John Hyrcanus

 

From Encyclopedia  Judaica Jerusalem, Volume 6, page 379, edited by Cecil Roth, Library of Congress Control No. 72177492, call number DS102.8 .E496, we learn about how the JEWS converted the EDOMITES [the eternal enemies of us Israelites], to “Judaism” [a conversion for which the Israelite Paul apologized profusely to his fellow Israelites]:

“In the Bible Edom is described as the eternal enemy of Israel (and Judah, Amos 1:11; Ezek. 35:5) who not only always oppressed Israel, but at the time of the destruction of the First Temple took advantage of the situation and seized control of parts of Judah (Ezek. 25:12, 35:5, 10;2: Obad. 11:16) and it is hinted that Edom also took part in the destruction of Jerusalem (Ps. 137:7, Obad. 11) and even in that of the Temple itself (Obad. 16).  In consequence, during the Second Temple period there spread a belief that it was actually the Edomites who burned the First Temple (1 Esdras 4:45; Ethiopian Enoch 89:660, and also interfered with the building of the Second Temple 9ibid. 720.  Hence the intense enmity toward Edom which grew stronger in the course of time (Ecclus. 50:25), until the conquest of Edom and its conversion to Judaism in the time of John Hyrcanus, a conquest which is the background to the descriptions of the wars of Jacob and his sons with Esau and his sons in the Book of jubilees 937 38) and in the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (Judah 9).  Edom is even compared to a black boar (1 En. 89:12, 42, 43, 49, 66; Jub. 37:20, 24) …”

 

 

Also from Encyclopedia  Judaica Jerusalem, in Volume 8, page 1147,  we learn even more about how the Edomites  “FROM THIS TIME [ ] BECAME AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE”, casually mentioning that it was jew Hyrcanus who destroyed the historic capitol of the House of Israel:

 

“Hyrcanus achieved the complete independence of Judea and undertook extensive conquests throughout the whole of the land of Israel.  At first he turned to the center of the country, seizing Shechem and later destroying the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim.  Later he conquered Idumea (Edom) and compelled its inhabitants to adopt Judaism.  FROM THIS TIME THE IDUMEANS BECAME AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE [emphasis added].”

 

This is proof that Hyrcanus was a jew, not an Israelite:

1.       This would make him the eternal enemies of Israelites. 

2.       The Samaritan temple he destroyed was the MAIN nerve center and vital historical record of the House of Israel, so why would he as an Israelite destroy it? 

3.       This was a major spiritual defeat and psychological undercutting of the House of Israel which not even Scripture addresses, a solemn omission.

4.       God commanded Israelites to NEVER even associate with Edomites, yet here a JEWISH source admits that jew  Hyrcanus ADMITS that it was EDOMITES who ‘converted to judaism’ [Talmud], not to the Israelite Word of God [Torah]. 

5.       Edomites could NEVER in a million years “become an inseparable part of the” Israelite people.

6.       Only IF jews WERE Edomites could they become “AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE”, as there’s no evidence that jews ever accepted any other race into their midst like this.

 

This forcible conversion of the Edomites to “Judaism” by John Hyrcanus is also confirmed by the following on-line jew source.  While this article does mention the destruction of the temple in the capitol city of the House of Israel, a real blow to actual Israelites that no real Israelite would fathom, it fails to mention that Edomites became “AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE” as the Judaica Encyclopedia does, or that “from then on they constituted a part of the Jewish people, Herod being one of their descendants” as the Standard Jewish Encyclopedia does:

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1004&letter=H&search=hyrcanus%20edom

Forcibly Converts the Edomites.

Hyrcanus, who had been confirmed by the Romans in the possession of the important seaport of Joppa, subjugated other Syrian towns, such as Berœa (Aleppo). He marched against the fort of Madaba, on the banks of the Jordan, which had always been hostile to the Hasmoneans, and conquered it after a six months' siege; he also conquered the town of Samaya (Samega), on the Sea of Galilee, of special importance on account of its geographical position. He then proceeded against the Samaritans, who had always sided with the enemies of the Jews. He conquered Shechem, one of the most important towns of Samaria, and destroyed the temple on Mount Gerizim (21st Kislew = December, about 120). After victoriously ending the war in Samaria, he proceeded to subdue the Edomites, always a menace to the southern parts of his domains. With funds which he is said to have obtained from David's sepulcher he hired foreign troops, dismantled Adora and Marissa, the strong places of Edom, and forced the Edomites to accept the Jewish religion and submit to circumcision. This is the first instance of forcible conversion in Jewish history. In this Hyrcanus allowed his zeal for the Jewish cause to lead him to take a step which later wrought harm; for to the Edomites belonged the family of the Herodians, who were to bring about the ruin of the Hasmoneans. The Samaritans, who still held their strongly fortified metropolis of Samaria, with a part of Jezreel, remained hostile toward the Jews. For this reason Hyrcanus renewed his attacks upon them. He marched against Samaria at the head of a great army, but as his presence in Jerusalem was necessary, he left the siege of the former city to his two sons, Aristobulus and Antigonus.

 

The Jews, their History, Culture, and Religion, edited by Louis Finkelstein, Chancellor, The jewish Theological Seminary of America, pg. 121, Library of Congress control no. 74107615, call number DS102.4 .F5 1970

“When, years before, John Hyrcanus had forced Judaism on the Idumeans he evidently conjectured that the new, thought unwilling, converts could learn to identify their own destiny with that of his people.  The gruesome accuracy of his Realpolitik was now vindicated, albeit not as John would have wished.

“Antipater was of Idumean descent.  During the reign of Alexander Janneus has father had served as governor of idumea.  The son, however, had larger ambitions.  He perceived that the tulmult within Judea could serve his own purposes if he but acted adroitly.  The first step was to win the good faith of the defeated, equivocating Hyrcanus; from then on Antipater ceaselessly urged him to contest the throne that Aristobulus had usurped.  Was not Hyrcanus the elder brother?  Was not the crown in all justice his?  Was it manly to resign so placidly?  And the prodding was effective, especially since Antipater guaranteed the assistance of a neighboring Arab king.”

What’s missing from this brief excerpt is that what is meant by “Realpolitik” was the conversion of the Edomites to jews and their becoming “an inseparable part of the Jewish people” as the Judaica Encyclopedia does, or that “from then on they constituted a part of the Jewish people, Herod being one of their descendants”, as the Standard Jewish Encyclopedia does.