prosperous period of national independence, and John Hyrcanus I. even succeeded in extending considerably the dominions of Judæa by his conquests. During this epoch the form of government was a theocracy, presided over by a high priest, who, at the same time, enjoyed political power, and ruled the country with the title of 'High Priest and Uniter of the Jews'; but from the reign of Aristobulus I. the Asmoneans assumed the title of king. The independence of the country was at length disturbed in 63 B.C. by the Romans, who, under Pompey, captured Jerusalem. The Asmonean Hyrcanus II. reigned after this date under Roman suzerainty.
The Idumaeans.—In 40 B.C. the Parthians plundered Syria and Palestine, and in the troubles of that period Herod the Idumaean, son of Antipater, the friend of Hyrcanus, rose to power by the support of the Romans. Herod, espousing throughout his career the Roman as against the national Jewish side, bribed Cassius and Antony in turn, succeeded in preserving his position under Augustus, and was recognized by the Jews as King in 40 B.C.
Herod was a great builder, and the brilliance of his reign earned him the title of the Great. Many of the Jews, however, resented deeply his encouragement of foreign civilization and art.
In the time of Herod, the Jewish territories were divided as follows: (1) Judæa, including Idumaea; (2) Samaria; (3) Galilee; (4) Peraea ('the country beyond'); (5) the tetrarchy of Philip.
The Hellenistic towns east of the Jordan (e.g. Philadelphia, Gerasa, Gadara, Pella), together with Scythopolis west of the Jordan, formed a more or less compact political unit under the name of the Decapolis.
Of the birth and ministry of Christ, and of the incidents of His earthly life, this Handbook is not the place to speak.
Herod the Great died in the year of the birth of Christ, i.e. 4 B.C. according to the accepted chronology as determined by Dionysius Exiguus in 525 A.D. The dominions of Herod were now divided. To Philip were given the
