The civil war in the Hasmonean kingdom…

The civil war in the Hasmonean kingdom has lasted six years and left fifty thousand Judeans dead.

After Jannaeus succeeded early in the war, the rebels had asked for Seleucid assistance, and Judean insurgents had joined forces with Demetrius III to fight against Jannaeus.

The Seleucid forces defeated Jannaeus at Shechem and forced him into exile in the mountains.

However, these Judean rebels ultimately decided that it was better to live under a terrible Jewish king than backtrack to a Seleucid ruler.

After six thousand Jews returned to Jannaeus, Demetrius was defeated.

The end of the war brings a sense of national solidarity against Seleucid influence.

Nevertheless, Jannaeus is uninterested in reconciliation within the Hasmonean state.

The aftermath of the war consists of popular unrest, poverty and grief over the fallen soldiers on both sides.

The greatest impact of the war is the victor’s revenge.

Josephus reports that Jannaeus brought eight hundred rebels to Jerusalem and had them crucified.

Even worse, Jannaeus had the throats of the rebel’s wives and children cut before their eyes as Jannaeus ate with his concubines.