The Tobiads were a Jewish dynasty in Ammon with origins possibly rooted in the First Temple Period , both literary and archaeological evidence point to their prominence during the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty and at the beginning of the Hasmonean period . They were philhellene , supporters of Hellenistic Judaism , in the early years of the 2nd century BCE.
103-788: What is known about the Tobiads is a combination of references in the Zenon Papyri , accounts of Josephus ( Antiquities of the Jews xii. 160-236) and the Books of Maccabees . These are supplemented by biblical references, the letters from Nimrud , the Lachish letters , and archaeological remains of the Tobiad estate in Iraq al-Amir. The Tobiad family, most probably named after their ancestor bearing
206-640: A Moabite (2 Chron. 24:26); for God said: "Let the descendants of the two ungrateful families chastise the ungrateful Joash" ( Yalk. , Ex. 262). Moab and Ammon were the two offspring of Lot 's incest with his two daughters as described in Gen. 19:30–38. Baalis, king of the Ammonites, envious of the Jewish colony's prosperity, or jealous of the might of the Babylonian king, instigated Ishmael, son of Nathaniel , "of
309-504: A figure named Toubias, dated May 12 259 BCE, one addressed to Apollonius and the other to King Ptolemy. In these letters Toubias responds to a request by the king via Apollonius for him to send animals, due to the king's affinity to unusual beasts, and specifies the animals he sent, all of them domesticated. As a testimony of his high rank, Toubias addressed the king using the customary formula of subservience, though not in an exaggerated fashion, while he addressed Apollonius as an equal. Toubias
412-470: A messenger from the land of Tabel and providing an account of a skirmish between the inhabitants of Gader and the people of Moab , the latter famously bordering with Ammon. Another individual of high status named Tobiah was mentioned in two Ostraca from Lachish , dated 588 BCE, bearing the titles "Servant of the King" and "Arm of the King" (referring to King Zedekiah ), possibly serving as another testimony to
515-469: A small ring of dividing leaves topped with two opposing flower and leaf patterns surmounted by tendrils, as opposed to the Graeco-Roman capital which had central volutes. In addition, the lions and eagles on the wide frieze were fashioned in a freer style than that of the stiff Persian decorations, further implying Hellenistic influence. The mixture of both eastern and western styles in the Tobiad estate
618-486: A strong castle, and built it entirely of white stone to the very roof, and had animals of a prodigious magnitude engraven upon it. He also drew round it a great and deep canal of water. He also made caves of many furlongs in length, by hollowing a rock that was over against him; and then he made large rooms in it, some for feasting, and some for sleeping and living in. He introduced also a vast quantity of waters which ran along it, and which were very delightful and ornamental in
721-410: A unit of four rooms surrounded by a wide corridor on the ground floor, above it was a second story of the same height, the interior of which collapsed. Between the two stories is a decorated frieze with a relief of lions on a string course, and above the upper story a relief of eagles and Corinthian capitals on a similar string course has been restored, topped by an entablature of triglyphs and metopes. On
824-514: Is "Ammonite servant of the king", i.e. servant to the king of Persia , residing in Ammon. This title is generally seen to denote a rank providing ministerial services to the Persians in Ammon, and there is reason to assume that Tobiah was the governor there. Among the business documents of Zenon , secretary of Apollonius , chief finance minister to Ptolemy II Philadelphus , are two letters from
927-525: Is demonstrated by the structure of the main building which included a large entrance hall with a two columned portal, rooms on either side and a large opening flanked by two smaller ones between the entrance and the main hall. It is further demonstrated by the pilasters as well as the Doric triglyph frieze with the Corinthian epistyle, cornice and capitals with a plant motif, consisting of a stem surrounded by
1030-508: Is denied by Schürer. Many points of the Tobiad problem still await solution. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Singer, Isidore ; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Tobiads" . The Jewish Encyclopedia . New York: Funk & Wagnalls. Zenon Papyri Zenon or Zeno ( Greek : Ζήνων ; 3rd century BC), son of Agreophon, was a public official in Ptolemaic Egypt around
1133-476: Is mentioned further, albeit not directly, in another papyrus dated April–May 259 BCE and written up in the fortress (Birta) of Ammon (Ammonitis), reporting the purchase of a slave-girl by Zenon from Nicanor of Cnidos, with Nicanor and two of the witnesses, one cavalryman and one Persian Jewish soldier, being "in the service of Toubias". Other papyri tell of Toubias providing Zenon and his company with pack animals ("beasts of burden") and flour on their journey through
SECTION 10
#17327656962521236-544: Is now unknown) was identified as the location of the ancient town of Philadelphia. Most of the papyri, now referred to as the Zenon Archive or the Zenon Papyri , were edited and published by the British papyrologists Campbell Cowan Edgar and Arthur Surridge Hunt . The Zenon Archive has since been divided among several museum collections and academic institutions around the world, and papyri are now held in
