The previous list ended with the removal of Hyrcanus, the rise of the Babylonian Hananal, the delay of the beginning of his term and the transfer of the crown of the priesthood to the young Aristobulus, the promising scion of the Hasmonean house.
Herod asked to appoint Hananel in order to create a new priestly dynasty, he, Herod, is involved in the appointment, and therefore the above will be subordinate to him. During this, an unprecedented revolution of parachuting a new candidate outside the Land of Israel and in this case from Babylon was embodied. Also, the fact that it is Herod who brings him and crowns him indicates the degree of subordination of the man and the institution - the priesthood - to Herod. There is also a kind of yearning of Herod to "renew an old crown", that is - to resemble the kings of Judah of the First Temple, starting with David and onward, while the priesthood was still a clerical position subordinate to the king. And perhaps there was also a Roman influence at work here that presented the authoritative subordination of the Roman Pontiff Maximus (high priest) to the emperor.
This move in general reflected the re-organization that Herod carried out while settling on the throne and that manifested itself mainly in the political and socio-economic sphere.
After Herod made sure to execute Miriam the Hasmonean, his wife, for some frenzied jealousy that gripped him ("the Othello effect"), he fell in love with another and the act was like this: "There was one Jerusalemite, Shimon son of Beitus, from Alexandria, a priest from among the privileged, even though he had a daughter who was considered Pretty in girls at the same time. Since the people of Jerusalem were distracted by her, Herod first gave his opinion on her from the word of mouth, but after he also saw her he was struck by the daughter's beauty... and since Shimon Nahot's reputation was too low for (him to come) in family ties with him and on the other hand it was too much for him to be treated with disdain, Herod went In a more convenient way (to satisfy) his lust, he raised these people and equated them with excessive importance. He therefore immediately took over the high priesthood from Yehoshua ben Piabi and appointed Shimon to this position, and married him" (Kadmoniot Ha-Jewids 322, 320-XNUMX).
The intention of the appointment of Shimon ben Baytus, beyond the marriage with the royal house, was to make a fundamental transition to a new dynasty, outside of the Hasmonean house, which would manage the affairs of the temple. Indeed, in Herod's coins there appears a sign in Greek that indicates the king's control over the priesthood, with the royal crown stamped on the coin surrounding the priestly sign.
Herod was known for his construction projects such as Caesarea, Sebaste, Herodion and more, but the most famous of all from the Jewish point of view was undoubtedly the foundation of the temple. Herod destroyed the existing building and erected a glorious building under it, one that received the blessing of the sages in the text of: "He who has not seen Herod's building (referring to the Temple) has not seen a beautiful building since his time" (Talmud Babylon, Baba Batra XNUMX, p. XNUMX), And it should be noted, in this very context, that the buildings were erected in the Hellenistic-Roman style, impressive and breathtaking.
The construction of the temple by Herod strengthened the king's image in the eyes of the people and greatly contributed to his holiness. This enterprise was well integrated with the various reforms that Herod made in the order of office of the High Priesthood. However, Herod made sure that all the complex structures were built under the supervision of the priests, a project that lasted a year and five months and ended on the exact same day that Herod's reign was commemorated.
Another move made by King Herod, also connected to the High Priesthood, is discussed in Josephus ben Mattathias as follows: "On the north side (of the temple) a citadel was built with angles (= square), surrounded by a distressed wall and noted for its strength. This citadel was built by the kings and high priests (who are one) of the Hasmonean house before Herod and called it Beerus (Baris), to place there the priestly garment that the high priest wraps himself in only when he has to sacrifice. King Herod kept the garment in this place, and after his death it was in the hands of the Romans until the days of Tiberius Caesar" (Antecedents of the Jews 404, 403-XNUMX).
During this, Herod sought to realize his following goals: to resemble one of the Hasmonean kings (which may also be evident from his marriage to Miriam the Hasmonean) and supervise the high priest in his work and perhaps even present him as subordinate to him, under him. The Hasmonean kings were also high priests and therefore there was no problem arising from the antagonism between the king and the priest. This was not the case in the days of Herod, which appears before our eyes as a kind of highlighting of the hierarchy in the order of government.
Yosef ben Matatiyo concludes his description in this way: "And they say that at the time the Temple was built, it did not rain during the day so that the work would not be delayed, and it rained at night. This story was handed down to us by our ancestors and it is not unfaithful to us, if a person gives his opinion about the rest of God's masters. This is how the Temple was rebuilt" (Jewish Antiquities 425, XNUMX). This myth undoubtedly praised Herod's work and personality in the eyes of the people and perhaps even sanctified his image, which made it easier for him to carry out a process of changes in the orders of the temple and the priesthood.
The last functionary to hold the position of high priest was Shimon ben Baytus, from Herod's money because of his infatuation with his daughter. His tenure did not last long and Herod deposed and appointed Mattathias son of Theophilus, son of a respectable Jerusalem family, as his successor. Matthia did not serve long either, and when Herod suspected him of having been involved, even indirectly, in the flying of the golden eagle over the front of the temple, he deposed him and appointed Yoezer ben Baytus, his wife's brother, as high priest in his place. And Joseph continues to report: "During the reign of Matthias, it even happened that another high priest was appointed for one day, the day on which the Jews fast. And this is the flavor of the matter: Matthias the priest saw in a dream the night before the fast that he had mated with a woman and therefore could not serve as a priest, and his relative Yosef ben Elim officiated with him. But Herod deposed Mattathias from the high priesthood (Jews' Antiquities 166, 164-XNUMX).
Herod died in 4 BC and was succeeded by his eldest son Archelaius. Near this time, an assembly of dignitaries from Jerusalem gathered and appealed to Archilaeus to "depose the high priest appointed by Hela (Herod) and choose a man more worthy according to the Torah and also pure to serve as high priest. And although Archilaeus was enraged at this, he agreed to their attack, intending to set out as quickly as possible on his way to Rome, in order to keep an eye on Caesar's decisions. Well, he sent the strategists to persuade them, that they should refrain from these foolish acts, and consider in their minds that the death that struck their friends according to law was a blow and their demands reached the point of great insolence, and that the time was not right for that, but on the contrary, the time for unity of opinion is until he establishes the government with the consent of Caesar and returns to them. Then he will consult with them together about the matters they require. But for the time being they will let it go so that they will not be seen as rebels" (ibid., 209-207).
The series of articles "The Priesthood You Didn't Know" by Dr. Yehiam Sorek
- Part I - the end of the First Temple and the exile in Babylon
- Part II - Return to Zion
- Part III - The Hellenistic period
- Part XNUMX - The priesthood in Marumiya
- Part XNUMX - The priesthood makes muscles
- Part XNUMX - Matthew turns over in his grave
- Part XNUMX - The priesthood begins to lose height
- Part VIII - The reign of Hyrcanus
