Editing Simon Thassi

{{Short description|High Priest of Israel, founder of the Hasmonean dynasty}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Simon Thassi
| title        = High Priest of Jerusalem
| image        = Simon Thassi medal.svg
| caption      = An imaginary depiction of Simon Thassi from [[Guillaume Rouillé|Guillaume Rouillé's]] ''[[Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum]]'' (1553)
| succession   = [[Maccabees|Leader of the Maccabees]]
| reign        = 142–135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}
| predecessor  = [[Jonathan Apphus]]
| successor    = [[John Hyrcanus]]
| spouse       = John Hyrcanus I Ben Simon II John Hyrcanus ben Simon III Thassi Mattathias ben Simon III Thassi Judas ben Simon III Thassi Naamah bat Simon III Thassi
| issue        = John Hyrcanus<br/>Mattathias II<br/>Judas II
| dynasty      = [[Hasmonean dynasty|Hasmonean]]
| father       = [[Mattathias]]
| mother       = Simona bat Judas
| birth_date   = 184 BC
| birth_place  = [[Judea]]
| death_date   = 135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}
| death_place  = [[Dok (fortress)|Dok]]
| religion     = [[Hellenistic Judaism]]
| buried       = 
| succession1  = [[Hasmonean dynasty|Prince of Judaea]]
| reign1       = 140-135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}
| predecessor1 = 
| successor1   = John Hyrcanus
| succession2  = [[List of High Priests of Israel|High Priest of Judaea]]
| reign2       = 142-135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}
| predecessor2 = Jonathan Apphus
| successor2   = John Hyrcanus
}}

'''Simon Thassi''' ({{langx|he|{{Script/Hebrew|שִׁמְעוֹן הַתַּסִּי}}}} ''Šīməʿōn haTassī''; died 135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}})<ref name="Rogerson 2006"/> was the second son of [[Mattathias]] and thus a member of the [[Hasmonean]] family. 

{{anchor|Names}}

==Names==
[[File:Hasmonean dynasty family tree.svg|thumb|Hasmonean dynasty family tree]]
The name "Thassi" has a connotation of "the Wise", a title which can also mean "the Director", "the Guide", "the Man of Counsel", and "the Zealous".<ref>[[International Standard Bible Encyclopedia]], [http://net.bible.org/dictionary.php?word=Thassi Thassi], accessed 6 January 2021</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102978/jewish/The-Story-of-Chanukah.htm|title=The Story of Chanukah|website=www.chabad.org|access-date=2016-12-11}}</ref> This Simon is also sometimes distinguished as {{nowrap|'''Simon the Hasmonean'''}}, {{nowrap|'''Simon Maccabee'''}}, or (from [[Latin]]) {{nowrap|'''Simon Maccabeus'''}}.

==History==
[[File:Judea Simon Makk.PNG|right|thumb|250px|Hasmonean Kingdom under Simon Maccabaeus<br />{{legend|lime|situation in 143{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}}}{{legend|fuchsia|area expanded}}]]
Simon took a prominent part in the [[Jew]]ish revolt against the [[Seleucid Empire]] led by his brothers, [[Judas Maccabaeus]] and [[Jonathan Apphus]]. The successes of the Jews rendered it expedient for the Seleucid leaders in [[Syria (region)|Syria]] to show them special favour. Therefore, [[Antiochus VI]] appointed Simon ''[[strategos]]'', or military commander, of the coastal region stretching from the [[Ladder of Tyre]] to Egypt. As ''strategos'', Simon gained control of the cities of [[Beth-zur]] and [[Jaffa|Joppa]], garrisoning them with Jewish troops, and built the fortress of [[Hadid|Adida]].<ref name=je>{{Cite Jewish Encyclopedia|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13746-simon-maccabeus |title=Simon Maccabeus}}</ref>

After the capture of Jonathan by the Seleucid general [[Diodotus Tryphon]], Simon was elected leader by the people, assembled at [[Jerusalem]]. He at once completed the fortification of the capital, and made [[Jaffa|Joppa]] secure.<ref>{{Bibleverse|1|Maccabees|13:8-13:11|KJV}}</ref><ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2848/2848-h/2848-h.htm#link132HCH0006 Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'', Bk. 13, Ch. 6, §&nbsp;4].</ref>

At [[Hadid]] he blocked the advance of Tryphon, who was attempting to enter the country and seize the throne of Syria. Realizing he could gain nothing by force, Tryphon demanded a ransom for Jonathan and for the release of Jonathan's sons as hostages. Although Simon was aware that Tryphon would deceive him, both Josephus and 1 Maccabees state that he acceded to both demands so that the people might see that he had done everything possible for his brother. Jonathan was nevertheless treacherously assassinated, and the hostages were not returned. Simon thus became the sole leader of the people.<ref name=je />

As an opponent of Diodotus Tryphon, Simon decided to side with the Seleucid king, [[Demetrius II Nicator|Demetrius II]], to whom he sent a deputation requesting freedom from taxation for the country. The fact that his request was granted implied recognition of the political independence of [[Judea]].<ref name=je />

He became the first prince of the [[Hebrews|Hebrew]] [[Hasmonean dynasty]]. He reigned from 142 to 135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}.

