(d. 49 BCE)
King of Judea (67-63 BCE). He usurped the throne of his brother Hyrcanus II in 67 BCE and civil war broke out. In 63 both brothers urged their claims to the throne before Pompey. He ordered Aristobulus to surrender Jerusalem, but his supporters refused. Pompey besieged the city, captured the Temple, and took him prisoner. When Julius Caesar came to power, Aristobulus was released and given troops to attack Pompey's men, but he was poisoned before he could embark on this campaign.
Dictionary of Jewish Biography. Dan Cohn-Sherbok.