Jonathan Apphus (died 143 BC) was the leader of the Hasmonean dynasty of Judea from 160 to 143 BC, succeeding Judas Maccabeus and preceding Simon Thassi. He led the rebellious Maccabees from 160 BC to 143 BC during the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucids, and he also served as High Priest of Israel from 152 to 143 BC. He was heavily involved in the internal disputes of the Seleucid Empire, pursuing Judea's best interests while supporting or opposing a ruler or pretender, but he was ultimately captured and killed by the Seleucid king Diodotus Tryphon in 143 BC.
Biography[]
Jonathan Apphus was the youngest of the five sons of Mattathias; he was the brother of Judas Maccabeus, Eleazar Avaran, John Gaddi, and Simon Thassi. He served under his older brother Judas during the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucids, and, while his courage was frequently tried, he was chosen as the new leader of the uprising after his brother's death in battle in 160 BC. He crushed rigor against the Maccabeans, and he, his brothers Simon and John, and the remaining Maccabees fled to the desert east of the Jordan River. John was killed in a skirmish with rival tribesmen from Madaba, and the Jews were defeated by the Seleucid general Bacchides, but they inflicted 2,000 losses on him and forced him to return to Jerusalem empty-handed. Jonathan and his forces remained in a swamp to the east of the Jordan River, and he waged guerrilla warfare against the Seleucids. He took advantage of a breakdown of relations between the Seleucids and the Hellenized Jews to make peace with Bacchides and force him to evacuate Judea, and Apphus took up residence in Michmash.
In 153 BC, Apphus made peace with the Seleucid ruler Demetrius I Soter, who recalled most of the Judean garrisons to fight against the pretender Alexander Balas, permitted Apphus to recruit an army and free the prisoners of Akra fortress, and to fortify the city. However, Alexander Balas offered more favorable terms, making Apphus the High Priest of Israel. Jonathan was now the official leader of his people, intimidating the Hellenized Jews into not attacking him. He seized wealth without halting, betrayed the precents of Judaism for the sake of riches, and his ignominy was greater than his glory. In 150 BC, Demetrius lost his throne and his life to Balas, and Jonathan attended Balas' wedding to Cleopatra Thea, where he sat between Balas and Ptolemy VI Philometor and was appointed strategos (general) and meridarch (governor).
In 147 BC, Apphus defeated the rebellious governor of Coele-Syria Apollonius Taos at Jaffa, and Balas rewarded Apphus with the city of Ekron. However, Balas was overthrown after Ptolemy VI defeated him at Antioch in 145 BC (after which Ptolemy died after a fall from his frightened horse), and Jonathan owed no allegiance to the new Seleucid king, Demetrius II Nicator. He laid siege to the Seleucid fortress in Jerusalem, and, when Demetrius came to lift the siege, Apphus delivered presents to him and persuaded him to make him toparch of Mount Ephraim, Lod, and Ramathaim-Zophim. All of Judea was also exempted from Seleucid taxes. After Balas' son Antiochus VI Dionysus rose against Demetrius, Demetrius not only withdrew the garrison from Jerusalem, but also called on Jonathan to send him 3,000 troops. As Demetrius did not keep his promises to Jonathan, he supported the new king Antiochus, and Jonathan and Simon removed Demetrius' garrison at Ashkelon and took Gaza by force. Jonathan defeated Demetrius' army at Hazar and drove them over the Eleutherius River, and Simon took the strong fortress of Beth Zur and garrisoned it with Judean troops. Jonathan renewed the defensive alliance with the Roman Republic, and he also sent friendly messages to Sparta. In 143 BC, the Seleucid king Diodotus Tryphon invaded Judea and convinced Apphus to dismiss his army of 40,000 troops, promising him Ptolemais and other fortresses. However, when Apphus took 1,000 men with him to Ptolemais, all of the men were massacred and Apphus was imprisoned. Diodotus again showed his treachery when he promised to free Jonathan if Simon Thassi gave him his two sons as hostages, instead executing Jonathan at Baskama to the east of the Jordan. One of Apphus' daughters was the ancestor of Josephus.