Hasmonean Surnames

A Brief look at the Mattathias and his sons and the surnames or titles that have been recorded for us.

Mattathias the Hasmonean

• Or Matiṯyāhu ben Hasmonay
• Patriarch of the Family, of the Joarib lineage.
• Started the revolt in 167 BC
• Died 167 of Old Age
• Surname
  • Meaning Unknown
  • Josephus mentions it comes from a Family Patriarch named Asmoneus or Asamoneus (Hebrew – Hasmonay)
    • Perhaps a corruption of Mattathias’ grandfather Simeon (The Simeon or Ha-Shimon)
  • Perhaps it came from the village Heshbon (Johusa 15.27)

Judas Maccabeus (The Middle Child)

• Or Judah/Yehuda Maccabeus
• The Middle or Third Born Son of Mattathias
• Lead Revolt from 167-160 BC
• Defeated in the Battle of Elasa by General Bacchides
• Surname Maccabeus
• Most Likely Suggestion is that it is perhaps from Hebrew מַקָּבָה or maqqaba “hammer”
  • Could speak of his valor in battle and so Hammerer
  • Or perhaps it speaks of physical appearance and so Mallet-headed
• Others suggest כָּבָה or chabab “to extinguish or quench” so “Extinguisher” or “Quencher”
  • Speaking of Judah’s quenching the spirit of Hellenism.
• Perhaps it is stands for innitials for the phrase “Who are like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods,” which was inscribed upon Judah’s banners.

John Gaddi

• Or Johanan/Yohanan Gaddi
• The Eldest son of Mattathias
• Killed in 160 BC by the sons of Jambri while seeking refuge with the Nabeteans
• Surname Gaddi
• Maybe Shorten from of Gaddiel (Numbers 13.10) or the Name Gaddi (13.11)
  • The Name Gaddiel means “God is my Fortune”
  • The Name Gaddi means “my fortune”
• From Hebrew or Aramaic גָּד gad which means “(good) fortune”
  • So “Fortunate” or “Lucky”
• Another suggestion is that its related to “round grain,”
  • And so “round headed,” like that of Judah

Eleazar Avaran

• Or El‘azar Charbon
• The Fourth Son of Mattathias
• Died c. 162 in the Battle of Beth-zechariah when slaying a War Elephant
• Surname Avaran
• עוּר or ˓wr, ‘ur = “Awake”
  • Perhaps given because he was not a soundly sleeping baby
• חור Or ḥwr = “to be pale” or “pale(face).”
  • Perhaps he was lighter skin or had a skin disease
• Perhaps from Arabic havar “to pierce”
  • “The Piercer,” i.e. his killing of the Elephant

Jonathan Apphus (The Youngest)

• Or Yehonatan Apphus
• The Youngest Son of Mattathias
• Lead Revolt from 160-142 BC
  • High Priest from 153-142 BC
• Treacherously killed by Diodotus Tryphon.
• Surname Apphus
• הפץ Or hpṣ, “to seek, search,”
• חפץ or ḥpṣ, chaphets “to desire.”
  • “Favorite, Beloved, or Desired”
  • This may speak of a child’s nickname, i.e. he was the favorite son.
• Syraic Version reads Ḥappūs, which points to “the dissembler” or “the cunning”

Simon Thassi

• Or Simeon/Shimon Tharsi
• The Second Born of Mattathias
• High Priest from 142-134 BC
• Murdered by Son-in-Law Ptolemy son of Abubus, Governor of Jericho
• Surname Thassi
• No convincing explanation, could be Tharsi, Thatis, or even Thadsi
• Thassi could mean “Burning or Zealot”
• Syria version has Tharsi could mean “The Guide”
  • Fits with 2.65 of him being a “man of counsel”
• Perhaps from Thassis which would point to “weakling” – weak child?

John Hyrcanus (Son of Simon Thassi)

• Or Yōḥānān Hurqanōs
• Youngest of Simon Thassi’s sons
• Often labeled in Rabbinic Literature as Yoḥanan Cohen Gadol = Johanan the High Priest
• High Priest from 134-104 BC
• Gave Sadducees a Prominence Near End of Reign
• Died of Old Age after a rule of Thirty Years
• Gave Civil Rule to his wife and religious rule to his son
• Surname
  • Hyrcanus means “One from Hyrcania,” a reigion on the Black Sea
    • Perhaps because Ancestors were of Hyrcanian descent, known exilic group there.
  • Ancient Writers such as Eusebius and Jerome saw the title stemming from his conquests of the Hyrcanians
    • John did participate in Antiochus VII campaign against the Parthians
  • Herqanosh (1QapGen^ar) is suggested to equal Hyrcanus