1339-524: Is reflected in the story told in the Talmud that in the days of King Saul , the legitimacy of David's claim to royalty was disputed on account of his descent from Ruth , the Moabite; whereupon Ithra, an Israelite , girt with his sword, strode like an Ishmaelite into the schoolhouse of Jesse , declaring upon the authority of Samuel , the prophet, and his bet din (court of justice), that the law excluding
1442-444: Is stated there that they descended from Ben-Ammi , a son of Lot with his younger daughter who plotted with her sister to intoxicate Lot and, in his inebriated state, have intercourse with him to become pregnant. Ben-Ammi literally means " son of my people ". After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah , Lot's daughters' plot resulted in them conceiving and giving birth to Ammon and his half-brother, Moab . The Ammonites settled to
1545-593: Is thus seen as an example of the considerable influence the Ptolemaic rule had on the development of Jewish art . During the reign of the Egyptian king Ptolemy and his wife Cleopatra, the high priest Onias refused to pay the Jewish tribute of twenty talents which his father, Simon the Just , had always given from his own means. In his anger the king sent Athenion as a special envoy to Jerusalem , threatening to seize
1648-630: The Battle of Qarqar in 853 BC, possibly as vassals of Hadadezer , the Aramaean king of Damascus . In 734 BC the Ammonite king Sanipu was a vassal of Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria, and Sanipu's successor Pudu-ilu held the same position under Sennacherib ( r. 705–681 ) and Esarhaddon ( r. 681–669 ). An Assyrian tribute-list exists from this period, showing that Ammon paid one-fifth as much tribute as Judah did. Somewhat later,
1751-758: The First Temple Period there were influential Judean families who held estates in Trans-Jordan , and these did not necessarily lose their lands even when the Kingdom of Israel ceased to exist. As such, Mazar suggested that the Tobiads were prominent landowners in Trans-Jordan during the First Temple Period and were exiled from their lands by Tiglath-Pileser III . Based on the account in the book of Chronicles , he concluded that
1854-562: The Neo-Assyrian Empire , but had joined in the general uprising that took place under Sennacherib ; but they submitted and they became tributary in the reign of Esar-haddon . Their hostility to Judah is shown in their joining the Chaldeans to destroy it. Their cruelty is denounced by the prophet Amos and their destruction (with their return in the future) by Jeremiah ; Ezekiel ; and Zephaniah . Their murder of Gedaliah
1957-686: The 250s-230s BC. He is known from a cache of his papyrus documents which was discovered by archaeologists in the Nile Valley in 1914. Zeno was a native of the Greek town of Kaunos in Caria in southwestern Asia Minor . He moved to the town of Philadelphia in Egypt , a busy market town that had been founded on the edge of the Faiyum by Ptolemy II Philadelphus in honour of his sister Arsinoe II . From
2060-404: The 3rd century BC until the 5th century CE, Philadelphia was a thriving settlement that relied on agriculture for its economic success. At Philadelphia, Zeno became a private secretary to Apollonius , the finance minister to Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Ptolemy III Euergetes . Drimylus and Dionysius, two Greek employees under Zeno, were reported to him for selling women as sex-slaves. During
2163-527: The 580s BC. In accounts in the First Book of Maccabees , the Ammonites and their neighboring tribes are noted for having resisted the revival of Jewish power under Judas Maccabaeus in the period 167 to 160 BC. The dynast Hyrcanus founded Qasr Al Abd , and was a descendant of the Seleucid Tobiad dynasty of Tobiah , whom Nehemiah mentions in the 5th century BC as an Ammonite (ii. 19) from
SECTION 20
#17327656962522266-401: The 5th-3rd century BCE. In some of the caves mentioned above pottery from the 7th century BCE has been unearthed, and based on a survey of the region some have suggested dating the caves as early as the late Iron II age period. Following the path out of Iraq al-Amir is an aqueduct which was only a part of a larger water system from the time of Hyrcanus, portions of which are still used today for
2369-471: The Ammonite and Moabite from the Jewish congregation referred only to the men—who alone had sinned in not meeting Israel with bread and water—and not to the women. The story reflects actual conditions in pre- Talmudic times, conditions that led to the fixed rule stated in the Mishnah : "Ammonite and Moabite men are excluded from the Jewish community for all time; their women are admissible." That Rehoboam ,
2472-549: The Ammonite king Amminadab I ( fl. 650 BC ) was among the tributaries who suffered in the course of the great Arabian campaign of Assurbanipal . Other kings attested to in contemporary sources are Barachel (attested to in several contemporary seals ) and Hissalel ; Hissalel reigned about 620 BC, and is mentioned in an inscription on a bronze bottle found at Tel Siran in present-day Amman , along with his son, King Amminadab II , who reigned around 600 BC. Archaeology and history indicate that Ammon flourished during
2575-540: The Ammonite language include an inscription on a bronze bottle dating to c. 600 BC and the Amman Citadel Inscription . Sources for what little is known of Ammonite religion are mostly the Hebrew Bible and material evidence. In general it appears to have been rather typical for Levantine religions , with Milcom , El and the moon god being the most prominent deities. The economy, for
