Aristobulus III (53–36 BC) was the last scion of the
Hasmonean royal house, brother of
Herod the Great's wife
Mariamne, and paternal grandson of
Aristobulus II. He was a favorite of the people on account of his noble descent and handsome presence, and thus became an object of fear to Herod, who at first sought to ignore him entirely by debarring him from the high priesthood. But his mother
Alexandra Maccabeus (63 BC – 28 BC), through intercession with
Cleopatra and
Mark Antony, compelled Herod to remove
Hananel from the office of High Priest and appoint Aristobulus instead.