an effective champion. Alexandra, in permitting them to take possession of
the many strongholds throughout the land, also committed a fatal error,
for it gave them control of the military resources of the kingdom.
Aristobulus was not slow in asserting his power, with the result that even
before Alexandra died he had seized seventy-two of the fortresses and had
aroused a large part of the people to revolt. While her reign was on the
whole peaceful, it was but the lull before the great storm that swept over
the nation.

IV. Quarrels between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. Unfortunately Alexandra's
older son, Hyrcanus, was indolent and inefficient. He had been appointed
high priest and, when Aristobulus assumed the title of king, he compelled
Hyrcanus II to be content with this humbler title. Aristobulus's reign
might have been comparatively peaceful had not at this time a new and
sinister influence appeared in the troubled politics of Palestine. It was
one of the results of John Hyrcanus's forcible judaizing of the Idumeans.
Antipater, the son of the Idumean whom Alexander Janneus had made governor
of Idumea, recognized in the rivalry between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus an
opportunity to mount to power. He first persuaded Hyrcanus to flee to
Petra. Then, with the aid of the Arabian king, Aretas, he finally
compelled Aristobulus and his followers to seek refuge on the temple hill
in Jerusalem. The picture of the Jews divided into two hostile camps and
engaged in bitter civil war in the very precincts of the temple under the
leadership of the great-grandsons of the patriotic Simon presents a sad
contrast to the noble spirit and valiant achievements of the founders of
the Maccabean kingdom who had first taken up the sword in defence of the
temple and its service.

V. Rome's Intervention. This situation gave Rome its desired opportunity
for intervention. Pompey in 70 B.C. made a successful campaign against