2678-471: The Arabian , to oppose Nehemiah on the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem , possibly due to the reform on land owning that Nehemiah forced through. It is mentioned that the "sons of Tobiah" were among those who could not prove their lineage; it appears that this is referring to all the residents of the land of Tobiah, and it is possible that their lack of record is due their residence outside of Judah or to
2781-611: The Bible. The Ammonites' language is believed to be in the Canaanite family , closely related to Hebrew and Moabite . Ammonite may have incorporated certain Aramaic influences, including the use of ‘bd , instead of commoner Biblical Hebrew ‘śh , for "work". The only other notable difference with Biblical Hebrew is the sporadic retention of feminine singular -t (e.g., šħt "cistern", but lyh "high (fem.)".) Inscriptions found in
2884-669: The Hellenizing high priest Jason when he fled from the usurper Menelaus in 171 BCE, and was finally destroyed when Timotheus , the Seleucid general, overran the fortress and Massacred about a thousand of the "Jews in the region of Tubias" in 163 BCE. Within his account of the Hyrcanus chapter of the Tobiad Saga, Josephus provides a detailed description of the Tobiad estate, attributing it to Hyrcanus: "He also erected
2987-637: The Israelite Exodus , the Amorites west of Jordan, under King Sihon , invaded and occupied a large portion of the territory of Moab and Ammon . The Ammonites were driven from the rich lands near the Jordan and retreated to the mountains and valleys to the east. The invasion of the Amorites created a wedge and separated the two kingdoms of Ammon and Moab. Throughout the Bible, the Ammonites and
3090-605: The Israelites are portrayed as mutual antagonists. During the Exodus, the Israelites were prohibited by the Ammonites from passing through their lands. This mistreatment is one of the reasons given for why the Torah forbids Jewish women from marrying Ammonite men. In the times of Judges , the Ammonites allied themselves with Eglon of Moab in attacking Israel. The Ammonites maintained their claim to part of Transjordan , after it
3193-617: The Israelites would have directed such irony to Lot himself, particularly because incest was not explicitly forbidden or stigmatized until the Book of Leviticus , i.e. centuries after the time of Abraham and Lot. The Ammonites, still numerous in the south of Palestine in the second century CE according to Justin Martyr , presented a serious problem to the Pharisaic scribes because many marriages with Ammonite and Moabite wives had taken place in
Tobiads - Misplaced Pages Continue
3296-582: The Jordan, the Ammonites became allies of Ben-hadad , and a contingent of 1,000 of them served as allies of Syria in the great battle of the Arameans and Assyrians at Qarqar in 854 BC in the reign of Shalmaneser III . The Ammonites, Moabites and Meunim formed a coalition against Jehoshaphat of Judah. The coalition later was thrown to confusion, with the armies slaughtering one another. They were subdued and paid tribute to Jotham. After submitting to Tiglath-Pileser III they were generally tributary to
3399-529: The Ptolemies against the new régime of the Syrians, and might consequently fear the revenge of Antiochus IV. II Macc. iii. 11 mentions money deposited by Hyrcanus, the son of Tobias, "a man of great dignity", taking it for granted that a friendship existed between Onias II and Hyrcanus, a supposition which is very reasonable, since only the other Tobiads, the brothers of Hyrcanus, were involved in quarrels with
3502-474: The Seleucids were too occupied with Jerusalem and Egypt at this point and it is probable that Hyrcanus survived, at least till 169–168 BCE, when Antiochus IV returned and took revenge on the Jews for believing he was dead, and possibly eradicated the remaining pockets of Ptolemaic resistance at the same opportunity. It seems the estate of the Tobiads "in the Ammonite country" served as a place of refuge for
3605-497: The Temple of Jerusalem. This individual was proposed by Mazar to be the grandfather of Tobiah the Ammonite mentioned in the book of Nehemiah . Indeed, Tobiah the Ammonite is recognized by various scholars to be an ancestor of the clan, and he is mentioned often and in some detail in the book of Nehemiah. "Tobiah The Servant, The Ammonite", is said to have conspired in 445 BCE with other land-owners, Sanballat of Samaria and Geshem
3708-510: The Tobiad's rise to prominence and their ownership of land in Ammon occurred during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah and his son Jotham , who were said to have been victorious over the Ammonites . This would explain their residence in the area from shortly thereafter. A probable mention of an ancestor to the Tobiads from the 8th century BCE is in the book of Isaiah , within the context of
3811-464: The Tobiads all the misfortunes which befell the Jews. The account of Josephus, on the other hand, which represents Onias as a weakling and the Tobiads as the promoters of Israel's welfare, is drawn from Samaritan sources. With this theory Büchler also agrees, thus explaining why Joseph sought aid in Samaria, and why the account fails to express disapproval of the non-Jewish conduct of Joseph, who ate at
3914-466: The account of the Tobiads), and no longer the high priesthood , the sons of Tobias (Τωβίου παῖδες) [ Tobiou paides ] took sides with Menelaus Wellhausen denied both the historicity and the value of the narrative, although he thinks that the portion dealing with the period of Seleucus IV and Antiochus IV may be trustworthy, and he regards the suicide of Hyrcanus as probable, since the latter supported
