At the very end of that dynasty stood one extraordinary woman: Miriam, the last Jewish princess, the crown jewel of Judean royalty. Her life plays out like a Greek tragedy in Hebrew letters: heroic, dramatic, and ultimately heartbreaking, a portrait of Jewish dignity caught between the fading glory of the Hasmoneans and the rising shadow of Herod the Great.This "Miriam" is better known as Mariamne, but also as Mariamme and even Marianne.
This biographical essay is based on Josephus' account of her life, which we should receive with some caution. Josephus tends to write from an omniscient narrator perspective, sometimes repeating news as fact which he couldn't possibly have checked. For example, I imagine he gives us a reasonably accurate account of the accusations against Mariamne and her sons, but he couldn't have known whether any of them were true. Granted, Herod was crazy enough that the distinction may not have made much difference to their fates.
For notice of another account of Mariamne's life which also takes into account Talmudic legends, see here. And there are some links to follow as well. For more on Herod's ancestral background and his religion, see here.
Mariamne's Hanukkah connection is that she was the last Hasmonean to have a royal role.
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