The Hasmoneans - Chapter XNUMX: Finally, a queen. inclusive? manipulative? Or simply from a lack of political backbone?

After the fall of Alexander Yanai, his wife Shlomzion Alexandra managed to convince him to appoint her queen. Shlomzion demonstrated legislative initiative, brought about a revolution in the Sanhedrin and promoted the status of the Pharisees

As mentioned, as a man of war, Alexander Yanai ran his kingdom, and as a man of war he fell when he was besieging one of the cities on the east side of the Jordan.

In the last years of his reign, and not without any connection to his deteriorating state of health and pangs of conscience that attacked him, as well as at the time of his burial, Yanai sought to heal the rift between himself and the people and accordingly ordered his wife, Shlomzion Alexandra, to reconcile with the Pharisees, because he finally realized that even a king could not rule the people over the point of bayonets and to be based on a pagan mercenary force (which in fact his wife would do and even on a larger scale).

It sounds as if the king really regretted his actions and policies, but this is not what Joseph ben Matthieu brings, who is known to be the only source, with the exception of random and minor evidence here and there in the literature of the Sages, so that we are forced to accept his words, as well as regarding long chapters in the history of Judah.

Well, from the king's line his wife Shlomzion mourned in front of him, perhaps also to establish and fortify the position of her two sons, who were not the only ones of the Yanai sons, and to take advantage of his physical and mental condition, while she whispered in his ears: "On whom do you leave me like this and the children who need the help of others . And this is in your mind, what hatred the people will have for you" (Yosef ben Matatiyo, Kademoniyy 399, XNUMX). On the one hand, Shlomzion uses the sharpened whip of criticism whipped at the hand of the public, and on the other, she squeezes from him an emotional promise to save the dynasty, to teach us about the intrigues that went on in the darkness of Yanai's palace, and in any case, Shlomzion's article testifies to the public's feeling of disgust towards her husband Yanai.

Yanai agreed to her request and suggested that the news of his imminent death be kept a secret from the public and in particular from the soldiers who might cause a putsch, and would only be leaked upon her return to Jerusalem, supposedly victorious.

Yanai confessed to her that he abused the feelings of the people and therefore it is right that she should present his body in front of the public, especially the Pharisees, who will do with it, his body, as they wish, and even abuse it and prevent its burial.
His last words were to appease the Pharisees by promising that nothing would be done in the kingdom without hearing their opinion on this or that matter. This was not to transfer the weight of political weight to the Pharisees, but only to minimize their criticism if and when it was heard.

Shlomzion managed to convince the Pharisees and they came out with announcements supporting Binai, and even called him a righteous king. The reversal of the trend from sharp criticism to sailing in admiration casts a shadow over the credibility of the Pharisees, and their presentation as persecutors of authority.

Indeed, the flame also fell in the cedars!!

Shlomzion Alexandra therefore became queen in 76 BC, but unlike her predecessors, for not being a woman, she was denied the office of the high priesthood, and therefore it was handed over to her eldest son Yohanan Hyrcanus II, who was known for his weak character, lack of a governing personality, and his distance from leadership matters. And in any case, this position was impressive for him because the Pharisees gained a lot of power at the hands of Shlomzion Alexandra and Yochanan Hyrcanus had to be dragged along by their whims.

During this there was an innovative principle that resulted in the loss of the prestige of the High Priesthood status, and from this the Queen increased her status for herself.
At this point Judas Aristobulus II, the younger of his brother Yohanan, was neutralized, both due to his adventurous and somewhat destructive nature and his turbulent temper. And certainly from this move he also clipped his wings in front of the queen's prestige.

In any case, Shlomzion Alexandra built new governing procedures for herself through a legislative initiative, with a crown at the head, and the Pharisees, despite their strengthened status, were subordinate to her.

Despite the lack of any military experience, the queen assumed the role of managing the army, and accordingly recruited many mercenary soldiers and as a result neutralized the power and status of the Jewish fighters. Probably also as learning lessons from their rebellion at the time of King Yanai. Her disciplined army cast terror and embarrassment on those around her, and, among other things, forced the rulers on the borders of Judah to hand over to the queen mixed-race people who would guarantee that Judah would not be attacked by them.

The Pharisees who revealed their full vengefulness demanded that the queen retaliate severely, that is, execute all those who at the time advised Linae to execute the 800 rebels in it. Shlomzion Alexandra strove for the peace of an inclusive house, and perhaps due to superstition as noted in Josephus ben Mattathias (probably she was afraid of some curse that the Pharisees would lay on her) and therefore acceded to their request. The Pharisees were not content with eliminating all of Alexander's supporters at the time, but used the royal mandate and eliminated anyone who they saw as a threat to their leadership.

