thousand lives, Alexander Janneus finally realized his first ambition and
became absolute master of his kingdom. In achieving his ambitions,
however, he well earned the title by which his contemporaries described
him, "the Son of a Thracian," that is, Barbarian.

II. The Effects of His Rule. The disastrous effects of the reign of
Alexander Janneus may be briefly recapitulated. They were: (1) the
destruction of the loyalty of the majority of the Jews to the Maccabean
house; (2) the intensifying of the opposition between Pharisees and
Sadducees to the point of murderous hate; (3) the extension of the sphere
of Jewish influence from the Mediterranean on the west to the desert on
the east, and from the Lebanons to the southern desert; but (4) the
draining of the life-blood and energies of the Jewish kingdom, so that it
was far weaker and more disorganized than when Janneus came to the throne.

III. Alexandra's Reign (78-69 B.C.). Alexandra was the second queen who
reigned in Israel's history. Her policy, unlike that of Athaliah of old,
was on the whole constructive. Although she was the wife of Janneus, she
reversed his policy, and placed the Pharisees in control. The return of
the exiles and the restoration of the prophetic party promised peace and
prosperity. The ancient law was expanded and rigorously enforced.
According to the Talmud it was during this period that elementary schools
were introduced in connection with each synagogue. Their exact nature is
not known, but it is probable that the law was the subject studied and
that the scribes were the teachers. This change of policy was undoubtedly
very acceptable to the people, but the Pharisees made the grave mistake of
using their new power to be revenged upon the Sadducean nobles who had
supported the bloody policy of Alexander Janneus. They soon suffered the
evil consequences of attempting to right wrong by wrong. The Sadducees
found in Aristobulus, the ambitious and energetic younger son of Janneus,