kingdom · Anatolia and the Levant

Hasmonean Kingdom

140 BCE – 37 BCE · capital Jerusalem

The Hasmonean Kingdom, the independent Jewish state founded by the Maccabees, whose victory is still celebrated at Hanukkah.

Origins

In 167 BCE Antiochus IV of the Seleucid Empire banned Jewish practices, provoking a revolt led by the priest Mattathias and his sons, the Maccabees. Judas recaptured the Temple in 164 BCE. By 140 BCE his brother Simon had won full independence and was confirmed as high priest and ruler.

Rule and society

Hasmonean rulers combined the high priesthood with political power, and from Aristobulus I took the title king. John Hyrcanus conquered Idumaea and destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim; Alexander Jannaeus extended the realm across the Jordan. Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes emerged in this era.

Decline and legacy

Civil war between Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II invited Pompey of the Roman Republic, who took Jerusalem in 63 BCE. Antigonus regained the throne with Parthian help in 40 BCE, but Herod captured Jerusalem in 37 BCE, founding the Herodian Kingdom of Judea.

Lineage

Seleucid Empire 312 BCE – 63 BCEHasmonean KingdomHerodian Kingdom of Judea 37 BCE – 4 BCE

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Hasmonean Kingdom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hasmonean-kingdom
MLA
“Hasmonean Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hasmonean-kingdom. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Hasmonean Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hasmonean-kingdom.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Hasmonean Kingdom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hasmonean-kingdom (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