the revolt, under the command of Ptolemy, Nicanor, and Gorgias; but it was routed near Emmaus, 165 b.c. Timotheus and Bacchides were soon after conquered; and Nicanor fled disgracefully to Antioch. Lysias then went himself at the head of a large army and was overthrown at Bethsura, 165 b.c.; though his army consisted of sixty thousand men, while Judas had only ten thousand. Judas and his brothers were now able to enter Jerusalem, where one of their first acts was to purify the temple and restore it to its former glory. Thus the festival of purification was instituted, 163 b.c. Meantime Lysias, having collected another army, marched against Judas and besieged Bethsura; but Judas fell upon them by night unawares, slew four thousand, and withdrew. Superior numbers forced him to shut himself up in Jerusalem, and put it in a state of defence. The Jews were now reduced to distress, and must ultimately have surrendered, had not a treaty been concluded between him and Lysias; when the Syrian general withdrew his forces from before the place. After Demetrius, the rightful heir to the throne of Syria, had escaped from Rome, and murdered both Lysias and the young king Antiochus, he proclaimed Alcimus high-priest. Judas would not allow his claims, because of his being appointed by the Syrians. Hence hostilities began afresh. Judas twice defeated Nicanor, Demetrius' general; the second time at Bethhoron, where Nicanor himself fell. On this he sent an embassy to Rome to establish an alliance with the republic; and the senate granted his request. Before the result was known he was slain. Having retired to Laish with three thousand followers, he was attacked with overwhelming numbers by Bacchides the Syrian leader; and as only eight hundred remained faithful to his cause, he fell in battle, nobly sacrificing his life to his country's welfare, 160 b.c. The command now devolved on Jonathan, the youngest of the brothers.
Jonathan, finding it necessary to act on the defensive, took up a strong position in the vicinity of Tekoah, whence he carried on a harassing warfare. Here he evaded the first attack of Bacchides. Jonathan successfully withstood the Syrians, but his brother John fell in battle. The state of affairs in Syria soon obliged Demetrius to come to terms with Jonathan, whom he offered to make general of his forces in Judea; promising also to release the Jewish hostages retained in the citadel of Jerusalem. But Alexander Balas, a pretender to the crown of Syria, exceeded Demetrius in the liberality of his offers; for he appointed Jonathan high-priest, and sent him a golden crown and purple robe. Jonathan espoused the cause of the latter. After the decisive victory gained by Alexander over Demetrius in the year 150 b.c., Jonathan was highly honoured by the conqueror and made military commandant of Judea. Having defeated Apollonius the governor of Cœlesyria, who had joined the party disaffected to Balas, Jonathan took possession of Joppa, subdued Ashdod and burned it, was triumphantly received in Askelon, and returned to Jerusalem laden with spoils. On this Balas bestowed Ekron upon him. After Balas' death, Jonathan occupied an influential position during the struggles for the Syrian throne between Demetrius Nicator and Antiochus VI., son of Balas. At first he assisted Nicator by sending three thousand well-armed Jews to Antioch, who quelled the rebellion there; but having good cause to be dissatisfied with him, he accepted the liberal proposals of Antiochus, and subdued the whole country as far as Damascus to the new sovereign. Demetrius invading Galilee, suffered a defeat; and not long after ventured on another campaign against the Jews, but hastily retreated on the eve of battle. Returning from the pursuit, Jonathan subdued the Arabians and took Damascus. Meanwhile Simon had conquered Joppa and garrisoned it. But Trypho, who had been the chief instrument in elevating Antiochus to the throne, now determined to claim it for himself; entered Palestine with an army; deceived Jonathan, who was the chief obstacle to his ambitious purpose, with assurances of friendship; decoyed him into Ptolemais with a few followers, put him in chains, and massacred the men, 144 b.c. In the following year the Maccabean prince was put to death.
