The dramatic murder of Aristobulus III in a swimming pool in Jericho, as told by the Roman Jewish historian Josephus, took place during a banquet organized by Herod's Hasmonean mother-in-law.

Aristobulus III ( 53 BC – 36 BC ) was the last scion of the Hasmonean royal house, brother of Herod the Great's wife Mariamne, and paternal grandson of Aristobulus II.

nl: Aristobulus III

* Aristobulus III of Judea, high priest ( drowned ) ( b. 53 BC )

* Judea: Aristobulus III, the last of the Hasmoneans, becomes High Priest in Jerusalem, replacing Ananelus, who had only held the position for one year.

* Full sister to Herod V ( king of Chalkis ), Herod Agrippa ( king of Judea ), Aristobulus V, and Mariamne III ( wife of Crown Prince Antipater and, after his execution by Herod the Great, she was possibly the first wife Herod Archelaus, principal heir of Herod the Great and ethnarch of Judea )

By Aristobulus she was the mother of Herod Agrippa I, Herod of Chalcis, Herodias, Mariamne III and Aristobulus Minor.

This agreement however did not last, as Hyrcanus feared that Aristobulus was planning his death and took refuge with Aretas III, King of the Nabataeans.

The grandson of Herod the Great and son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice.

* Alexander of Judaea, son of Aristobulus II, king of Judaea

The next year, he was summoned by Aulus Gabinius, proconsul of Syria, to take part in the campaigns against Aristobulus II in Judea, as the commander of a Gallic cavalry regiment.

King Judah Aristobulus II removed from power, while his brother John Hyrcanus II becomes king under Roman suzerainty.

* Battle at Mount Tabor in Judea: Roman troops, commanded by Gabinius, defeat the forces of Alexander, son of Aristobulus II of Judea, attempting to re-establish Judean independence.

* Aristobulus II, king of Judea

King Judah Aristobulus II removed from power, while his brother John Hyrcanus II is reappointed king ( ethnarch ) under Roman suzerainty and high priest, until 40 BC.

* Massacre of over 12, 000 Jews on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem by Roman troops, in support of John Hyrcanus II against Aristobulus II.

* Aristobulus II becomes king and high priest of Judea, until 63 BC.

* Aristobulus II, king and high priest of Judea ( 66 – 63 BC ; assassinated )

* Aristobulus II

Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II, Simon's great-grandsons, became pawns in a proxy war between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great.

Rome annexes the Kingdom .~ Hyrcanus II restored, reigns to 40 BCE ~ Aristobulus II made captive in Rome.

at: 66 shift: 15 ,- 7 text: Aristobulus II, 66 – 63

at: 50 shift: 15, 10 text: Pompey's agents murder Aristobulus II ~ in Rome ( 50 BCE ) to weaken Julius Caesar

Alexander Jannaeus ' son, Hyrcanus II, had scarcely reigned three months when his younger brother, Aristobulus II, rose in rebellion, whereupon Hyrcanus advanced against him at the head of an army of mercenaries and his Pharisee followers: " NOW Hyrcanus was heir to the kingdom, and to him did his mother commit it before she died ; but Aristobulus was superior to him in power and magnanimity ; and when there was a battle between them, to decide the dispute about the kingdom, near Jericho, the greatest part deserted Hyrcanus, and went over to Aristobulus.

But his mother Alexandra Maccabeus ( 63 BC – 28 BC ), through intercession with Cleopatra and Mark Antony, compelled Herod to remove Hananel from the office of High Priest and appoint Aristobulus instead.

Soon afterwards he was convicted, through the information of his brother Aristobulus, of having received a bribe from the Damascenes, who wished to purchase his influence with the proconsul, and was again compelled to flee.

Both Plutarch and Arrian relate that according to Aristobulus, Alexander pulled the knot out of its pole pin, exposing the two ends of the cord and allowing him to untie the knot without having to cut through it.

Upon her death her elder son Hyrcanus sought support from Pharisees, and her younger son, Aristobulus, sought the support of the Sadducees.

Upon her death her elder son, Hyrcanus, sought Pharisee support, and her younger son, Aristobulus, sought the support of the Sadducees.

Aristobulus agreed with his father's Sadducean stance and rebelled against his elder brother.

He favoured Hyrcanus II over Aristobulus II, deeming the elder, weaker brother a more reliable ally of the Roman Empire.

** Aristobulus IV, Judean Prince ( son of Herod the Great )

The later Herodian rulers Agrippa I and Agrippa II both had Hasmonean blood, as Agrippa I's father was Aristobulus IV, son of Herod by Mariamne I, but they were not direct male descendants, unless Herod was understood as a Hasmonean as per the following synthesis:

Aristobulus, the son of Herod, the brother of Agrippa, married her ; they had three sons, Herod, Agrippa, and Aristobulus ;

During Gabinius ' absence in Egypt, Syria had been devastated by robbers, and Alexander, son of Aristobulus, had again taken up arms with the object of depriving Hyrcanus II of the high-priesthood.

* 40 BCE: Antigonus, son of Hasmonean Aristobulus II and nephew of Hyrcanus II, offers money to the Parthian army to help him recapture the Hasmonean realm from the Romans.

It was ruled by Simon the son of Matisyahu ; then by his son Yochanan who started minting coins ; then by his son Yehuda Aristobolus ; then by his wife Salome Alexandra ; then by his brother Alexander Yannai ; then by his sons Hyrcanus and Aristobulus.

Later when accused by Aristobulus ’ son, Antigonus, who returns from Roman bondage to contest for power, Antipater made a great scene of his scars from fighting for Caesar ’ s life in Egypt.

Salome Alexandra's oldest son by Alexander Jannaeus was Hyrcanus II who fought his younger brother Aristobulus II in the 60's BC over the Jewish High Priesthood.

As well, she did not abstain from actual warfare ; she sent her son Aristobulus with an army to besiege Damascus, then beleaguered by Ptolemy Menneus.

Her son Aristobulus endeavored to seize the government, and succeeded her after her death.