This affair, logically, agitated the Jerusalem aristocracy, led by Yehuda Aristobulus II, the youngest son, brother of Yohanan Hyrcanus II, and with the embers of the revolution burning within him, he declared that if a moment of fitness should happen to him, he would rebel against his mother - Shlomzion - and lose all her status.
On the other hand, he turned to his mother and tried with her to avoid the "witch hunt" and to stop the killing spree carried out by the Pharisees, and at most to punish by banishment from the city those who stuck to them even with the slightest trace of disloyalty. Aristobulus' efforts were successful and the aristocrats - most of them of the Sadducees class - took over the management of the fortresses and citadels in the territories of the kingdom of Shlomzion, with the exception of the fortresses of Horkania, Alexandrion and Mekvar, 19 in number, where the queen's treasures were kept. It should be noted that the group of Sadducees used a kind of séance-conjuration - raised Yanai's spirit - to give their request pseudo-sacred validity.

Shlomzion's zigzag states greatly weakened her empire as well as her kingdom. And then Yehuda Aristobulus had the opportunity to carry out a revolution against his mother. Aristobulus, at least at this stage, preferred the "Velvet Revolution" as a sort of promo, and attacked his mother with disgraceful words, and did not begin to accuse any party, Sadducee or Pharisee, of "allowing a woman (Shlomzion), whose lust for power made her to rule unlawfully, while her sons They are in their full power" (Yosef ben Mattiyahu, The Antiquities of the Jews, 417, XNUMX).
Harsh and unprecedented accusations that present his mother as totalitarian and manipulative, whose whole concern is with the crown and not the good of the kingdom.

It is not known whether Shlomzion Alexandrara's decision to send an army to Damascus with Yehuda Aristobulus at its head stemmed from a reaction to the above, or whether she believed in Aristobulus' military leadership, or simply a request to keep him away from the scene of events in Jerusalem so that she could govern without any problems. In any case, the army that was sent was returned, and according to Joseph ben Matthew - "But the army returned without success shining on its face" (Joseph ben Matthew, Wars of the Jews, First Book, 115) as a kind of strange wording that may be interpreted one way or another.

How does Yosef ben Matthiyahu summarize Shlomzion Alexandra's reign? They agreed and heard: "She was a woman who had nothing of the weakness (girls) of her gender." Because she was greedy for power and power to an excessive degree and proved in her actions her talent for producing her thoughts. And yet she discovered the lack of reason of the men who are always wrong in matters of government. Because the present was in her eyes more important than the future, and everything was (in her eyes) second-highest compared to ruling in the dome. And therefore she gave no thought to either pleasure or justice. And so she laid such a calamity on the affairs of her household, that the same rule, which had been acquired with great dangers, was taken away from her not long after because of her lust for things that are unbecoming of a woman, and because she attached her opinion to the opinion of those who were the enemies of her household, and emptied the rule of people who cared for it. Even after her death, the acts of government she did during her lifetime resulted in the royal house being filled with troubles and riots. Nevertheless, even though she ruled in this way, she maintained the people in peace and tranquility" (The Jewish Antiquities 433, 430-XNUMX).
Things from girls and are not deprived of a critical, somewhat righteous basis, of the author, a member of the high priesthood family.

And on the other hand, as expected, we hear slightly different things from the sage. And a proper reading of them will show that they actually complement the above-mentioned Sipa of Yosef ben Mattheyahoo.

In Sage literature, Shlomzion is described in slightly different colors, as a positive figure. For example, "It happened in the days of Shimon ben Asheat (brother of Shlomzion) and in the days of Shlomzion the queen, rain fell on them on Sabbath nights (on which there is no field work), until wheat became like kidneys and barley like olive kernels. Lentils as gold dinars and set them as an example for generations" (Midrash Safra Ba'kouti).
Well, midrashim are always suspected of over-sailing. But as mentioned, the last section actually strengthens the end of Joseph's article.
The voyage in praise of Shlomzion is probably based on the foundation of the transformation she brought about in the Sanhedrin, which turned from a Sadducee to a Pharisee, and the literature of the Sages is the result of the rise of the status of the Pharisees and the continued decline of the Sadducees after the destruction of the Second Temple. The Pharisaic fingerprint in the source above is the connection between the days of plenty and the gift of God, which always indicates the Pharisaic testimonies. In connection with this, it should be noted that Shimon ben Ashet, the queen's brother, became famous as the president of the Sanhedrin who established a number of important regulations, probably in the spirit and influence of Shlomzion, such as regulations regarding law such as the examination of witnesses, regarding education such as establishing schools for children and improving the status of women.

Shlomzion fell ill and died in 67 BC when she was 73 years old and after sitting on the throne for 9 years. But in whose hands did she entrust the keys to the kingdom? About that in the next chapter.