ASMONEI (Heb. Ḥašmānīm; Lat. Hasmonae). - The name by which Flavius Josephus and later Jewish writers designated the dynasty of the descendants of the Maccabees (v.). The great-grandfather of Mattathias, father of the Maccabees, was called Σιμσών Ἀσπωνκλίας (Antig. Ind., XII, 6, 1; but cf. II Mach. 2, 1); it is not clear, however, whether “Hasmonean” is an apposition to Simeon or indicates a different person. The meaning of the name escapes us; some derive it from a Hebrew ḥašmānīm, in the sense of “notable” (cf. Ps. 67 [68], 32).
Mattathias, who began the armed uprising against the fierce persecution of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (v.), had five sons: Giovanni, surnamed Gaddis; Simone, called Thassis; Giuda, called Maccabeus; Eleazaro, called Amaran; Gionata, called Affus.
With the death of Simone in 134 B.C., the heroic period ended, and there began that period, devoid of religious fervour, of dynastic quarrels and civil strife. The A. kings, concerning whom we possess only the information of Flavius Josephus, were: the third son of Simone, Giovanni Ircano (134–104), Aristobulo I (104–103), Alessandro Janno (103–76), Alessandra Salome (76–67), Aristobulo II (67–63), Ircano II (63–40); the last was Antigono, beheaded in 36 B.C. by Antonio at the request of Erode il Grande, the new king of Giudea.