ANTIGONUS. - Name of two Jewish princes
of the Hasmonean dynasty.
1) Son of John Hyrcanus I, born around 135 B.C.
After his father's death (105), he shared in the reign
of his brother Aristobulus I (v.), who, following a scandalous intrigue, in 104 had him killed (Flavius Josephus,
Antiq. Iud., XIII, 10, 2; 11, 1 ff.).
2) By his Jewish name Mattathias, son of Aristobulus
II (v.), he was the last king of the Hasmoneans. He attained the throne, which he had previously coveted in vain, with the help of the Parthians, who
had invaded Judaea, and he reigned from 40 to 37 B.C.,
in continuous war with the pretender Herod, proclaimed
by the Roman senate at the wish of Antony. Aided
by the Jews dwelling near Carmel, A. before
Pentecost of 40 penetrated into Jerusalem and shut
Herod with his brother Phasael in the royal fortress of Baris;
having in his hands his uncle John Hyrcanus II, who had rashly gone with Phasael to the camp of the Parthian
commander, he had his ears cut off to disqualify him from the
priestly dignity. Having become king, he took, on his coins,
the title of "high priest Mattathias, king A."
He spent his energies uselessly in besieging Joseph,
Herod's brother, in the fortress of Masada. When
Herod, appointed king, arrived with Roman troops, A., who had
bribed the Roman general Ventidius, brought the Parthians
back into Palestine. But Ventidius defeated the Parthians (June 8, 38)
and received orders from Antony to help Herod. In Oct. of
37, on the Day of Atonement, Herod stormed Jerusalem; A., having come down from the fortress of Baris, begged for his life from the
Roman Sosius, and would have had it until the triumph of Antony
over the Parthians; but Herod obtained that Antony should have him
beheaded in Antioch (Nov. 37 B.C.; Flavius Josephus, Antiq.
Iud., XIV, 4, 5 - 16, 4).