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The Romans came to rule Judea in 63 BC. Leading up to that, the high\npriests of the Hasmonean Dynasty were the de facto kings in Israel,\nthough their official title was Ethnarch. This dynasty began from the\nMaccabees, and lasted roughly eighty years. They did not want to be\nseen as usurping the rightful place of the line of David, since they\nwere dependent on the pious Jews. The line of David was still known\nthrough this period, but it had fallen into obscurity. In this sense,\nthe Hasmonean state is a biblical anomaly, lacking any leaders truly\nchosen by God. These rulers tended to be despots of a sort similar to\nOriental and Hellenistic despots. These rulers were also expansionist,\nreacting to the rising birth rates of the neighboring countries. These\ncircumstances give rise to a large upsurge in Messianic hope.
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\nSalome Alexandra instituted a number of changes that pleased the\nPharisees, and was fondly remembered by them for this. Her sons,\nAristobulus II and Hyrcanus, fought for the high priesthood. At this\npoint, Pompey comes to Israel and seeks an alliance with Hyrcanus,\nsince Israel had sought such an alliance before. Hyrcanus was confirmed\nas high priest, but the position of king was saved for Rome, with local\npolitical authority resting in Hyrcanus' minister, Antipater the\nIdumean. Antipater made his son Phasael governor of Jerusalem and his\nother son Herod, who would be called the Great, was made governor of\nGalilee. Then, in 43 BC, Antipater was poisoned and the two sons\nbattled for control of Judea.Messianic hope in the days of the Maccabees; the rise of the Pharisees and Salome Alexandra; Roman History.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian's Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com