I've always thought that a more likely candidate would be Antigonus II.
In 40 BC, Antigonus, with Parthian support led a campaign to capture Jerusalem. Herod, with the support of the Romans re-took the city in 37 and either killed him himself or turned him over to Mark Antony for execution. Josephus puts the deed on Antony but frankly this seems like a lot of trouble for a simple murder of a Parthian supported claimant to the throne.
http://www.ecmarsh.com/crl/Josephus/Anti...ies_15.htm
Antigonus II was the last Hasmonean king and the Jewish elite were always pining for the Hasmoneans instead of Herod.
This would seem to match the Bar Serapion reference. Also note the motif of a Jewish leader turning over a criminal to the Romans for execution. Coincidence or just one more bit of fiction to be incorporated into a later story?
In 40 BC, Antigonus, with Parthian support led a campaign to capture Jerusalem. Herod, with the support of the Romans re-took the city in 37 and either killed him himself or turned him over to Mark Antony for execution. Josephus puts the deed on Antony but frankly this seems like a lot of trouble for a simple murder of a Parthian supported claimant to the throne.
http://www.ecmarsh.com/crl/Josephus/Anti...ies_15.htm
Quote:At this time Herod, now he had got Jerusalem under his power, carried off all the royal ornaments, and spoiled the wealthy men of what they had gotten; and when, by these means, he had heaped together a great quantity of silver and gold, he gave it all to Antony, and his friends that were about him. He also slew forty-five of the principal men of Antigonus's party, and set guards at the gates of the city, that nothing might be carried out together with their dead bodies. They also searched the dead, and whatsoever was found, either of silver or gold, or other treasure, it was carried to the king; nor was there any end of the miseries he brought upon them; and this distress was in part occasioned by the covetousness of the prince regent, who was still in want of more, and in part by the Sabbatic year, which was still going on, and forced the country to lie still uncultivated, since we are forbidden to sow our land in that year. Now when Antony had received Antigonus as his captive, he determined to keep him against his triumph; but when he heard that the nation grew seditious, and that, out of their hatred to Herod, they continued to bear good-will to Antigonus, he resolved to behead him at Antioch, for otherwise the Jews could no way be brought to be quiet. And Strabo of Cappadocia attests to what I have said, when he thus speaks: "Antony ordered Antigonus the Jew to be brought to Antioch, and there to be beheaded. And this Antony seems to me to have been the very first man who beheaded a king, as supposing he could no other way bend the minds of the Jews so as to receive Herod, whom he had made king in his stead; for by no torments could they he forced to call him king, so great a fondness they had for their former king; so he thought that this dishonorable death would diminish the value they had for Antigonus's memory, and at the same time would diminish the hatred they bare to Herod." Thus far Strabo.
Antigonus II was the last Hasmonean king and the Jewish elite were always pining for the Hasmoneans instead of Herod.
This would seem to match the Bar Serapion reference. Also note the motif of a Jewish leader turning over a criminal to the Romans for execution. Coincidence or just one more bit of fiction to be incorporated into a later story?
