For other people with this name, see Aristobulus (disambiguation)

Aristobulus (disambiguation)

Aristobulus or Aristobulos may refer to:*Aristobulus I , king of the Hebrew Hasmonean Dynasty, 104–103 BCE*Aristobulus II , king of Judea from the Hasmonean Dynasty, 67–63 BCE...

Judah (Yehudah, Heb. יהודה) Aristobulus I (reigned 104–103 BC), the first ruler of the Hebrew

Hebrews

Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...

 Hasmonean Dynasty

Hasmonean

The Hasmonean dynasty , was the ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during classical antiquity. Between c. 140 and c. 116 BCE, the dynasty ruled semi-autonomously from the Seleucids in the region of Judea...

 to call himself "king," was the eldest of the five sons of John Hyrcanus

John Hyrcanus

John Hyrcanus was a Hasmonean leader of the 2nd century BC.-Name:...

, the previous leader. Josephus would declare him the first Jew in 481 years to “wear the diadem on his head” (Ant. xiii, 301). According to Jewish tradition, only descendants of Judah, or, more specifically, the House of David, were qualified to be kings of Israel, so all of Aristobulus' predecessors used the title of "nasi"/"president".

According to the directions of John Hyrcanus, the government of the country after his death was to be placed in the hands of his wife, and
Aristobulus was originally to receive only the high-priesthood. But he seized the crown with support of his brother Antigonus, imprisoning his mother and other three brothers. Like his father, Aristobulus was a Sadducee who took actions to erode Jewish identity. Under Aristobulus’ reign, the name of the Jewish community or counsel of the Jews became “Hever ha-Yehhdim” and in the Greek, the “Sanhedrin.” The identity of ‘the community of the Jews’ may have been on his coins, but their title, like his crown, was seen and spoken in Greek terms. Like many crowns, the one Aristobulus wore held the weight of suspicion and jealousy. When he showed signs of disease, his wife, Queen Shelomit (Salome) Alexandra

Salome Alexandra

Salome Alexandra or Alexandra of Jerusalem , was the only Jewish regnant queen, with the exception of her own husband's mother whom he had prevented from ruling as his dying father had wished, and of the much earlier usurper Athaliah...

, conspired to murder Antigonus. She poisoned the king’s mind with suggestions that his brother was attempting to steal the throne by force. She then convinced Antigonus that his king wished to see his new armor, while telling Aristobulus that his brother was coming to kill him. Antigonus died before reaching the throne. Days later, Aristobulus died of internal bleeding from a disease. The Queen released the younger brothers from prison, placing Alexander Jannaeus

Alexander Jannaeus

Alexander Jannaeus was king of Judea from 103 BC to 76 BC. The son of John Hyrcanus, he inherited the throne from his brother Aristobulus I, and appears to have married his brother's widow, Shlomtzion or "Shelomit", also known as Salome Alexandra, according to the Biblical law of Yibbum...

 on the throne (Jewish Wars i, 74-85).

SOURCES: Josephus Ant. xiii, (301-319); Jewish Wars (B.J.) i, (70-84).

See also

• Aristobulus II
  Aristobulus II
  Aristobulus II was the Jewish High Priest and King of Judea, 66 BC to 63 BC, from the Hasmonean Dynasty.-Family:Aristobulus was the younger son of Alexander Jannaeus, King and High Priest, and Alexandra Salome. After the death of Alexander in 76 BC, his widow succeeded to the rule of Judea and...
  
   (67-63 BC)

Sources