Between 92-89 BC, Ptolemy IX, grandfather to Cleopatra, besieged Thebes for cs. 3 years before the city was looted and partially destroyed.

Cleopatra VII Philopater
Dated from February 22, 51 to August 30, 30 BC. [Richard N. Jones, A Second Nabatean Inscription from Tell esh-Shuqafiya, Egypt in BASOR, No. 269, Feb 1988, p. 47-57.]
"Nearly all the architectural works carried on in Upper Egypt for the first 200 years of the Roman Empire were in the native style, and even as late as the reign of Antoninus Pius so beautiful a native piece of work as the entrance to Medinet Habu was created. There were, of course, occasional classic buildings, such as the temple built in honor of Antinous by Hadrian, but for the most part outside of Alexandria the old Egyptian traditions prevailed." [P.D. Scott-Moncrieff, The Ruined Sites at Masawarat Es-Sufra and Naga in PSAB, June 10, 1908, p. 202.]

Nabatean Kings
Malichus I dated ca. 62-30 BC. [Ibid.]

Araq al Amir
Located west of Amman, Jordan, in Wadi Syr, Araq al-Amir is the ruined palace of the Maccabean Era.(Notes & News in BA, Winter 1981, p. 56-57.

The Sea coast towns: At first Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers, including Jonathan Maccabaeus, ruled the land, BAR, Jul. 1991, p. 36. He revolted successfully against the Seleucid overlords, who fled to Azotus (Ashdod), and established the Hasmonean line of rulers. Jonathan destroyed Azotus and its environs, 1.Macc. 10:84. Ashkelon welcomed him and escaped destruction, 1.M. 10:60. 86f. Between 375 BC and 235 AD (610 years), Ashkelon issued coins almost continuously.

Antipater of Sidon

Nothing is known about this Greek epigrammatist beyond the fact that he flourished about 130 BC.

Aristobulus
Aristobulus is being proposed as the alter-ego of the undocumented Greek philosopher Aristotle.

Strabo

He is supposed to have been born in Amasia in Pontus in 64 or 63 BC., Strabo was of mixed Greek and Asiatic blood. Inherited wealth enabled him to dedicate his life to scholarship and travel. He passed through Corinth on his way to Rome in 44 BC, but it is not clear whether the first Roman colonists had already arrived at that moment. He also visited Corinth during a later journey to Rome in 29 BC. His Geography was completed in 7 BC and slightly revised about AD 18, some three or four years before his death.

The Maccabees/Hasmonians
The Maccabean revolt arose from the attempt of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV to force the Jews to give up their God and worship Zeus over a short period of time. He did not succeed. During the ensuing struggles the Maccabees were involved in hostile actions at the following locations (not in chronological order): (1) Acco is the site of Tryphon's treacherous seizure of Jonathan; (2) John Hyrcanus besieged and destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim; (3) In 63 BC Jerusalem fell before the forces of Pompey and Judaea came under Roman control.; (4) The Jews celebrate the Feast of Hannukah in memory of the cleansing of the Temple by Judas Maccabaeus.; (5) The original home of the Maccabees or Hasmonaeans was the town of Modin, southeast of Joppa.; (6) Alexander Jannaeus died at Ragabe, east of Succoth.
Palestine: 141 BC Simon anointed High Priest, Strategos, Ethnarch (Jewish autonomy).; 135 BC Jerusalem besieged by Antiochus VII Sidetes.; 128 BC John Hyrcanus destroys Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim.; 90-82 BC Alexander Jannaeus in civil war with Pharisees, who are aided by Demetrius III Eucaerus.; 48/49 BC Caesar comes to Syria.
Archaeologists may have found the 1st century BC Hasmonean city of Modi'in, 13 miles NW of Jerusalem where the family of Judah Maccabee (time of Simon Maccabee) is buried, according to 1.Maccabees 13:27-28. [BAR, May 2003, p. 18]

The First Hasmonean Coins

Who was the first Hasmonean ruler who struck coins? A leading theory is that it was Alexander Jannaeus or, according to another view, it was Yehuda Aristobulus I.

Three men from the Hasmonean dynasty were known by the name of Aristobulus. Aristobulus I was the ruler of Judea from 104-103 BC, Aristobulus II, sone of Alexander Jannaeus, from 67-64 BC, Aristobulus III, grandson of Aristobulus II, was the last of the line and died in 35 BC, probably put to death by the order of Herod. But according to 2.Maccabeans 1:10 there was also a priest named Aristobulus who lived in the days of Ptolemy VI.

We know from Josephus that the Hebrew name of Aristobulus I was Yehuda. Josephus also tells us that Aristobulus III was given the Greek name `Yonathain (Hebr. Yonathan)'. The Hebrew name of Aristobulus may have been either one of the two.

