From Ancient Conquests to a Cultural Legacy

As soon as Yannai ascended to the throne, he continued the military campaigns aimed at expelling foreign occupiers from the land of Israel. His brother Aristobulus had already Judaized the Jezreel Valley and the Galilee, and Yannai took on the mission of capturing Akko, a predominantly non-Jewish city that had troubled the Jews of Israel.

Alexander Yannai laid siege to Akko from all sides but couldn't breach its defenses. The residents of Akko secretly appealed to the king of Cyprus, Ptolemy Lathyros, for help, and he answered their call, striking a blow to Yannai's forces. In response, Yannai called upon Cleopatra III of Egypt for assistance, and she sent two regiments under the command of Jewish generals from the house of Onias. These Egyptian regiments defeated Ptolemy Lathyros and his army, helping Yannai secure control over the region.

Cleopatra assumed that, due to the Egyptian victory, Israel would become part of Egypt, but Jewish commanders did not support this initiative. They explained to Cleopatra the complexities involved in attempting to take over Israel, and how it would inevitably provoke Roman intervention. Thus, Israel was saved from the Egyptian annexation scheme. In return, Yannai gave up Akko and instead captured Dor, Straton's Tower (later Caesarea), and Apollonia, all of which controlled the coast from Haifa to the central region.

In the early years of his reign, Yannai continued his conquests, capturing the east of the Jordan River, Gadara, Hamath, and several other well-known cities. He also took the Negev, and upon reaching Gaza, ordered its complete destruction—a surprising move aimed at crippling the trade routes of the Nabataeans (ancient Arabs) who transported goods across the east to the port of Gaza. The destruction occurred in 96 CE after seven years of rule. In the ensuing years, Yannai continued with the conquest of Moab, Hippos, and other significant locations east of the Jordan. His kingdom was the largest in Israel's history, encompassing vast territories in the Middle East.

As long as Yannai was preoccupied with wars, his wife Shlomzion maintained the stability of religious law and the management of the Temple with the help of her brother, Shimon ben Shetach, who was also the head of the Sanhedrin court. A royal decree stated that anyone wishing to argue a point had to bring evidence from the Torah. Sadducees arrived to offer their views on various halachic questions, but when asked for Torah evidence, they faltered and eventually departed. Thus, a Sanhedrin that respected Oral Law and understood each law's Torah basis was established. This day, when the Sadducees retreated from disputation, was decreed a holiday in the Scroll of Fasts, the 28th day of Tevet.

Although King Yannai was formally the High Priest, he couldn't fulfill his religious duties due to his commitments to military campaigns. A well-known and wealthy woman named Martha daughter of Baitos capitalized on this situation. She paid a hefty sum of gold denarii to the royal court to have Yehoshua Ben Gamla, a great scholar and Pharisee, appointed. As King Yannai fought his battles, Yehoshua Ben Gamla was able to strengthen religious practices in Jerusalem. His most famous decree, remembered through generations, mandated sending children to Torah study—a compulsory education law. When a town lacked enough children, parents were compelled to organize Torah study in another town, and other rules ensured the education of Jewish children. This decree sustained Israel throughout the long years of exile. While the children of non-Jews accompanied their fathers to the market or store, Jewish children immersed themselves in Torah learning for as long as they could.

All these achievements happened despite King Yannai's focus on warfare, thanks to his righteous wife Shlomzion, her brother Shimon ben Shetach, and the other sages of Jerusalem, who skillfully safeguarded the spiritual life of the Jewish people while Yannai was busy with his conquests. But all this changed when Yannai's series of military campaigns came to an end.

From Empire to Ruins (I): The Hasmonean Revolt and Its Surprising Victory

From Empire to Ruins (II): The Dangerous Alliance That Toppled the Kingdom of Judah

From Empire to Ruins (III): The Stunning Victory of John Hyrcanus Over Antiochus

From Empire to Ruins (IV): The Decisive Battle Between the Torah Sages and the Sadducees

From Empire to Ruins (V): The Rise and Fall of Aristobulus in the Kingdom of Israel