4017-478: The attack of the Seleucid general Timotheus in 163 BCE, and natural causes, such as water damage in 170 BCE and a succession of earthquakes in 30–31 BCE, 363 CE and 551 CE. In certain ways the Qasr was built according to the standard of oriental sanctuaries and royal palaces. Both the main building and the monumental gateway were decorated with lions and eagles, animals which were represented in sanctuaries and belong to
4120-507: The attacker of Jabesh-Gilead , which lay outside the territory he laid claim to. Having subjected the occupants to a siege , the population sought terms for surrender , and were told by Nahash that they had a choice of death (by the sword) or having their right eyes gouged out. The population obtained seven days' grace from Nahash, during which they would be allowed to seek help from the Israelites , after which they would have to submit to
4223-521: The battle and killed two of his half-brothers but as the city of Jerusalem refused to admit him, he settled beyond the Jordan . Shortly afterwards, Seleucus IV Philopator (187–175 BC) became king of the Seleucid kingdom. Hyrcanus's father Joseph and his uncle, Onias II, also died. The high-priesthood passed to Simon II (219–199 BC). Hyrcanus continued his warfare against the Arabs beyond the Jordan and, in
Tobiads - Misplaced Pages Continue
4326-541: The child of this union being Hyrcanus, who was his father's favorite son and consequently the object of his brothers' enmity. Josephus describes Joseph as "a good man, and of great magnanimity" who "brought the Jews out of a state of poverty and meanness to one that was more splendid. He retained the farming of the taxes of Syria, and Phenicia, and Samaria twenty-two years." On the birth of a prince, Joseph feeling too old to visit Alexandria and his other sons likewise declining to go, sent Hyrcanus to bear his congratulations to
4429-421: The cities of Syria and Phoenicia, while the great fortune which his extortions won was held secure by his continual presents to the king, queen, and courtiers, so that he retained his office of tax-farmer until his death, twenty-two years later. By his first wife Joseph had seven sons. At Alexandria he became infatuated with a dancer, for whom his brother Solymius, who lived in the city, substituted his own daughter,
4532-1025: The collections of the University of Michigan , Columbia University , the Società Italiana per la Ricerca dei Papiri Greci e Latini in Egitto, the British Museum in London and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. A substantial part of the Zenon Papyri are now online and grammatically tagged at the Perseus Project hosted at Tufts University . Ammon Ammon ( Ammonite : 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ʻAmān ; Hebrew : עַמּוֹן ʻAmmōn ; Arabic : عمّون , romanized : ʻAmmūn )
4635-610: The court of an Egyptian king and had dealings with Gentiles. Willreich likewise brings the Tobiads into association both with Tobiah, the servant mentioned by Nehemiah as an Ammonite (ii. 19), who consequently came from the east-Jordanic district, and with the Tubieni, who were the enemies of the Jews. Although Willreich does not absolutely deny the historicity of the narrative, since the castle of Hyrcanus has been discovered in modern times, he regards Joseph and Hyrcanus as mere names, representing in part Jason and Menelaus. The third form of
4738-521: The court. Arion, Joseph's representative in Alexandria, however, refused to allow Hyrcanus money, and the latter accordingly put him in chains, not only escaping punishment from the king, but even winning both his favor and that of the courtiers, whose aid his brothers had secretly invoked against him. The king sent letters recommending him warmly to his father. When Hyrcanus returned to Judaea, his older brothers met him with armed resistance. Hyrcanus won
4841-455: The court. But still he made the entrances at the mouth of the caves so narrow, that no more than one person could enter by them at once. And the reason why he built them after that manner was a good one; it was for his own preservation, lest he should be besieged by his brethren, and run the hazard of being caught by them. Moreover, he built courts of greater magnitude than ordinary, which he adorned with vastly large gardens. And when he had brought
4944-494: The daughter of Antiochus III . In that case, however, Joseph could not have farmed the Egyptian taxes, since Cœle-Syria was then under Syrian, and not under Egyptian, suzerainty, while the assertion that the two powers had divided the revenues of the country is merely an attempt on the part of Josephus to evade the difficulty. Nor was the period between Ptolemy V's marriage (193) and his death (182) sufficiently long to agree with
5047-460: The days of Nehemiah (Neh. 13). Still later, it is not improbable that when Judas Maccabeus had inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Ammonites, Jewish warriors took Ammonite women as wives, and their sons, sword in hand, claimed recognition as Jews notwithstanding the law (Deut. 23) that "an Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord." Such a condition or a similar incident
5150-549: The days of Nehemiah . The men had married women of the various nations without conversion, which made the children not Jewish. They also joined the Syrians in their wars with the Maccabees and were defeated by Judas. The "sons of Ammon" would be subject to Israel during the time of the Messiah's rulership according to the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 11:14). The book of Zephaniah states that "Moab will assuredly be like Sodom, and
5253-624: The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls : although not present in either the Septuagint or masoretic text , an introductory passage, preceding this narrative, was found in a copy of the Books of Samuel among the scrolls found in cave 4 : [N]ahash, king of Ammonites would put hard pressure on the descendants of Gad and the descendants of Ruben and would gouge everyone's right eye out, but no res(cuer) would be provided for Israel and there
