John Hyrcanus
Also known as: Hyrcanus / John · Family: Jewish · Role: high priest · First appears: Book I, Chapter 2
John Hyrcanus was a Jewish high priest. In Book I, Chapter 2, after Ptolemy killed John’s family and fled to Zeno Cotylas, John placed great confidence in the people because of the memory of his father Simon and their hatred of Ptolemy’s injustice. When Antiochus besieged Jerusalem, John opened the sepulcher of David and took three thousand talents, promising that sum to Antiochus to raise the siege; Ptolemy and Antiochus were his enemies.
John later set his sons Aristobulus (son of John Hyrcanus) and Antigonus (son of John Hyrcanus) over the siege of Samaria. He administered the government for thirty-three years, then died leaving five sons behind him.
Relationship record
Life events
- Ptolemy killed John's family and fled to Zeno.(Book I, Chapter 2)
- With: Ptolemy Lathyrus Zeno Cotylas
- “Ptolemy was freed from being besieged, and slew the brethren of John, with their mother, and fled to Zeno, who was also called Cotylas, who was tyrant of Philadelphia.”
- John Hyrcanus paid Antiochus three thousand talents to raise the siege.(Book I, Chapter 2 · 📍 Jerusalem)
- John Hyrcanus died after administering the government for thirty-three years.(Book I, Chapter 2)
- “So John lived the rest of his life very happily, and administered the government after a most extraordinary manner, and this for thirty-three entire years together. He died, leaving five sons behind him.”
Book I, Chapter 2
- parent: Simon (brother of Jonathan) “But when the young man was informed of their coming beforehand, he made haste to get to the city, as having a very great confidence in the people there, both on account of the memory of the glorious actions of his father, and of the hatred they could not but bear to the injustice of Ptolemy.”
- enemies with Ptolemy (son-in-law of Simon) “Now John's case was this: When he considered the courage of his mother, and heard her entreaty, he set about his attacks;”
- with David (Hyrcanus opened David's sepulcher.) “but Hyrcanus opened the sepulcher of David, who was the richest of all kings, and took thence about three thousand talents in money, and induced Antiochus, by the promise of three thousand talents, to raise the siege.”
- enemies with Antiochus “And now Antiochus was so angry at what he had suffered from Simon, that he made an expedition into Judea, and sat down before Jerusalem and besieged Hyrcanus;”
- child: Aristobulus (son of John Hyrcanus) “He also proceeded as far as Samaria, where is now the city Sebaste, which was built by Herod the king, and encompassed it all round with a wall, and set his sons, Aristobulus and Antigonus, over the siege;”
- child: Antigonus (son of John Hyrcanus) “He also proceeded as far as Samaria, where is now the city Sebaste, which was built by Herod the king, and encompassed it all round with a wall, and set his sons, Aristobulus and Antigonus, over the siege;”
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Extracted from the original text of The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Made with Rho MD.