Antipater The Idumaean - Activity in The Hasmonean Court

Activity in The Hasmonean Court

Antipater laid the foundation for Herod's ascension to the throne of Judea partly through his activities in the court of the Hasmoneans, the heirs of the Maccabees, who were the hereditary leaders of the Jews, and partly by currying favor with the Romans, who were growing more involved and dominant over the region at this time.

Antipater insinuated himself into the party of Hyrcanus II in his contest for power with his younger brother Aristobulus II. Soon after Hyrcanus succeeded his widowed mother as ruler and took the office of the high priest, but was immediately attacked by his brother and surrendered. Thus Hyrcanus agreed to live quietly in Aristublus’ former home as his disposition inclined him to living quietly and his brother took both offices. Aristobulus was known for his aggression, a “contrary temper” and thus posed a threat to Antipater, already a friend and supporter of Hyrcanus of old.

With this struggle for power, Antipater became a central component in the future governance and Roman takeover of Judea. Antipater was known as a seditious and trouble-making man, and he exploited the weak-willed Hyrcanus for the sake of his great ambitions and abilities. After Hyrcanus stepped down, Antipater persuaded him to contend against his brother for his rightful position, and even took it upon himself to convince the unsuspecting and reluctant Hyrcanus that his younger brother's intention was to kill him. He arranged for Hyrcanus to come under the protection of the Arabian King Aretas III in Petra. Together they attacked Aristobulus in Jerusalem, and there was a great upheaval that drew the attention of the Roman magistrate Pompey assigned to the eastern Mediterranean province.

Although Pompey and his lieutenant Scaurus initially ruled in Aristobulus’ favor when the brothers brought their case forward, on the third intervention Pompey ordered the brothers to wait. Aristobulus impatiently provoked a political offense that brought Pompey to appoint Hyrcanus the ethnarch of Judea. The arrival and the Hasmonean’s voluntary request of Pompey’s arbitration marks the beginning of Roman restructuring and rule in Judea, a relationship that deeply, irrevocably altered Jewish life, ways of worship, and governance. Antipater’s legacy of shrewdness stems from his craftiness with Hyrcanus and his foresight over the Near East’s growing subordination to Rome. He embraced Rome to his family’s longstanding gain, and through his machinations in the Hasmonean court, Antipater began to make a name for himself among the Roman rulers. Due his loyalty to Rome and reliability as a statesman, he was placed in charge of Judea, with responsibilities and privileges that included mediating civil disturbance and tax collecting.