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In constant fear of scheming and insurrection, Herod built other fortresses as well, including Herodium to the south of Jerusalem, Machaerus on the east side of the Dead Sea, and Cypros near Jericho.
Herod’s fears of conspiracy were not limited to outsiders. He was equally fearful of his own family members, even those he loved deeply. His wife Miriam, the last unadulterated member of the Hasmonean family, was killed on trumped-up charges of adultery and attempted murder. Similarly, Herod killed his (and Miriam’s) sons Alexander and Aristobulus, accusing them of plotting Herod’s death.
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With that, the Hasmonean dynasty was completely destroyed.
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