Hyrcanus

John Hyrcanus

John Hyrcanus was a Hasmonean (Maccabean) leader and Jewish high priest of the 2nd century BCE (born 164 BCE, reigned from 134 BCE until his death in 104

John Hyrcanus II (died 30 BCE), a member of the Hasmonean dynasty, was for a long time the Jewish High Priest in the 1st century BCE.

The Hasmonean dynasty had survived for 103 years before yielding to the Herodian dynasty in 37 BCE. The installation of Herod the Great (an Idumean) as king in 37 BCE made Judea a Roman client state and marked the end of the Hasmonean dynasty.

"7. But when Hyrcanus had put an end to this sedition, he after that lived happily, and administered the government in the best manner for thirty-one years, and then died, (30) leaving behind him five sons. He was esteemed by God worthy of three of the greatest privileges, - the government of his nation, the dignity of the high priesthood, and prophecy; for God was with him, and enabled him to know futurities; and to foretell this in particular, that, as to his two eldest sons, he foretold that they would not long continue in the government of public affairs; whose unhappy catastrophe will be worth our description, that we may thence learn how very much they were inferior to their father's happiness."Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter 7

From Factions at the altar

The Hasmonean Dynasty

The Sadducees espoused the Hellenizing philosophy of the early Hasmonean princes, which had merged Church and State, allowing the Levites to own land and profit from collected taxes forced on the people by statutes and their own application for benefits.

The Pharisees or Separatists supposedly abhorred all forms of Greek or any foreign influence. They were religious fundamentalists whose righteousness was displayed in their own ceremonies and symbols, but nowhere else. Aristobulus and the Sadducees opposed Hyrcanus II who was supported by the Pharisees. Aristobulus invited Rome to Judea to settle this dispute, as to who should be the king of God’s Kingdom. Hyrcanus did not appeal to the Romans for support and neither would Jesus, but the Pharisees did.

Hyrcanus was hoped by some to be the promised King and High priest. But others disputed his legitimacy as heir. Many died for their lack of faith and allegiance.

At one point, there were so few priests that there was no one to even say grace at the kings table.

Hyrcanus and Aristobulus

In 66 BC, two royal brothers, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, had begun to battle for the office of the king. Aristobulus appealed to the “world” of Rome, and Pompey's multi-national peace keeping military force.

Later in 63 BC, Pompey decided against Aristobulus. There was no formal appeal to Rome by Hyrcanus for support, which made the lawful presence of Rome questionable, if not merely commercial.

The Romans could no longer rely on Aristobulus’ invitation to justify their occupation since, by their own decree, he was illegitimate. Hyrcanus refused to appeal to Rome for protection in accordance with the Torah.

The Pharisees, however, did request this foreign aid, contrary to the law of the Torah which gave Roman occupation an appearance of legitimacy according to Jus Naturale.

Rome was in its own decline. The people were neglecting the responsibilities that had kept them free. Greed and corruption had brought in political and economic subjugation of the people through a dependence on governments created by men like Caesar and Herod.

Judea had followed the political pattern of Rome with their “free bread and circuses”. Some men entice the favor and support of the people gaining power. Herod had offered a new deal. Social welfare was provided through his government. Membership required baptism. The people were given an ID token made from white stones with a registered Hebrew name carved on it to guarantee their eligibility for benefits and to keep track of their required and compelled contributions.

Audio files Basics of the kingdom.  : Rated a must hear.
http://www.hisholychurch.net/audio/170121spiritkingdom01.mp3
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The social welfare systems, called Corban by the Jews, or Qurban by the Romans, had previously been systems of voluntary freewill offerings of charity, with hope, and by love for neighbor. The Corban of the Pharisees was no longer a “freewill offering”.

Their government no longer depended on faith, hope, and charity. This new socialist system of benefits by membership formed a government which exercised authority one over the other through imposed taxes legislated by the Sanhedrin.

“Let their table become a snare before them: and [that which should have been] for [their] welfare, [let it become] a trap.” Psalms 69:22

“And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:” Romans 11:9

Wow Pharisees

The sect called the Pharisees dominated the traditional priestly function and therefore the politics of the kingdom.

The means and method of that function had been altered over time. Pompey would turned turned back some of the power unlawfully granted to the priesthood by the Hasmonean Kings years before. Limitation had been placed on the Levites by Moses concerning the ownership of property as a personal estate.

Many of the Pharisees also were a part of this corruption and were called “those who seek smooth things” by ministers who sought a purer interpretation of the ancient ways, like the Essenes.

These original charitable ministers of the kingdom, working, according to what Moses set up, under what we might call a vow of poverty. Ordered by God, they were not allowed to own land as a personal estate to accumulate wealth.

The Hasmonean Dynasty had changed the nature of Israel with the acquiescent blessing of the people. It was during this period that the ministers of God’s government became more like the governments of the gentiles.

The temple tax was enforced by statutes and the charitable altars of the government blended with the office of King and public policy. This new apostasy attracted a different kind of minister and steadily altered the nature and spirit of God’s established kingdom.

Cursing one another

“Cursed be the man who rebuilds this city! May he lay its foundation on his firstborn, and set its gate upon his youngest son. Behold, an accursed man, a man of the adversary, has risen to become a fowler’s net to his people, and a cause of destruction to all his neighbours. And arose to exercise authority, also being instruments of violence. they have rebuilt a wall and towers, to make of it a stronghold of ungodliness … They have committed an abomination in the land, and a great blasphemy among the children…”

This curse of Joshua seemed to fall upon the Hasmonean dynasty, specifically John Hyrcanus. The blasphemy was not so much the building of a particular city, but the turning away from God’s ways of charity and liberty, and the return to the adversarial civil system of Belial, the “worthless or wicked”, a return to Egypt.

There was soon little difference between the operation of the civil powers of the other kingdoms and God’s with the implementation of forced sacrifice (Corban), corvee labor obligations (income tax) and compulsory taxes on trade (sales tax), on land (property tax) and possessions (personal property tax).