ALEXANDRA ASMONEA. - Princess of the Hasmonean family (v.), daughter of Hyrcanus II, high priest and ethnarch; she married her cousin Alexander, son of Aristobulus II. She had two children: Mariamme (v.), who married Herod the Great around 54 B.C., and Aristobulus (v.). Offended by Herod's refusal to invest Aristobulus with the high priesthood, to which he was entitled, and being unable to bend the king, she resorted even to infamous means to obtain that Antony should compel Herod to make the desired appointment. The hostility between A. and Herod then broke out violently. The king subjected her to strict surveillance and had Aristobulus drowned, since he had become an inconvenient rival. Through Cleopatra, A. had Herod summoned before the tribunal of Antony, but he took every measure for a ferocious reprisal against his mother-in-law. The false report of the kings' death suggested bold attempts to A., but when Herod condemned Mariamme to death under the twofold charge of attempted poisoning and adultery, she reproached her daughter for her conduct toward her husband.

Profiting from Herod's mental turmoil over the death of his beloved Mariamme, A. attempted to seize the fortress of the Temple in order perhaps to prepare for the succession, but she was killed by Herod.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: G. Felten, Storia dei Tempi del Nuovo Testamento, I, Turin 1932, pp. 143-51; G. Ricciotti, Storia d'Israele, II, Turin 1934, nos. 317, 334, 337, 339, 341 ff.

Salvatore Garofalo

@incollection{ec1_alessandra_asmonea, author = {Garofalo, Salvatore}, title = {Alessandra Asmonea}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {753--754}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/alessandra-asmonea} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Alexandra Asmonea

About this entry