Simon Maccabeus

Simon Maccabeus was a Hasmonean leader and the first of the Hasmonean dynasty in Judaea. He succeeded his brother Jonathan as leader of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid dynasty in 143 or 142 BCE. Simon established himself as an independent high priest, ruler, and ethnarch of Judaea, with his offices becoming hereditary. He was a key figure in the family's struggle for independence, which began with his father Mattathias and brother Judas Maccabeus against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV. The Hasmonean dynasty, descended from the Maccabees, ruled Judaea for over a century. Simon was eventually succeeded by his son John Hyrcanus I.12