The Hasmonean dynasty was established by a resolution, adopted in 141{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}} at a large assembly "of the priests and the people and of the elders of the land, to the effect that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet".<ref>{{Bibleverse|1|Maccabees|14:41|KJV}}</ref> Recognition of the new dynasty by the [[Roman Republic]] was accorded by the Senate about 139{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}, when the delegation representing Simon was in [[Rome]]. Simon had made the Jewish people semi-independent of the [[Seleucid Empire]].

In February 135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}},<ref name="Rogerson 2006">{{cite book |title=The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies |last=Rogerson |first=J. W. |year=2006 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=9780199254255 |quote=Simon Maccabee was killed by a Jewish rival in 135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}, the last of the Maccabees to 'die with his boots on', and his son John Hyrcanus (I) took over. Under Hyrcanus (135–104{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}) Jewish independence was finally achieved |page=292}}</ref> Simon and his two sons Mattathias and Judah were assassinated at a banquet at [[Dok (fortress)|Dok]] by his son-in-law [[Ptolemy (son of Abubus)|Ptolemy]], the Seleucid governor at [[Jericho]]. Simon's third son [[John Hyrcanus]] succeeded him as high priest and ruler of Judea but was unable to capture Ptolemy, initially because the latter held John's mother hostage, and subsequently because his army disbanded in observance of the custom at the time of resting every seventh year.

==Legacy==
[[Simon (given name)|Simon (and its Hebrew form, Simeon)]] would go on to become the most popular male name for some three centuries afterward in both the [[Hasmonean dynasty|Hasmonean Kingdom]] and [[Roman Judea]]. This was both to honor a Jewish hero who had attained independence for the Jewish state, as well as because "Simon" did not sound artificial or strange to Greek ears.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hengel |first=Martin |authorlink=Martin Hengel |title=Judentum und Hellenismus: Studien zu ihrer Begegnung unter besonderen Berücksichtigung Palästinas bis zur Mitte des 2. Jahrhunderts vor Christus |trans-title=Judaism and Hellenism : Studies in Their Encounter in Palestine During the Early Hellenistic Period |edition= 1st English |location=London |publisher=SCM Press |date=1974 |orig-date=1973 |page=64 }}</ref><ref>Ilan, Tal (2002) ''Lexicon of Jewish Names in Late Antiquity: Palestine 330 BCE–200 CE'' (Texts & Studies in Ancient Judaism, 91), Coronet Books, pp. 56–57; Hachili, R. "Hebrew Names, Personal Names, Family Names and Nicknames of Jews in the Second Temple Period," in J. W. van Henten and A. Brenner, eds., ''Families and Family Relations as Represented in Early Judaism and Early Christianity'' (STAR 2; Leiden:Deo, 2000), pp. 113–115; ''apud'' {{cite book| last=Bauckham| first= Richard |title =Jesus and the Eyewitnesses | edition = 2nd | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing | year = 2017 | isbn = 9780802874313 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=J2lAvgAACAAJ | pages =68–72 }} Quote (p. 71): ''15.6% of men bore one of the two most popular male names, Simon and Joseph''; (p. 72): ''for the [[Gospel]]s and [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]]... 18.2% of men bore one of the two most popular male names, Simon and Joseph''.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{S-hou|[[Hasmonean|Hasmonean Dynasty]]||||135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}}}
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{{S-bef|rows=2|before=[[Jonathan Apphus]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Hasmonean|Leader of the Maccabees]]|years=142&ndash;135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}}}
{{S-aft|rows=3|after=[[John Hyrcanus|John Hyrcanus I]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of High Priests of Israel|High Priest of Judaea]]|years=142&ndash;135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}}}
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{{S-new|reason=Principality<br>declared}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Hasmonean|Prince of Judaea]]|years=141&ndash;135{{nbsp}}{{sc|bc}}}}
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{{IsraeliteKings}}
{{High Priests of Judaism}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2nd-century BCE high priests of Israel]]
[[Category:2nd-century BC Hasmonean monarchs]]
[[Category:Founding monarchs]]
[[Category:Maccabees]]
[[Category:People in the deuterocanonical books]]
[[Category:2nd-century BC murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:Assassinated religious leaders]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:135 BC deaths]]