Two coins are shown. The first (obverse) or anchor side of the Alexander coin is of the anchor-and-lily type. The original inscription read "Yehonathan the king" but was overstruck with the inscription "Yonathan the High Priest and the council of the Jews". The reverse (or lily) side of the Alexander Jannaeus coin has the lily overstruck with a double cornucopia. Part of the old title "Yehonathan King" can still be seen at the top. The obverse side of another coin still in its original condition bears the inscription "Yonathan the High Priest and Council of the Jews". [BA, Vol. 50, June 1987, p. 105f]

In 133 BC the Babylonian solar cult was bequeathed to Rome by Attalus III. There its symbols and forms were incoporated into the cult of Caesar and later into the Roman Church.

One of the sons of Seleucus Philopater should have succeeded Antiochus Epiphanes when he was assassinated by his courtier Heliodorus. His brother Antiochus came to the throne instead, however, when he was aided by the armies of Pergamos when he returned from Athens.

Coins found at Gamla

An extraordinary varied collection of 6200 unlooted coins was found at Gamla. About 60 % of these were Jewish coins minted during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BC). 1. Between the spokes of the eight-rayed star on the obverse is a paleao-Hebrew script reading, "Yehonatan the king" using Janneus Hebrew given name. 2. Another coin of the same issue bears an anchor and a Greek inscription reading, "Of king Alexandros", 3. The rarest coins from Gamla (only 6 were found) are crudly made bronze coins and may represent those issued for a propaganda effort during the Roman siege. An inscription using a mixture of paleo-Hebrew and square Aramaic script reads, "For the redemption of Jerusalem the Holy" and shows a fruit juice or wine cup probably representing Temple ware.
Archaeologists also found a hoard of 27 silver coins in the street just outside the oil press room in the western part of the city. The hoard contained 20 shekels minted in Tyre between the end of the 2nd century BC and the first half of the 1st century BC, featuring the head of the Phoenician god `Melqart'. represented by the short neck images, and seven tetradrachmas with the head of Nero, long neck images, minted in Antioch in 61, 63 and 64 AD. [BAR, Vol. 18, Jan/Feb 1992, p. 34.]

Archaeologists found a coin from the time of Alexander Jannaeus in the mortar of the summer 2005 discovered Pool of Siloam where Jesus healed the blind man. The coin features a `Menorah' (the seven branch candlestick) and the old Hebrew letters `sin'`chet'`?'`?'`sin'`lamed'`chet'. [Hershel Shanks, `Where Jesus Cured the Blind Man' in BAR, Sep/Oct 2005, p. 16-23.

From the Battle of Pharsalus to Caesar
This was a war between Pompey and Julius Caesar in 48 BC. Pompey was defeated and fled to Egypt. Caesar followed him there. Pompey was killed, and Caesar found Egypt in commotion. Ptolemy XII was also known as Auletus. Before that Pompey and Cleopatra had been quarreling. She claimed that he had deprived her of her share in the government. Caesar gave orders that the armies of each had to disband and that they both had to appear before Caesar and abide by his decision. Cleopatra determined to conquer Caesar by feminine wiles rather than by military force or advocate's arguments. She had a boatman take her to him all wrapped up in a cloth tied up with thongs. Then she had Apollodonus, her Sicilian slave, carry her on her shoulders to Caesar's apartment under pretense of a special present. When the bundle was unwrapped, there stood Cleopatra before the Roman general. That is why we read, "And he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her" Dan. 11:17, or `to corrupt' her. While Caesar was past fifty and Cleopatra only 22, she was as ambitious as he. She became his mistress and bore him a son. His infatuation for the queen kept him much longer in Egypt than his affairs asked for. This may have been a contributing factor in the plot to assassinate Caesar at the zenith of his power. The next verse seems to express this thought, "A prince shall cause the reproach to turn upon him." Dan. 11:18. As he walked into the Senate chamber, Cassius and Brutus, outwardly friends of Caesar, signalled to the conspirators and he was murdered. Says the prophet, he turned "... his face toward the fort of his own land." Dan. 11:19. While in Rome he was made dictator for life, but we read in the same verse, "... he shall stumble and fall, and not be found." Caesar was a man who had fought and won fifty battles, taken more than 1,000 cities at the cost of 1,192,000 of his soldiers. He fell not in battle in 44 BC but when he thought all was well.
Caesar was succeeded by his nephew Octavius who took immediately his name, `Caesar,' which from that time on became the title of the Roman emperors. He joined Mark Anthony and Lepidus to avenge the death of Caesar. The three formed the triumvirate form of government. When the other two members died, Octavius became emperor. The Senate conferred on him the title "Augustus." The Battle of Actium in 31 BC left Augustus sole ruler. He proved to be wise and strong. He replaced chaos and anarchy by imperial organization which lasted with varying vicissitudes for the next 400 years. He possessed the unusual ability to levy taxes without upsetting the populace too much. His taxes were light but universal, they supplied the funds for the imperial government. As an empire-wide enroller for taxation he becomes prominent in the Bible where we read, "Then shall stand up in his estate (Julius Caesar's place) a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom." Dan. 11:20. He ruled from 31/30 BC to 14 AD.