SECTION 50
#17327656962525356-634: The east of the Jordan, invading the Rephaim lands east of Jordan, between the Jabbok and Arnon , dispossessing them and dwelling in their place. Their territory originally comprising all from the Jordan to the wilderness, and from the River Jabbok south to the River Arnon. It was accounted a land of giants; and that giants formerly dwelt in it, whom the Ammonites called Zamzummim. Shortly before
5459-641: The east-Jordanian district. By the Roman conquest of the Levant by Pompey in 63 BC, Ammon lost its distinct identity through assimilation. However, the last notice of the Ammonites occurs in Justin Martyr 's Dialogue with Trypho (§ 119), in the second century CE; Justin affirms that they were still a numerous people. The first mention of the Ammonites in the Hebrew Bible is in Genesis 19:37-38. It
5562-417: The estate. Despite the many questions the complete narrative raises, the historicity of its main core brought above is not to be doubted, and it can be viewed in light of the political upheavals in the region, which was a battleground for the Syrian wars between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids during the 3rd–2nd centuries BCE. It has been suggested that Onias was unwilling to pay tribute to Ptolemy due to
5665-441: The former's refusal to pay tribute to the latter, and did so for twenty-two years. It is further stated that Hyrcanus, the youngest of Joseph's seven sons was sent to represent his family in Ptolemy's celebration in honor of the birth of his son. It was at this celebration that Hyrcanus reportedly supplanted his father as tax farmer, an act which his father and brothers resented deeply. The population then split into two camps, though
5768-410: The governor disbelieved the report, and forbade Johanan to lay hands upon the conspirator. Ishmael and his ten companions were royally entertained at Gedaliah's table. In the midst of the festivities Ishmael slew the unsuspecting Gedaliah, the Chaldean garrison stationed in Mizpah, and all the Jews that were with him, casting their bodies into the pit of Asa (Josephus, "Ant." x. 9, § 4). The Rabbis condemn
5871-399: The ground level there were two fountains carved as felines. Evidence of an additional smaller monumental building, bearing architectural similarities to the main structure, was unearthed at a distance of about 240 meters. Surrounding the Qasr was an artificial lake with a moat and a dam, and a monumental gateway which led to a path circumnavigating the lake. Approximately 900 meters to
5974-435: The high priestly office solely for the sake of gain. He told him, furthermore, that he ought at all events to go to the king and petition him to remit the tribute-money, or at least a part of it. Onias, on the other hand, replied that he did not wish to rule, and expressed himself as willing to resign the high-priesthood, although he refused to petition the king. He permitted Joseph, however, to go to Ptolemy, and also to speak to
6077-424: The inhabitants being killed or put to forced labor at David's command. According to both 1 Kings 14:21-31 and 2 Chronicles 12:13, Naamah was an Ammonite. She was the only wife of King Solomon to be mentioned by name in the Tanakh as having borne a child. She was the mother of Solomon's successor, Rehoboam . When the Arameans of Damascus city-state deprived the Kingdom of Israel of their possessions east of
6180-406: The irrigation of the fields in the area. In addition to the aqueduct, a doric columned structure containing a stepped tank and two channels was discovered to the north of the cave complex, it too has been dated to the time of Hyrcanus and may have been used as a ritual bath or a settling basin. According to Rosenberg, the site gradually deteriorated due to a combination of human intervention, such as
6283-454: The king more acceptable. Considering that some of the later kings of Israel, and even Pekah himself, had demonstrated strong ties with estate holders in trans-Jordan , it is plausible that this Tobel was one of them. Further support for the presence of a ruler in Ammon by the name of Tobel can be found in one of the letters of Nimrud , dated from between the reigns of Tiglath Pileser III to Sargon II , namely between 740–705 BCE, mentioning
SECTION 60
#17327656962526386-411: The kings of Aram and Israel trying to depose the king of Judah and replace him with a figure by the name of Tobel: "And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham , the son of Uzziah , king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah , king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it... Because Syria, Ephraim, and
6489-675: The lake of Gibeon. The captives were rescued, but Ishmael and eight of his men escaped to the land of Ammon. The plan of Baalis thus succeeded, for the Jewish refugees, fearing lest the Babylonian king should hold them responsible for the murder, never returned to their native land. In spite of the exhortations of Jeremiah they fled to Egypt, joined by the remnant of the Jews that had survived, together with Jeremiah and Baruch (Jer. xliii. 6). The rule of Gedaliah lasted, according to tradition, only two months, although Grätz argues that it continued more than four years. The few Ammonite names that have been preserved also include Nahash and Hanun , both from
6592-399: The land of the Jews and to hold it by force of arms if the money was not forthcoming. Although the high priest disregarded this threat, the people were greatly excited, whereupon Onias' nephew Joseph, a son of Tobias and a man greatly beloved and respected for his wisdom and piety, reproached his uncle for bringing disaster upon the people, declaring, moreover, that Onias ruled the Jews and held
