| Antigonus II Mattathias | |
|---|---|
| King and High Priest of Judaea | |
 Antigonus, fromGuillaume Rouillé'sPromptuarii Iconum Insigniorum | |
| King of Judaea | |
| Reign | 40 – 37 BCE |
| Predecessor | Aristobulus II |
| Successor | Monarchy abolished |
| High Priest of Judaea | |
| Reign | 40 – 37 BCE |
| Predecessor | Hyrcanus II |
| Successor | Ananelus |
| Died | 37 BC |
| Issue | A daughter[1] |
| Dynasty | Hasmonean |
| Father | Aristobulus II |
| Religion | Judaism |
Antigonus II Mattathias (Ancient Greek:ἈντίγονοςAntígonos;Hebrew:מַתִּתְיָהוּ,Mattīṯyāhū), also known asAntigonus the Hasmonean (died 37 BCE) wasHigh Priest of Israel, and also the lastHasmonean king ofJudea. He was the son of KingAristobulus II of Judea. In 37 BCEHerod handed him over to the Romans for execution, after Antigonus's three-year reign during which he led the Jews' fierce struggle for independence against the Romans.
Antigonus was the second son of Aristobulus II. He and his father were taken to Rome as prisoners byPompey in 63 BCE. Antigonus escaped and returned to Judea in 57 BCE. After an unsuccessful attempt to oppose the Roman forces there, and despite his refusal to surrender his dynastic rights, the senate released him. After the death of his older brotherAlexander, Antigonus claimed that his uncleHyrcanus II was a puppet ofAntipater the Idumaean and attempted to overthrow him with the help and consent of the Romans. He visitedJulius Caesar in 47 BCE, complaining of the usurpation of Antipater and Hyrcanus II. In 42 BCE, he attempted to seize the government of Judea by force with the assistance of his brother-in-law,Ptolemy, but was defeated by Herod.[2]
The excessive taxation wrung from the people to pay for the extravagances ofMark Antony andCleopatra had inspired a deep hatred against Rome. Antigonus gained the allegiance of both thearistocratic class inJerusalem and the leaders of thePharisees. TheParthians, whoinvaded Syria in 40 BCE, preferred to see an anti-Roman ruler on the throne of Judea. When Antigonus promised them large sums of gold as well as five hundred female slaves, the Parthians put five hundred warriors at his disposal. After Antigonus, with Parthian help, conquered Jerusalem, Hyrcanus was sent toBabylon after having his ears mutilated, which rendered him unfit for the office ofHigh Priest of Israel. Herod fled from Jerusalem, and in 40 BCE Antigonus was officially proclaimed king and High Priest by the Parthians.[2]
Following the conquest of Jerusalem by the Parthians, Herod fled quickly fromMasada to Rome, where he was nominated in 40 BCE as Judea'sallied king and friend of the Roman people (Latin:Rex socius et amicus populi Romani) by theSenate on the recommendation of thetriumvirMark Antony.[3] On Herod's return to Judaea from Rome in 39 BCE he opened a campaign against Antigonus and laid siege to Jerusalem. In the spring of 38 BCE, Herod wrested control of the province of Galilee and eventually all of Judaea, except for Jerusalem. Due to the approach of winter, Herod postponed hissiege of Jerusalem—where Antigonus and the remnants of his army took refuge—until spring. Herod and a supporting Roman army were kept out of Jerusalem for 3–5 months but the Romans eventually captured the city. The supporters of Antigonus fought until the Romans reached the inner courtyard of the Temple.[4] Antigonus was taken to Antioch and executed,[5] ending Hasmonean rule.[2]
Josephus states that Mark Antony beheaded Antigonus (Antiquities, XV 1:2 (8–9). Roman historianCassius Dio says that he was crucified and records in hisRoman History: "These people [the Jews] Antony entrusted to a certain Herod to govern; but Antigonus he bound to a cross and scourged, a punishment no other king had suffered at the hands of the Romans, and so slew him."[6] In hisLife of Antony,Plutarch claims that Antony had Antigonus beheaded, "the first example of that punishment being inflicted on a king."[7]
In 1971, bulldozers removing earth inEast Jerusalem for a construction projectuncovered a tomb with an inscription that suggested that this was the tomb of King Antigonus, the last Hasmonean king.[8] However, according to anthropologistJoe Zias, former Curator of Archaeology and Anthropology for theIsrael Antiquities Authority, this theory is just little more than an urban myth, since the only beheaded skeleton found in 1971 and at the later re-examination of the previously untouched tomb, belonged to an elderly woman. In his view, no other set of remains found there could be associated with King Antigonus II and it is only due to the efforts of the owner of the building located on top of the tomb that the myth is still being promoted.[9][10]
Biblical scholar Gregory Doudna proposed in 2013 that Antigonus II Mattathias was the figure known as theWicked Priest in theQumran Scrolls.[11][12] According to Doudna, Antigonus was the figure underlying the 'Wicked Priest' of theHabakkuk Commentary and the doomed ruler of theNahum Commentary, documents found at Qumran.
Antigonus II Mattathias Died: 37 BCE | ||
| Jewish titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Judaea 40 BC – 37 BCE | Succeeded by Monarchy abolished |
| High Priest of Judaea 40 BCE – 37 BCE | Succeeded by | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
