Jewish Independence

After years of fighting, the descendants of the Maccabees, known as the Hasmoneans, gradually gained political independence. By the mid-2nd century before the common count, Judea was no longer simply a province under Greek rule but became an independent Jewish kingdom. The Hasmoneans expanded Jewish territory, strengthened Jerusalem, and restored Jewish political power for the first time since the Babylonian conquest. However, from a Jewish perspective, their rule was complicated: they were priestly leaders, not from the Davidic royal line, and later Hasmonean rulers combined the roles of king and High Priest, which created religious and political tension.