6695-412: The legitimate high priest. That Hyrcanus is called the son of Tobias, and not of Joseph, is due, Wellhausen holds, to mere abbreviation, and does not imply any divergency in the two accounts. Willreich distinguishes a threefold tradition concerning the Tobiads, the first being that of the Pseudo-Hecataeus (according to Willreich's interpretation), which represents Onias as a worthy man, and attributes to
6798-414: The majority and the high priest supported the older brothers. After killing two of his brothers in battle and being refused entry into Jerusalem , Hyrcanus fled across the Jordan river and set up the family estate where he lived in conflict with his Arab neighbors for seven years. The story of Hyrcanus concludes with his suicide after Antiochus IV Epiphanes rose to power in 175 BCE, and the destruction of
6901-458: The many diverse literary and historical sources and archaeological remains upon which they left their mark. The written sources include the Lachish letters , the letters from Nimrud , the books of Isaiah , Nehemiah and Zachariah , the Zenon papyri, the books of Maccabees and the writings of Josephus . Archaeological remains include Qasr al-Abd and other remains from Iraq al-Amir in today's Jordan. As Benjamin Mazar established, during
7004-428: The monarch's friendship; and by his offer of 16,000 talents against the 8,000 bid by his opponents he secured the contract for farming the taxes , the king and queen becoming his sureties, since he did not have sufficient ready money. He left Alexandria with 500 talents and 2,000 soldiers, and by punishing all who opposed him in Ashkelon and Scythopolis and confiscating their estates, he made himself feared through all
7107-440: The most part, was based on agriculture and herding. Most people lived in small villages surrounded by farms and pastures. Like its sister-kingdom of Moab, Ammon was the source of numerous natural resources, including sandstone and limestone . It had a productive agricultural sector and occupied a vital place along the King's Highway , the ancient trade route connecting Egypt with Mesopotamia , Syria , and Asia Minor . As with
7210-413: The name Tobel, would be changed to Tobiah(u). Additionally, the prefix "Son of" ( Ben ) was common among high officials in Ugarit and in the biblical lists of King Solomon's officials, and as was posited by Alt, most probably denoted an office passed on from father to Son, making the son of Tobel an individual of prominence and a link in a dynasty of sorts, something which would have made his replacement of
7313-401: The name Tuvia (Tobias) ("God is my good" or "Good is my God"), a name which remained in the family by papponymy and patronymy for several hundred years, received its noble status possibly during the First Temple Period and retained it until the death of their last scion, Hyrcanus. Though no complete history of the Tobiad family has survived, a partial narrative may be reconstructed, based on
7416-518: The nephew of the High Priest Onias and the son of Tobias. Although, since the known individuals mentioned in the account all belonged to patronymic and papponymic dynasties, their precise identities are still disputed among modern scholars, as are the precise dates of the events. According to this narrative, Joseph was granted the rights to farm taxes from Syria , Phoenicia and Samaria instead of his uncle Onias, by King Ptolemy, due to
7519-589: The north-northeast of the Qasr are fifteen caves, six in an upper tier and nine in a lower tier. Some of these caves were used for residence while others were used for storage, one contained mangers, troughs and rings for hitching animals, one possibly served as a dovecote, one as a cistern and another possibly as a lookout post. Two of the caves, numbered 11 and 13, bear inscriptions of the name "Tobiah" in Aramaic script near their entrances. This has led scholars to offer dates for their inscription, opinions range from
7622-545: The northern Central Trans-Jordanian Plateau from the latter part of the second millennium BC to at least the second century AD. Ammon maintained its independence from the Neo-Assyrian Empire (10th to 7th centuries BC) by paying tribute to the Assyrian kings at a time when that Empire raided or conquered nearby kingdoms. The Kurkh Monolith lists the Ammonite king Baasha ben Ruhubi 's army as fighting alongside Ahab of Israel and Syrian allies against Shalmaneser III at
7725-405: The overconfidence of Gedaliah, holding him responsible for the death of his followers (Niddah 61a; comp. Jer. xli. 9). Ishmael captured many of the inhabitants of Mizpah, as well as "the daughters of the king" entrusted to Gedaliah's care by the Babylonian general, and fled to Ammon. Johanan and his followers, however, on receiving the sad tidings, immediately pursued the murderers, overtaking them at
7828-464: The people. Joseph quieted the Jews, and received the envoy hospitably in his own house, besides giving him costly presents, so that, when Athenion returned to Alexandria , he informed the king of the coming of Joseph, whom he styled the ruler (προστάτης) [prostatis] of the people. Shortly afterward Joseph started on his journey, having first raised a loan of about 20,000 drachmae in Samaria , although he
7931-538: The peoples of Moab (where Ruth comes from) and Amon in general, who were noted by the Torah for their distinct lack of kindness. Deut. 23:5: "Because they [the peoples of Amon and Moab] did not greet you with bread and water on the way when you left Egypt, and because he [the people of Moab] hired Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim against you, to curse you." Rashi notes regarding Israel's travels on
