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MAOHABUS

ing. Jonathan was confirmed in all his possessions and dignities, and Simon appointed commander of the seaboud. While giving valuable aid to Antiochus the two brothers took occasion to strengthen their own position. Tryphon fearing that Jonathan might inter- fere with his ambitious plans, treacherously invited him to Ptolemais and kept him a prisoner (I Mach., xi, 19-xii, 48).

Simon (143-136 b. c). — Simon was chosen to take the place of his captive brother/ and by his vigilance frustrated Tryphon's attempt to invade Judea. Try- phon in revenge killed Jonathan with his two sons whom Simon had sent as hostages on Tryphon's prom- ise to liberate Jonathan (I Mach., xiii, 1-23). Simon obtained from Demetrius II exemption from taxation and thereby established the independence of Judea. To secure communication with the port of Joppe, which he had occupied immediately upon his appoint- ment, he seized Gazara (the ancient Gazer or Gezer) and setUed it with Jews. He also finally drove the Syrian garrison out of the Acra. In recognition of his services the people decreed that the hign-pricsthood and the supreme command, civil and miiitajy, should be hereditary in his family. After five years of peace and prosperity under his wise rule Judea was threat- ened by Antiochus VII Sidetes, but his general Cende- beus was defeated at Modin by Judas and John, Simon's sons. A few months later Simon was mur- dered with two of his sons by his ambitious son-in-law Ptolemy (D. V. Ptolemee), and was buried at Modin with his parents and brothers, over whose tombs he had erected a magnificent monument (I Mach., xiii, 25-xvi, 17). After him the race quickly degenerated.

The Hasmoneans. — JohnHyrcanua {135-106 b. c). — Simon's third son John, suniamed Hyrcanus, who escaped the assassin's knife through timely warning, was recognized as high-priest and chief of the nation. In the first year of his rule Antiochus Sidetes Ix^ieged Jerusalem, and John was forced to capitulate though under rather favourable conditions. Renewed civil strife in Syria enabled John to enlarge his possessions by the conauest of Samaria, Idumea, and fiome terri- tory beyond the Jordan. By forcing the Idumeans to accept circumcision he unwittingly opened the way for Herod's accession to the throne. In his reign we first meet with the two parties of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Towards the end of his life John allied himself with the latter.

ArUtobulus I (106-104 b. c). — John left the civil power to his wife and the high-priesthood to his oldest son Aristobulus or Judas. But Aristobulus seized the reins of government and imprisoned his mother wiUi three of his brothers. The fourth brother, Anti^onus, he ordered to be kiUM, in a fit of jealousy instigated by a court cabal. He was the first to assume the title King of the Jews. His surname ^iXAXijir shows his Hellenistic proclivities.

Alexander JannoBus (104-78 b. c). — Aristobulus was succeeded by the oldest of his imprisoned broth- ers, Alexander Jannseus (Jonathan). Though gener- ally unfortunate in his wars, he managed to acquire new territory, including the coast towns except Asca- lon. His reign was marred by a bloody feud with the Pharisees.

The Last Machabees (78-37 b. c). — Alexander be- queathed the government to his wife Alexandra Sa- lome, and the high-priesthood to his son Hvrcanus II. She ruled in accordance with the wishes of the Phari- sees. At her death (69 b. c.) civil war broke out be- tween Hyrcanus II and his brother Aristobulus II. This brought on Roman interference and loss of inde- pendence (63 b. r.). Hyrcanus, whom the Romans recognized as ethnarch, was ruler only in name. Aris- tohulus wa.s poisoned in Rome by the adherents of i'ompey, and his son Alexander was l)cheaded at An- tioch by order of Pompey himself (49 b. c). Antigo- nus, the son of Aristobulus, was made king by tae

Parthians; but the next year he was defeated by Herod with the aid of the Romans, and beheaded at Antioch (37 B.C.). With him ended the rule of the Machabees. Herod successively murdered (a) Aristobulus III, the grandson of both Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II through the marriage of Alexander, the son of the former, with Alexandra, the daughter of the latter (35 B. c); (b) Hyrcanus II (30 b. c.) and his daughter Alexandra (28 b. c); (c) Marianme, the sister of Aris- tobulus III (29 B. c); and lastly his own two sons by Mariamne, Alexander and Aristobulus (7 b. c). In this manner the line of the Machabees became extinct.

JosBPHUA, Antxq., XII, v-XV, vii; XVI, iv. x, xi; ScbOrer, Hist. oftheJevcuhPeopU, I (New York, 1801). i, 186 eq.; GrAti, Hitl. of the Jews, I (Philadelphia, 1891), 435 sq.: II. i sol; ^tan- x^T, Lectures on the Hist, of the JewMi Church, III (London* 1876); DE Qavucy, Hist, des MachaMes (PariB. 1880); Derbn- BOURO, Hist, de la Palestine (Paria, 1867); Wbllhausen, Isradir Hsche undJudischeOeschichU (Berlin, 1894); ChjRTiss, The Name Machabees (Leipaig, 1876).

F. Bechtel.

Machabees, The Books of. — ^The title of four books, of which the first and second only are regarded by the Church as canonical; the third and fourth, as Protestants consider all four, are apocryphal. The first two have been so named because they treat of the history of the tebellion of the Machabees, the fourth because it speaks of the Machabee martyrs. The third, which has no connexion whatever with the Machabee period, no doubt owes its name to the fact that like the others it treats of a persecution of the Jews. For the canonicity of I and II Mach. see Canon OF THE Holy Scriptures.

The First Book of Machabees (MaKKafiaTuw A; Liber Primus Machabajorum) .—Contente. — ^The First Book of the Machabees is a history of the struggle of the Jewish people for religious and political libertv under the leadership of the Machabee family, with Judas Machalx)us as the central figure. After a brief introduction (i, 1-9) explaining how the Jews came to pass from the Persian domination to that of the Seleucids, it relates the causes of the rising under Mathathias and the details of the revolt up to his death (i. 10-ii); the glorious deeds and heroic death of Judas Machabeus (iii-ix, 22); the story of the success- ful leadership of Jonathan (ix, 23-xii), and of the wise administration of Simon (xiii-xyi, 17). It concludes (xvi, 18-24) with a brief mention of the difficulties attending the accession of John Hvrcanus and with a short summary of his reign (see Machabees, The). The book thus covers the period between the years 175 and 135 b. c.

Character. — ^The narrative both in style and manner is modelled on the earlier historical books of the Okl Testament. The style is usually simple, ^et at times becomes eloquent and even poetic, as. for instance, in Mathathias's lament over the woes ot the people and the profanation of the Temple (ii, 7-13), or in the eu^ logy of Judas Machabeus Tiii, 1-9), or again in the description of the peace ana prosperity of the people after the long years of war and suffenng (xiv, 4-15). The tone is calm and objective, the author as a rule abstaining from any direct comment on the facts he is narrating. The more important events are carefidbr dated according to the Seieucid era. which began with the autunm of 312 b. c. It should be noted, however, that the author begins the year with spring (the month Nisan), whereas the author of II Mach. begins it with autumn (the month Tishri). By reason of this differ- ence some of the events are dated a year later in the second tlian in the first book. (Cf. Patrizzi, " De Coi^ sensu Utriusque Libri Mach.", 27 sq.; Schurer, " Hist, of the Je\^'i8h People ", I, i, 36 sq.)

Original Langxtaae. — ^The text from which all trans- lations have been derived is the Greek of the Septua- gint. But there is little doubt tliat the Septua^nt is itself a translation of a Hebrew or Aramaic onginal, with the probabilities in favour of Hebrew. Not onl^