Jaffa is located near Joppa.

As the Roman republic lost power, a corporation composed of Caesar, Pompey, and the wealthy Crassus took the reins of government: Crassus controlled the money, Pompey the army, and Caesar was the master mind.When Pompey arrived in Judea in 63 B.C., he acted quite differently from Alexander the Great. He entered the city by force after a siege of three months.

Parthian Rulers
From King Ordose II (57-38 BC) can be seen a coin in BASOR, No. 250, Spring 1983, p. 65 and the B&W, weathered image of a 2nd to 3rd century BC Parthian rock relief from Hung-i Nauruzi, Iran on page 67.
For the record, on p. 68 can be seen a Sasanian rock relief from Naqsh-i Rajab, Iran, of Ardashir I (22?-240 AD).

Roman Wars
(01) 113 BC - The Kimbern defeat Romans at Noreja, thought to be Neumark, Austria (ca. Long. 14.5 & Lat. 47.04)
(02) 107 BC - The Helvetians (Tiguriners) defeat L. Cassius Longinus.
(03) 106 BC - Cn. Pompeius born.
(04) 102 BC- C. Marius defeats the Teutons near Aquae Sextiae (near Aux/Marseile, southern France, ca. Lg. 5.3, Lt. 43.5).
(05) 101 BC - C. Marius defeats the Kimbers near Vercellae, northern Italy (Lg. 8 degr. 20 sec. & Lt. 44 degr. 23 sec.).
(06) 100 BC - J. Caesar born.
(07) 83 BC - Pompeius brings 3 Legions to Sulla, the later dictator.
(08) 81 BC - Pompeius defeats the Marianes in Africa and receives for that in 79 BC the additional name of Magnus and triumphal feast from Sulla.
(09) 78 BC - Cornelius Sulla dies.
(10) 76 - 72 BC - Pompeius wars successfully against the Marians (Sertorius) in Spain.
(11) 71 BC - Pompeius defeats the remaining rioting slaves (Spartacus).
(12) 70 Consulat of Pompeius and M. Licinius Crassus.
(13) 67 - Pompeius defeats the pirates.
(14) 66-63 BC - Pompeius besiegs Mithridates, king of Pontus (Mtns. betw. Bregli & Batum), and organizes Asia and Syria.
(15) 62 BC - Caesar becomes Praetor.
(16) 61 BC - Triumph of Pompeius. Caesar rules in Spain. The unrest of the Allobrogs (Rhone, Alps) is broken.
(17) 60 BC - Pompeius, J. Caesar and Licinius Crassus form first triumvirat.
(18) 59 BC - Caesar is consul. Pompeius marries his daughter Julia.
(19) 58-51 BC - Gallic Wars.
(20) 58 BC - Caesar besieges the Helvetians (near Bibrakte, Chalon) and the Ariovists.
(21) 57 BC - Caesar defeats the Belgian tribes, defeats the Nerviens at the Sabis (Sambre or Maas?) River.
(22) 56 BC - Caesar subjects the Venetians (south Bretagne) and Venellians (Normandy).
(23) 55 BC - Caesar crosses the Rhein and voyages to Britannia.
(24) 54 BC - Caesar's second move to Britannia; Belgians attack his winter quarters.
(25) 54 BC - Julia dies.
(26) 53 BC - Crassus attacks the Parthians.
(27) 53 BC - Caesar crosses Rhein 2nd time, chastises the Eburonians (between Maas and lower Rhine).
(28) 52 BC - Gallic uprising: Under Vercingetorex: Avaricum, Gergovia and Alesia (capital of the Mandubier, now Alise-Sainte-Reine on Mont Auxios, west of Dijon (Lg. 5 & Lt. 47.3). Here Vercingetorex is surrounded and beaten).
(29) 49 BC - War against Pompeius: Caesar conquers Italy and Spain.
(30) 48 BC - Pompeius defeated by Pharsalu August 9th and killed while escaping. Caesar subdues Egypt.
(31) 47 BC - Caesar besieges Pharnaces, son of Mithridates, king of Pontus.
(32) 46 BC - Caesar destroys army of Pompeianians near Thapsus, south of Carthage.
(31) 45 BC - Caesar besieges the Pompeians near Munda, southern Spain, Labienus.
(32) 44 BC - Caesar is murdered on the 15th of March.
[See Dr. Max Krueger's, `C. Iulius Caesar - Bellum Gallicum', Moritz Diesterweg, Frankfurt, 1953, p. xii.]