John Hyrcanus II

Hyrcanus II held the high priesthood of Judaea on and off for forty years and lost his kingdom to Rome in the process. He was the elder son of Alexander Jannaeus and Salome Alexandra, and became high priest under his mother's rule. On her death in 67 BC he succeeded as king and was almost immediately deposed by his younger brother Aristobulus II, who was the abler soldier and had the support of the Sadducees. Hyrcanus was mild and, by every account, easily led. He was led by Antipater the Idumaean, the father of Herod the Great, who persuaded him to flee to the Nabataean king Aretas and return with an army. The civil war between the brothers was still running when Pompey arrived in Syria in 64 BC. Both sides appealed to him, along with a third delegation asking that the monarchy be abolished altogether. Pompey heard them, took his time, and then besieged Jerusalem for three months when Aristobulus's partisans held the Temple mount. The city fell in 63 BC, some twelve thousand were killed, and Pompey entered the Holy of Holies, which caused enormous offence and from which he took nothing. Hyrcanus was confirmed as high priest and ethnarch without the royal title, and Judaea became a Roman tributary. He held office under Roman protection, with Antipater and then Herod holding the real power, until the Parthians invaded in 40 BC and his nephew had his ears cut off to disqualify him. Herod executed him in 30 BC.

• Lived: 112 BCE – 30 BCE
• Nationality: Jewish
• Roles: ruler, religious_leader