Roman Conquest and the Rise of Herod

By Yosef Eisen

Sadly, upon her death the golden years of Shlomis came to an end. Almost immediately, civil war broke
out for the right of succession between her two sons Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. As the bitter conflict
dragged on with no end in sight, the brothers committed an unimaginable blunder that led to the end of
Jewish independence — ultimately to the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash. In 3698, the brothers
asked Pompey of Rome to mediate their dispute. Pompey, until that time uninterested in the land of
Israel, sensing Jewish weakness and political instability, promptly marched into Jerusalem and
conquered it. (Although the Romans had exerted influence over the Jews even during the period of
Jewish independence, they did not specifically meddle into Jewish affairs.)

As conqueror, Pompey put the weaker brother Hyrcanus on the throne as a figurehead while
imprisoning the more dangerous Aristobulus. Real power, however, was in the hands of the Roman
lackey, the Edomite Antipater. Thus, Jochanan Hyrcanus' misguided policy of forcibly converting the
Edomites bore bitter fruit. The Romans abolished the Sanhedrin and destroyed some cities. Although
Julius Caesar (later assassinated in 3717, or 44 BCE) restored the Sanhedrin and some territory, his
successors Cassius and Marc Anthony further oppressed the Jews. As such, the Torah leaders of the
time, Shemaya and Avtalyon, encouraged the sages to leave politics and not be involved in
governmental affairs.

Herod

In 3725, the Romans installed Antipater's son Herod as king of the Jews, and his wicked rule was a blow
from which the Jewish people would not recover. As a descendant of Edomite slaves who had
Hasmonean masters, Herod realized that the majority of the Jewish people would never accept him as a
legitimate king. Therefore, in order to give the appearance of legitimately occupying the Hasmonean
throne, he exterminated the entire Hasmonean family, leaving but one young girl whom he intended to
marry. However, the maiden committed suicide, bringing the Hasmonean line to an end after 103 years.

Aside from being cruel, Herod was also extremely paranoid, imagining plots against him although none
existed. He murdered thousands of Jews, especially sages, and did not spare even his closest family
members. As an avid admirer of Roman culture, Herod entered into a frenzy of grandiose construction
projects, building palaces, amphitheaters, and other structures at Jerusalem, Masada, Herodion, and
other locations; some of his creations still exist today. In addition, Herod built the great seaport of
Caesarea, along with smaller cities, populating them with Greeks and Romans. The great prominence of
foreigners in the Herodian demographic had the effect of making the Jewish people feel like strangers in
their own land.

Nevertheless, Herod had one positive achievement to his credit. Following the advice of the sage Bava
ben Buta, Herod refurbished the Bais Hamikdash, making it into a magnificent edifice. Currently, for
example, the massive stones of the Western Wall are still known as Herodian stones, dating back to this
period. (It is important to note that while the Bais Hamikdash was being reconstructed, the sacrificial
service continued uninterrupted because the Altar was left in place.) Herod's motives were not
altogether altruistic, however, for when the Bais Hamikdash was completed he ordered the Roman
eagle placed on the front gate. When some outraged sages removed it, Herod had them burned alive.

At the end of his life, as he lay dying with a fatal illness, Herod commanded that on the day of his death
many Jews be executed, so that the Jews should mourn and not rejoice. Fortunately, this order was not
carried out. Herod died in 3757 and was succeeded by his son Archelaus, who ruled for nine years and
continued his father's wicked legacy. Eventually, the Romans deposed Archelaus and took direct control
of the Jewish people. Eretz Israel was then ruled by local Roman governors, called procurators, who
were in turn overseen by the regional Roman official in Syria, the proconsul.