Number DOI: http://doi.org/10.33209/2519-4348-2707-9627-2025-13-173

Volynskyi Blahovisnyk. № 13. 2025. P. 143-152.

Summary

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the process of emergence, formation and main stages of development of the Jewish state of the Hasmoneans in the context of political, socio-economic and cultural-religious transformations of the Hellenistic world. The historical prerequisites for the restoration of Jewish statehood after its loss as a result of the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests are highlighted, and the peculiarities of the political situation of Judea during the period of Persian and Hellenistic rule are also revealed. The impact of Hellenization on social life, which led to the aggravation of internal contradictions in the Jewish environment, is analyzed.

Special attention is paid to the causes, course and consequences of the Maccabean Revolt as a determining factor in the restoration of the political autonomy of Judea and the establishment of the Hasmonean dynasty. The activities of its leading representatives, in particular Simon Maccabees, Johanan Hyrcanus and Alexander Jannaeus, are examined, their role in strengthening state institutions, expanding territorial boundaries and transforming the political system from a theocratic organization to a centralized monarchy of the Hellenistic type is clarified.

The internal religious and political conflicts between the Pharisees and Sadducees, their impact on social stability and state administration, as well as the contradictions between traditional religious norms and the practice of the Hasmonean rulers are investigated. The foreign policy factors of the development of Judea are analyzed, in particular the relationship with the Seleucid state and the gradual intervention of Rome in the internal affairs of the region.

The main reasons for the decline of the Hasmonean state are summarized, including internal political struggle, socio-religious contradictions, despotization of power and increasing external pressure. It has been established that the combination of these factors led to the loss of Judea’s independence and its inclusion in the sphere of influence of the Roman state, which was the final stage of the existence of the Hasmonean monarchy.

Key words: Judea, Palestine, Hasmoneans, Pharisees, Sadducees, Hellenism, Romans.

References:

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