Alexander Jannaeus
Alexander Jannaeus (Ancient Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος Ἰανναῖος Aléxandros Iannaîos, English: "Alexander Jannaios", usually Latinised to "Alexander Jannaeus"; Hebrew: יַנַּאי Yannaʾy; born Jonathan יהונתן) was the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, who ruled over an expanding kingdom of Judea from 103 to 76 BC. A son of John Hyrcanus, he inherited the throne from his brother Aristobulus I. From his conquests to expand the kingdom to a bloody civil war, Alexander's reign has been described as cruel and oppressive with never-ending conflict. The major historical sources of Alexander's life are Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews and The Jewish War.