How did the Romans take over Judea?

Judea is a small but terribly uncomfortable country. It had been a bone in Rome’s throat for over two hundred years, and much blood was spilled on both sides in the process of its conquest.

In 63 B.C., the Romans invaded Palestine for the first time. At that time, the kingdom of Hasmonean controlled this territory. The kingdom was in turmoil. Two brothers, two pretenders to the throne, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II, could not divide the throne. In order to provide international aid to the brotherly nation, the general Gnaeus Pompey went to Jerusalem with his troops…