syria. In Judea Pompey, with the help of
Gabinius (proconsul of Syria 57-55 BCE) redivided the land along
demographic rather than geographic lines by freeing and rebuilding the
Hellenistic cities conquered by the Hasmoneans. The lands now
controlled by Hyrcanus II were limited to the Galilee and Judea/Idumea,
lands whose populations were mostly Jewish.
In the
civil war between Pompey and, Julius Caesar, Caesar emerged the victor.
Caesar named Hyrcanus II Ethnarch of Judea and Antipater, father of
Herod the Great, was the administrator of the state.
THE RISE OF HEROD THE GREAT
In 47 BCE,
Antipater named Phasael, his eldest son, governor of Judea, and Herod,
his second son, governor of Galilee. Four years later, Caesar made
Herod Governor of Coele-Syria and Samaria, and two years later, Antony
made the brothers Tetrarchs, essentially reuniting the Land under a
single government.
In 40 BCE
the Parthians invaded Syria and were joined by members of the Hasmonean
family and their supporters. Jerusalem rebelled against Phasael and
opened her gates to the Parthian forces. Herod fled south, with his
family, to Tekoa (where he later built Herodion), and from there to
Massada. Leaving his family at Massada, Herod continued southeast to
the Arab king in Transjordan; thence to Alexandria in Egypt, and on to
Rome. The Parthians, meanwhile, returned to their own land.
In Rome,
Herod was received with honors. Mark Antony used his influence in the
Senate, and the Senate appointed Herod King of the Jews, and added the
lands of western Idumea and of Samaria to his kingdom.
Herod then
returned to Judea, to take control of his kingdom. This campaign took
three years and culminated in the conquest of Jerusalem in the summer
of 37 BCE. On the political front, leaving preparations for the siege
of the capital, Herod traveled to Samaria and married Mariamme, the
Hasmonean princess.