Son of: Alexander Jannaeus
When Hyrcanus II's father, Alexander Jannaeus, died in 76, Hyrcanus was appointed high priest, and on his mother’s death in 67 he assumed the rulership of Judaea. After a short and troubled reign of just three months, his warlike brother Aristobulus drove him from power.
Hyrcanus looked for help from Antipater, satrap of Idumaea (the province conquered by Hyrcanus’ grandfather John Hyrcanus I). When Antipater saw the weak-willed Hyrcanus, he recogniozed him to be a possible tool for his own desire to control Judaea. He encouraged him to wage war on Aristobulus, and the brutal struggle led the two brothers to appeal top the Roman general Pompey to be their arbiter. When Pompey saw in Hyrcanus a means of controlling Judaea, he restored him to the high priesthood and some semblance of civil authority.
During the rest of his life, Hyrcanus II was manipulated by those who wished to use him. He was deprived of his office by the Roman military commander Aulus Gabinius, but was restored to it again by Julius Caesar as a reward for his support after Caesar had defeated Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus. In AD 42 he was rendered powerless by Mark Antony’s appointment of Antipater’s two sons Herod and Phasael as tetrarchs of Judaea.
In AD 40 the invading Parthians cut off Hyrcanus’ ears in order to disqualify him for the priesthood. Four years later, after a forced sojourn in Babylon, Hyrcanus was allowed to return to Jerusalem by Herod. However, six years later, in order to end any threat of popular support for Hyrcanus, Herod had him executed.