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Abstract
Political relations between the Roman Republic and the Hasmonaean dynasty of Judaea form an essential backdrop to the study of Second Temple Judaism. From its inception in 164 BC through the deposition of Antigonos in 37 BC, Rome's involvement in Judaean affairs underwent several dramatic changes, culminating in the Senate's eventual abandonment of the Hasmonaean house in favor of Herod the Great. Explanation of Roman policy toward Judaea requires analysis of two often neglected factors: (1) the larger political and military context in which Rome's representatives operated during this period, and (2) the role played by Jewish initiative in shaping Roman decisions concerning the region. Examination of the literary and documentary evidence reveals that major shifts in the Republic's relationship to Judaea were significantly influenced by these factors. The engulfment of the Near East by the convulsions of Rome's civil war in particular altered the circumstances on which Roman policy toward Judaea was based.
