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The Hasmonean dynasty (/ h æ z m ə ˈ n iː ən /; Hebrew: חַשְׁמוֹנָאִים Ḥašmōnāʾīm; Greek: Ασμοναϊκή δυναστεία) was a ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during the Hellenistic times of the Second Temple period (part of classical antiquity), from c. 140 BCE to 37 BCE.
Hasmonean dynasty, dynasty of ancient Judaea, descendants of the Maccabee family. The name derived (according to Flavius Josephus, in The Antiquities of the Jews) from the name of their ancestor Hasmoneus (Hasmon), or Asamonaios. In 143 (or 142) bce Simon Maccabeus, son of Mattathias (and brother.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The family name of the Hasmonean dynasty originates with the ancestor of the house, ΑΣαμωναῖος (Josephus, "Ant." xii. 6, § 1; xiv. 16, § 4; xvi. 7, § 1) = or (Middot i. 6; Targ. Yer. to I Sam. ii. 4), who, according to Wellhausen ("Pharisäer und Sadducäer," note 94), is said to have been the grandfather of Mattathias.
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A year after the Maccabees triumph at the Temple, the Hellenists still refused to give up their fight. Displeased that the old-fashioned Jews were once again in religious power, and that Torah law had been reinstated in Judea, they repeatedly invited the Seleucids to send more troops. Political maneuverings in Syria on more than one occasion saved ...
Taking control of the kingship violated the peoples trust because it transgressed Torah: The Bible stipulates (Genesis 49:10) that the kingship should always rest in the tribe of Yehudah (descendants of Jacobs son Judah), as it did once Davids line was established. It was to be separated from the priesthood, which comes out of the tribe of Levi (fr...
The Hasmoneans early triumphs were soon shadowed by their corruption. Due to the unpopularity of its founders, Hanukkah itself came to be largely ignored within a few decades after its origins. Then when Romes crushing power began to be felt in Palestine, the people recognized in Hanukkah a message of hope that new Maccabees would rise and independ...
Excerpted from Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holiday Handbook. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Copyright 1994 by Jason Aronson Inc.
- Lesli Koppelman Ross
The Hasmoneans were a rural priestly family whose members later arose to occupy the office of the High Priest and later styled themselves as kings. In both cases, they acted as usurpers...
The Hasmonean era is among the most glorious in Jewish history, yet contained seeds of self-destruction that almost destroyed everything.