8034-665: The period of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (626 to 539 BC). This contradicts the view, dominant for decades, that Transjordan was either destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar II , or suffered a rapid decline following Judah's destruction by that king. Newer evidence suggests that Ammon enjoyed continuity from the Neo-Babylonian to the Persian period of 550 to 330 BC. One reason includes Ammon becoming a Babylonian province, shortly after being devastated by Nebuchadnezzar II in
8137-500: The place to this state, he named it Tyre. This place is between Arabia and Judea, beyond Jordan, not far from the country of Heshbon." Since its discovery in the nineteenth century the archaeological finds in Iraq al-Amir have been firmly tied to the description of the Tobiad estate given by Josephus. The most prominent building, known today as Qasr el-Abed, is a monumental, rectangular, two-story columned structure, built of massive stones weighing 15–25 tons each. The building consisted of
8240-583: The political status of the Tobiads and their relationship with the Monarchy in Jerusalem , towards the end of the First Temple Period . Another source about a figure with the name Tobiah, placing him at about 519 BCE, can be seen in the book of Zachariah , where he is mentioned among other notable figures as part of "the branch" that shall rule in the future alongside the High Priest and shall rebuild
8343-495: The possibility that they neglected to take their records with them into exile. They eventually were accepted into the community, and that the aforementioned Tobiah was a Jew, was related by marriage to the High-Priest Eliashiv , was on good terms with him to the point of having an office in the Temple court, and was listed among the "Nobles of Judah" along with some of his relatives. Though it is quite obvious that he
8446-544: The probable historicity of the account of the Tobiads. 1 Maccabees makes no mention of these events. The quarrels were factional ones, the issue being whether the old and popular government of the Ptolemies should continue, or whether the Jews should deliver themselves over to the Syrian kings and their Hellenization. When Jason and Menelaus struggled for the dominant power in Jerusalem, which was, according to Büchler, political office (the προστασία [ prostasia ] mentioned in
8549-463: The region. Rosenberg concludes that "Toubias was head of a mixed-nationality cleruchy or military community and indulged in breeding animals and slaves and supplying them to the Ptolemaic Court. Toubias must have been an important local landowner, as he was on friendly terms not only with Appolonios but even with the ruler Ptolemy II Philadelphos ". Josephus wrote extensively about Joseph
8652-438: The rise of the Seleucids and the fear of supporting their enemy, while Joseph was pro-Ptolemy. Eventually only Hyrcanus remained loyal to the Ptolemies, while the rest of Joseph's sons supported the Seleucids, and when the Seleucids emerged victorious Hyrcanus was forced to retreat to his Trans-Jordanian estate where he would meet his demise, though it is doubtful that this happened in 175 BCE. As has been pointed out by Rosenberg,
8755-618: The royal bestiary, and which symbolize the strength of the divine or human royal power. The Tobiad estate is similar to the Iranian paradeisos , a Greek term used by Josephus when describing the estate, which combines luxurious buildings and natural surroundings, and is possibly modeled after the residence of the Satrap in Sidon. The architecture and ornamentation of the Qasr was predominantly Hellenistic, and in many ways Alexandrian, in style. This
8858-530: The royal seed," to make an end of the Judean rule in Palestine, Ishmael, being an unscrupulous character, permitted himself to become the tool of the Ammonite king in order to realize his own ambition to become the ruler of the deserted land. Information of this conspiracy reached Gedaliah through Johanan, son of Kareah, and Johanan undertook to slay Ishmael before he had had time to carry out his evil design; but
8961-512: The siege and defeated the Ammonite king, eventually resulting in the formation of the Israelite kingdom . During the reign of King David , the Ammonites humiliated David's messengers, and hired the Aramean armies to attack Israel. This eventually ended in a war and a year-long siege of Rabbah , the capital of Ammon. The war ended with all the Ammonite cities being conquered and plundered, and
9064-601: The son of King Solomon , was born of an Ammonite woman also made it difficult to maintain the messianic claims of the house of David ; but it was adduced as an illustration of divine Providence which selected the "two doves," Ruth, the Moabite, and Naamah , the Ammonitess, for honorable distinction. Ruth's kindness as noted in the Book of Ruth by Boaz is seen in the Jewish Tradition as in rare contradistinction to
9167-401: The son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tobel" According to Tur-Sinai , King Josiah's reform of the 7th century BCE effected changes in personal names, and the theophoric suffix -el was converted to the suffix -iahu. It follows that
9270-460: The sons of Ammon like Gomorrah—Ground overgrown with weeds and full of salt mines, and a permanent desolation." (Zephaniah 2:9). The biblical narrative has traditionally been considered literal fact, but is now generally interpreted as recording a gross popular irony by which the Israelites expressed their loathing of the morality of the Moabites and Ammonites. It has been doubted, however, whether
