אנטיוכוס 'החסיד' והורקנוס הטיראן - פרק בהיסטוריוגרפיה של מדינת החשמונאים

The paper examines the account of the siege of Jerusalem by Antiochus VII Sidetes and his relations with John Hyrcanus (Jewish Antiquities XIII.236-253), suggesting it as a model for the study of Josephus' narrative of the Hamonaean State. Examination of the story reveals a string of peculiarities which may be characterized by four points: (1) Excessive exaggeration with regard to quantities of military equipment, food and luxuries. (2) A most positive appreciation of the personality of Antiochus VII Sidetes. (3) High regard for the Jewish faith and customs, and even praise for Jewish 'separateness', attributed to the gentile king. (4) Implied criticism of, and even contempt for, John Hyrcanus, the Jewish ruler. In order to explain these features, the paper tries to trace Josephus' sources. The source analysis shows that the narrative was composed of two contradictory versions. The first, the 'long siege story' (paras. 236-248), is more detailed, and was taken from Strabo; the second, the 'reception story' (paras. 249-253), was taken from Nicolaus of Damascus. The Strabonian version seems to be taken from the same source from which Diodorus drew his information on the same siege (XXXIV/XXXV 1.1-5). It has been accepted that Posidonius of Apamea was Diodorus' source, hence the conclusion that the 'long siege' story also derives from Posidonius. The first two features of the story listed above are explained by a comparison with various remains of Posidonius' 'Histories'. The first one is a link in the chain of Posidonian accounts designed to explain the decline of the Seleucid Empire and the rise of Rome: to the Hellenistic kingdoms he attributes an affluent and luxurious lifestyle; to the Romans he attributes tough and ascetic practices. To this end, Posidonius grossly exaggerates the basic historical facts, presenting certain events and scenes in a grotesque light, and effectively indulges in caricature. The second feature, Posidonius' favourable attitude to Antiochus VII Sidetes, is to be explained by the special personality of this king, his apparently humane treatment of his subjects and occupied territories, and his efforts to restore the former glory of the Seleucid kingdom. To all this must be added Posidonius' personal memories from his childhood in Apamea which would have caused him to recall this king with a touch of nostalgia. The two remaining features - the highly favourable view of the Jewish religion and the separateness of the Jewish people on the one hand, the negative attitude toward John Hyrcanus, the Jewish ruler, on the other - are paralleled in the celebrated excursus on Jews and Judaism in Strabo's Geographica, the most enthusiastic description of ancient pre- Hasmonaean Judaism which has survived in Hellenistic or Roman gentile literature. The excursus was drawn from Posidonius' 'Histories'.