Women of Other Faiths
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Salome Alexandra
Known For: Jewish Queen of Judea
Dates: 139 – 67 BCE
Faith: Judaism
Country: Israel
About
Born in 139 BCE into a political family, Salome Alexandra’s brother was the famous leader of the Sanhedrin, Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach. She first married Yehudah Aristobulus I, the first ruler of the Hebrew Hasmonean dynasty. After Aristobulus died, Salome freed Alexander Jannai, Aristobulus’s older brother whom he had imprisoned in order to consolidate power. Salome and Alexander were marred in according with a Jewish law that childless widows must marry their deceased husband’s brothers.
While Alexander Jannai dealt with his military campaigns and king, he allowed Salome to direct internal affairs. An astute ruler who abided by the Torah, she removed the Sadducees (who did not believe in the oral tradition, the Torah sheb’al Peh) from the Sanhedrin. She replaced them with the greatest scholars of the day, led by Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach.
After military victories increased Alexander Jannai’s power, he began to distrust the influence of Rabbi Shimon. He favored the deposed Sadducees. He crushed a rebellion mounted by supports of Rabbi Shimon. Then he led a fight against the Perushim, orthodox believers, and brutally persecuted the sages of Sanhedrin, forcing Salome’s brother, Rabbi Shimon, to flee.
Jannai died shortly thereafter, but not before he repented of his sins and asked for Salome to remain queen. In the following nine years, Salome reigned justly and the region flourished. In order to bring about peace, she gradually expelled the Sadducees from positions of power, returned leadership roles to the sages and scholars who had previously been persecuted. Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach again led the Sanhedrin.
Under Salome, the legal process operated in accordance with the laws of the Torah, evaluating the honesty of judges and witnesses. Her internal improvements included fortresses across the land, well-trained armies, trustworthy leaders she could depend on in wartime, and beneficial political support to other regions. Salome Alexandra proved one of the most venerated rulers in Jewish history, restoring Jerusalem as a celebrated spiritual center.
Sources
Chabad-Luvabitch Media Center. “Queen Salome Alexandra.”
More Information
Zeitlin, Solomon, “Queen Salome and King Jannaeus Alexander: A Chapter in the History of the Second Jewish Commonwealth,” Jewish Quarterly Review 51 (1960-61): 1-33.
Atkinson, Kenneth, “The Salome No One Knows: Long-Time Ruler of a Prosperous and Peaceful Judea Mentioned in Dead Sea Scrolls,” Biblical Archaeology Review 34 (2008): 60-65, 72-3.
