Aristobulus I.

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Aristobulus I (Hebrew name probably Jehudah, יהודה, ancient Greek Ἀριστόβουλος ) was King of Judea 104 to 103 BC. Chr.

After the death of his father, the high priest John Hyrcanus I , Aristobulus was born in 104 BC. His successor. As the first Judean ruler since the Babylonian exile , he assumed the title of king and officially ruled as king and high priest.

All information about Aristobulus I comes from the works of Flavius ​​Josephus . He is particularly interested in the internal family disputes at the king's court. Aristobulus is said to have imprisoned his mother because she had received authority over the empire from him before the death of Hyrcanus I and consequently competed with him. She died in captivity. The relationship with his four brothers was also problematic. He had the three younger ones captured. Of these, only the later King Alexander Jannaios is known, who lived in 103 BC. BC ascended the throne and killed one brother while the other withdrew into private life. Aristobulus apparently treated his older brother Antigonus in a friendly manner at first. After Antigonus had represented the sick Aristobulus on an official occasion as high priest and also had military successes, Aristobulus had him killed. According to Josephus, Aristobulus is said to have regretted this act so much that he died only a little later.

Despite the only one year reign, Josephus has some information about political decisions of Aristobulus. In addition to the acceptance of the title of king, he mentions as a title of Aristobulus Philhellen ("Greek friend"). Other oriental kings also called themselves Philhelles ; this did not express a personal attitude towards the Hellenic culture, but a diplomatic classification in the Hellenistic world of the time. Furthermore, Josephus reports on the conquest and "Judaization" of the parts of Galilee occupied by the Itureans . He is said to have forced the inhabitants to accept circumcision and the other Judean laws or to leave the country, as John Hyrcanus I is said to have demanded during the conquest of Idumea . In some cases, however, research has developed different hypotheses, as it can be assumed that a large part of the inhabitants of Galilee was circumcised anyway.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bellum Judaicum 1.71; Antiquitates Judaicae 13.302.
  2. ↑ Bellum Judaicum 1.85; Antiquitates Judaicae 13,323. At a later point Josephus ( Antiquitates 14.71) mentions an Absalom as the uncle of Aristobulus II. If this refers to the brother of Jannaios and not Alexandra Salome, this is the name of the surviving brother.
  3. ↑ Bellum Judaicum 1.81-84; Antiquitates Judaicae 13.314-318.
  4. ↑ Antiquitates Judaicae 13,318.
  5. ↑ Aristobulus I .: Antiquitates Judaicae 13.318-319; Hyrcanus I .: 13.257-258.
predecessor Office successor
John Hyrcanus I. King of Judea
104-103 BC Chr. 		Alexander Jannäus
personal data
SURNAME Aristobulus I.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Judea
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 104 BC BC or 103 BC Chr.