Simon now became leader of the Jews in place of Jonathan. An embassy was sent to Seleucia, where Demetrius was, to make peace with him; for Trypho had deeply injured the Jews. That prince granted all the demands of the ambassadors, acknowledged Simon as high priest and prince of the Jews, and relinquished all his claims on them for tribute or tax. Simon now improved the state of the country, repaired the military works, and formed a harbour at Joppa. In 142 b.c. he conquered Gaza, and compelled the Syrian garrison in the fortress at Jerusalem to surrender. The Jews now enjoyed a time of rest and renewed their alliance with the Romans. In the year 137 b.c., Antiochus VII., brother and successor of Demetrius Nicator, reluctant to lose Judea, sent an army under his general Cendebeus, which made incursions into the Jewish territories. The aged Simon sent his sons John Hyrcanus and Judas, who expelled them from the country. In 135 b.c. Simon came to Jericho, where his son-in-law Ptolemy was governor, who invited him into his castle, and at a feast treacherously murdered him, along with his two sons Mattathias and Judas. He had governed Judea eight years. John Hyrcanus, having narrowly escaped assassination at Gazara, hastened to Jerusalem, and was acknowledged as the successor of his father.
John Hyrcanus I.—After the death of Simon and his sons, Antiochus entered Judea with an army, wasted the country, and besieged Jerusalem. During a short armistice, John Hyrcanus sent an embassy with proposals of peace, which was granted on condition of the fortifications being demolished and the payment of an annual tribute, 133 b.c. In 131 he accompanied Antiochus in a campaign against the Parthians; but at the approach of winter led back his troops to Judea, and so escaped the destruction that befel the Syrians. As soon as he heard of Antiochus' death he took the field, conquered several cities of Syria, and made himself independent. About 129 b.c. he subdued Shechem and destroyed the Samaritan temple. At the same time he sent an embassy to Rome to complain of the aggressions of Antiochus and Demetrius. The Roman senate renewed the alliance already concluded with Simon. After the defeat and death of Demetrius, Alexander Zebina, pretender to the Syrian throne, entered into an alliance with John Hyrcanus. About 110 b.c., finding it a favourable time to extend his territories, John sent his two sons to besiege Samaria; and though Antiochus Cyzicenus came with an army to its relief, the latter was repulsed and the siege continued. At last Samaria was taken, its fortifications demolished, and the city desolated, 109 b.c. It does not appear that Hyrcanus engaged in any military operation after this event. The remainder of his years was spent in peace and prosperity. Some disturbances indeed arose, causing him and his family much embarrassment; but they were not of a very serious nature. Hyrcanus belonged at first to the sect of the Pharisees; but afterwards he renounced all connection with them. He died 106 b.c., and was succeeded by the eldest of his five sons, Aristobulus.
Aristobulus I., King.—The principality having been left to his mother, Aristobulus may be called a usurper. As the rightful heir refused to relinquish her claims she was imprisoned, and died of hunger. The three youngest brothers were also shut up in prison. Having thus secured the government and high priesthood, Aristobulus assumed the diadem and royal title. He was the first that bore the name of king. Taking advantage of the disturbances in Syria raised by two brothers, he endeavoured to extend his dominions, and subdued Iturea; the inhabitants submitting to the rite of circumcision and becoming incorporated with the Jewish nation. Antigonus, brother of Aristobulus, was left to complete the subjugation of the country and the proper settlement of its affairs, owing to the illness of the king, who returned to Jerusalem. When Antigonus came back and entered the temple in complete armour with his body-guard, it was whispered into Aristobulus' ears that his brother had designs on his life. A summons was accordingly sent to him to appear before the king unarmed; and a party were stationed in the dark passage through which he had to pass from the temple to the royal tower, with orders to kill him if he was armed. But the messenger was bribed to violate his instructions; so that Antigonus going in full armour was assassinated. This was a severe blow to the sick king, whose mind was ill at ease after the untimely death of his mother. He died after a year's reign.
Alexander Janneus succeeded his brother Aristobulus, 104 b.c. His next oldest brother, who laid claim to the crown, was put to death. In the divided state of Syria he conceived the design of subduing Ptolemais, Gaza, and Doria. The citizens of Ptolemais applied for aid to Ptolemy Lathyrus, king of Cyprus; who on his arrival was denied entrance, and therefore turned towards Gaza and Doria, making himself master of the former place. Alexander was defeated in a decisive battle at the Jordan; and Lathyrus ravaged the territory, committing the