9373-399: The statement concerning the length of time during which Joseph farmed the taxes (twenty-two years), and still less could Hyrcanus have reached manhood in so short a space. Büchler, therefore, finds himself compelled to place Joseph's term of office between 219 and 199, although this stultifies the statement of Josephus regarding a division of the taxes. Adolf Büchler 's research established
9476-429: The terms of surrender. The occupants sought help from the people of Israel, sending messengers throughout the whole territory, and Saul , a herdsman at this time, responded by raising an army which decisively defeated Nahash and his cohorts at Bezek . The strangely cruel terms given by Nahash for surrender were explained by Josephus as being the usual practice of Nahash. A more complete explanation came to light with
9579-493: The tradition is that of Jason of Cyrene, on which the second Book of the Maccabees is based; and Schlatter is even of the opinion that Josephus himself drew his account of the Tobiads from this same source. Büchler regards the struggle between the Tobiads and the Oniads as a contest between Ptolemean and Seleucid supremacy in Jerusalem. According to the same scholar, moreover, Menelaus and Jason themselves were Tobiads, although this
9682-418: The vicinity of Heshbon, built the castle of Tyre , and ruling the district east of the Jordan for seven years during the reign of Seuleucus IV. Ptolemy V Epiphanes (205–182) also died, leaving two young sons. When Antiochus Epiphanes became king of Syria (175–164 BC), Hyrcanus realized that he would be unable to vindicate himself for his murderous attacks upon the Arabs, he committed suicide, and his property
9785-463: The way: "when you were in [a state of] extreme exhaustion." Jehoash was one of the four men who pretended to be gods. He was persuaded thereto particularly by the princes, who said to him. "Wert thou not a god thou couldst not come out alive from the Holy of Holies" (Ex R. viii. 3) . He was assassinated by two of his servants, one of whom was the son of an Ammonite woman and the other the offspring of
9888-482: The winter of 1914–1915, Egyptian peasants were digging near the modern settlement of Kom el-Kharaba for sebakh (decayed mudbricks that were often plundered from ancient sites as they could be used as fertiliser ). There they uncovered a cache of over 2,000 papyrus documents. Upon examination by Egyptologists , they were found to be records written by Zeno in Greek and Demotic , and the site (whose precise location
9991-576: Was a dastardly act. They may have regained their old territory when Tiglath-pileser carried off the Israelites east of the Jordan into captivity. Tobiah the Ammonite united with Sanballat to oppose Nehemiah, and their opposition to the Jews did not cease with the establishment of the latter in Judea. The Ammonites presented a serious problem to the Pharisees because many marriages between Israelite men and Ammonite (and Moabite) women had taken place in
10094-514: Was an ancient Semitic-speaking kingdom occupying the east of the Jordan River , between the torrent valleys of Arnon and Jabbok , in present-day Jordan . The chief city of the country was Rabbah or Rabbat Ammon , site of the modern city of Amman , Jordan's capital. Milcom and Molech are named in the Hebrew Bible as the gods of Ammon. The people of this kingdom are called Children of Ammon or Ammonites . The Ammonites occupied
10197-404: Was at odds with Nehemiah, seeing as the latter expelled him from the Temple and insisted that the place be ritually cleansed thereafter, it is possible that this was due to Tobiah's attempt of insinuating himself into the Temple and even the priesthood. According to Mazar his title "Ammonite servant" refers to an official of high standing, and despite it being used in a scornful manner, what is meant
10300-464: Was not left anyone among the children of Israel in the Tr(ans Jordan) whose right eye Nahash the king of Ammonites did not gouge out but be(hold) seven thousand men (escaped the power of) Ammonites and they arrived at (Ya)besh Gilead. About a month later Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-Gilead. This eventually led to an alliance with Saul. Under his command, the Israelites relieved
10403-405: Was obliged to submit to the jeers of prominent men of Syria and Phoenicia , who were visiting Alexandria in order to farm the taxes , and who derided him on account of his insignificant appearance. Not finding Ptolemy at Alexandria, Joseph went to meet him at Memphis, where the king graciously granted him a seat in his own chariot, together with the queen and Athenion. His cleverness won for him
10506-666: Was occupied by the Israelites who obtained it from Sihon . During the days of Jephthah , the Ammonites occupied the lands east of the River Jordan and started to invade Israelite lands west of the river. Jephthah became the leader in resisting these incursions. The constant harassment of the Israelite communities east of the Jordan by the Ammonites was the impetus behind the unification of the tribes under Saul . King Nahash of Ammon ( c. 1010 – 990 BC) lay siege to Jabesh-Gilead . Nahash appears abruptly as
10609-446: Was seized by Antiochus. The most serious difficulty, however, is the chronology. An old interpolator of Josephus advanced the opinion that the king mentioned in the story was Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–222 BC). However, this monarch was not the consort of a Cleopatra, nor was his immediate successor Seleucus IV. The only ruler to whom the narrative can properly refer is Ptolemy V Epiphanes (205–182), who in 193 BCE married Cleopatra ,
#251748