Salome Alexandra: Encyclopedia II - Salome Alexandra - Her internal and external policy

Salome Alexandra - Her internal and external policy

That the Pharisees, now that the control of affairs was in their hands, did not treat the Sadducees any too gently is very probable; although the execution of Diogenes of Judea, by whose advice King Alexander had 800 Pharisees nailed on the cross, speaks rather for their moderation than for their cruelty, inasmuch as the special reference to the execution shows that such acts of revenge must have been few. The Sadducees were moved to petition the queen for protection against the ruling party. Alexandra, who desired to avoid all party conflict, removed the Sadducees from Jerusalem, assigning certain fortified towns for their residence. Here, again, her shrewdness was displayed in so arranging that the important fortresses of Hyrcania, Alexandrion, and Machærus were not entrusted to their somewhat uncertain keeping.

Alexandra's sagacity and tact succeeded in accomplishing what all the military genius of her husband had failed to effect; namely, to make Judea respected abroad. She increased the size of the army, and carefully provisioned the numerous fortified places so that neighboring monarchs were duly impressed by the number of protected towns and castles which bordered the Palestinian frontier. Nor did she abstain from actual warfare; for she sent her son Aristobulus with an army to raise the siege of Damascus, then beleaguered by Ptolemy Menneus. The expedition was reportedly without result. The peril threatening Judea in the year 70 BCE from the Armenian king Tigranes, in whose hands Syria then lay, fortunately passed over, as Alexandra's shrewd politics kept him away from Palestine. Nevertheless the last days of her reign were tumultuous. Her son Aristobulus endeavored to seize the government and only her death saved her from the sorrow of being dethroned by her own child.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Her internal and external policy", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki