Therefore, the people through its national deliberative organs was moved freely to confer upon Simon and his descendants the high priesthood and political and military leadership of the nation (13:43–14:48, 15:15–24).9 Simon successfully coped with the usurper Tryphon and with the new Seleucid king, Antiochus VII, only to fall victim with two of his sons to his own treacherous son-in-law (15:1–14, 25–16:18). However, the remaining son John (Hyrcanus) survived to have a successful reign, as is told