first desire naturally was to set free his mother, who was still in the power of Ptolomæus,
and to chastise him for his crimes. But in this he failed. Ptole my purchased immunity by
threatening to kill his captive, and afterwards treacherously slew her. Soon after this a
Syrian army besieged Jerusalem. The City was reduced to great straits. But when at the
Feast of Tabernacles the Syrian king not only granted a truce to the besieged, but actually
provided them with what was needed for the services of the Temple, Hyrcanus sought
and obtained peace, although the Syrian councillors urged their king to use the
opportunity for exterminating Jerusalem. The conditions , though hard, were not
unreasonable in the circumstances. But fresh troubles in Syria gave a more favourable
turn to affairs in Judæa. First, Hyrcanus subjected Samaria, and then conquered Idumæa,
whose inhabitants he made proselytes by giving them the alternative of circumcision or
exile. Next, the treaty with the Romans was renewed, and finally Hyrcanus availed
himself of the rapid decay of the Syrian monarchy to throw off his allegiance to the
foreigner. Jewish exclusiveness was further gratified by the utter destruction of Samaria,
of which the memorial-day (the 25th Marcheshvan, November) was inserted in the
festive 'Calendar' (Meg. Taan. Per. 8).22 Nor was this the only date which his successors
added to the calendar of national feasts.23
20. The derivation of the name Hyrcanus, or in Rabbinical writings Horqenos, proposed
by Grätz (Geesch. d. Juden. vol. ii. p. 55), and supported by Hamburger (Real. Encycl.
für Bibel u. Talmud, sect ii. p. 421, note 15) is untenable, in view of the fact, that not a
few Rabbinical authorities bore the same name (comp. Ab. ii. 8; Sanh. 68 a). It could not,
therefore, the victory of Hyrcanus 'over Cendeboeus, the Hyrcanian.'
21. The name Jannai is supposed to have been an abbreviation of Jochanan. Many
Rabbinic teachers o f that name are mentioned. Derenbourg (Hist. de la Palest. p. 95)
regards it as an abbreviation of Jonathan, but his reasoning is not convincing.
22. According to Jer. Soath ix. 13, and Sot. 33 a, a 'Bath Qol,' or Heavenly Voice, issuing
from the Most Holy Place, had announced to Hyrcanus, while officiating in the Temple,
the victory of his sons at Samaria. Josephus (Ant. xiii. 10. 7), assigns on this ground to
Hyrcanus the prophetic, as well as the priestly and royal, title.
23. These are the 15th and 16th Sivan, the 16th Adar, and the 7th Iyar. Comp. the Meg.
Taan.
But his reign is of the deepest importance in our history as marking the first public
contest between the great parties, the Pharisees and the Saducees, and also as the turning-
point in the history of the Maccabees. Even the coins of that period are instructive. They
bear the inscription: 'Jochanan, the High-Priest, and the Chebher of the Jews; 'or else,
'Jochanan the High-Priest, Chief, and the Chebher of the Jews.'24 The term Chebher,
which on the coins occurs only in connection with 'High-Priest,' unquestionably refers,
not to the Jewish people generally, but to them in their ecclesiastical organisation, and
points therefore to the acknowledgment of an 'Eldership,' or representative body, which
presided over affairs along with and under the 'High-Priest' as 'Chief.'25 In this respect the
presence or absence of the word 'Chebher,' or even mention of the Jews, might afford
hints as to the relationship of a Maccabee chief to the ecclesiastical leaders of the people.
It has already been explained that the Chasidim, viewed as the National party, had
ceased, and that the leaders were now divided into Pharisees and Sadducees. By tradition