Roman general
Pompey
Active
63 BCE
Already master of the former Seleucid territory, he arbitrated the dispute between Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II, took Jerusalem in 63 BCE, entered the Temple and reduced Judea to a tribute-paying dependent of Rome.
What the sources say
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4 statements
It all began with Salome Alexandra's death in 67 BCE: her sons Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II fought over the succession. Pompey, already master of the lands of the former Seleucid kingdom, used the dispute to enter Judean politics in the guise of a neutral mediator.
Pompey heard both parties and held off deciding. Aristobulus, however, would not be controlled; in 63 BCE the Roman general had him arrested and advanced on Jerusalem to finish off his remaining backers. In the book's timeline the intervention appears as taken in Hyrcanus II's favor.
Pompey's entry into the Temple, where only priests could tread, shocked the Jews. Otherwise, Josephus says, he treated the tradition with respect: he left the sanctuary's treasures untouched and had the sacrificial cult start again.
Hyrcanus was given the government of Judea, but real power passed to Rome: much of the Hasmonean lands went to a Roman governor, and Judea began paying tribute as a dependency. Full annexation took a while, yet Josephus dates the Jews' subjection to Rome from this moment.