Kingdom of Chalkis

The Kingdom of Chalkis in Coele Syria was established during the collapse of the Seleukid Empire (c. 85 B.C.) by Ptolemaios son of Mennaios, an Ituraean Arab dynast. In 64 B.C., Ptolemaios bribed Pompey the Great to forego annexing his kingdom and was allowed to rule as Tetrarch. In 40 B.C., Ptolemaios was succeeded by his son Lysanias, who foolishly supported Mattathias Antigonos against Herod the Great and the Romans, resulting in his execution in 36 B.C. Mark Antony gave the kingdom to Cleopatra VII. She leased the kingdom to Zenodoros, who may have been a son of Lysanias. After Cleopatra 's suicide in 30 B.C., Augustus allowed Zenodoros to rule as Tetrarch. In 23 B.C., after complaints from Chalkis ' neighbors, Augustus deposed Zenodoros and gave his lands to Herod the Great. After Herod 's death, Chalkis appears to have been made part of the Roman province of Syria, but may have been ruled by Herodian tetrarchs.  In 37 A.D., Caligula allowed Herod of Chalcis to rule with the title basileus (king). He was succeeded by Herod Agrippa II in 48 A.D., who was in turn succeeded by Aristobulus of Chalcis in 53 A.D. After the death of Aristobulus of Chalcus in 92 A.D., Chalkis became part of the Roman province of Syria.

Rulers and Dates of Rule

Ptolemaios, the son of Menneus (king, c. 85 - 64 B.C.; tetrarch, 64 - 40 B.C.)
Lysanias, son of Ptoelmaios (tetrarch, 40 - 36 B.C.)
Zenodorus (under Cleopatra, 36 B.C. - 30 B.C., tetrarch 30 B.C. - 20 B.C.)
Herod the Great (20 – 4 B.C.)
Province of Syria (?, 4 B.C. – 37 A.D.)
Herod of Chalcis (king, 37 to 48 A.D.).
Herod Agrippa II (king, 48 - 53 A.D.).
Aristobulus of Chalcis (king, 53 - 92 A.D.).
Province of Syria (after 92 A.D.)

Ptolemy I, Tetrarch 85 - 40 B.C.

He took a thousand talents from Ptolemy, the son of Menneus (Ant. xiv.39).
Evidence for the practice of circumcision by the hurcans is probably to be found in the fact that Josephus expresses no regret at the marriage of Ptolemy Menneus with Alexandra, daughter or Aristobulus II.
Wife: 1. (NN), 2. a concubine ; 3. Alexandra-daughter or Aristobulus II.
Children: Mariamne, Tausorapis, Phillipon (anti-exilarch), Lysanias

Joseph us tells the story of this Alexandra 's marriage: But, Ptolemy, the son of Ìånneu¾, who was the ruler of Chalcis, under Mount Libanus, took his brethren to him, and sent his son Philippion to Askelon to Aristobulus 's wife, and desired her to send back with him her son Antigonus and her daughters: the one of whom, whose name was Alexandra, Philippion fell in love with, and married her; though afterwards his father Ptolemy slew him, and married Alexandra, and continued to take care of her brethren.
Antiquites of the Jews XIV.VII.4

Lysanias, 40-36 B.C.

Lysanias, (son of Ptolemy, the first King, 85-40 BC.) was put to death by Marc Antony who then gave the Kingdom of Chalkis to Cleopatra - when Egypt was annexed by Rome, Chalkis became part of the Roman Province of Syria.

This Lysaniaa was the son of Ptolemy Menneus, and was king of Chalcis and Iturea ; and probably the same person that is mentioned by Strabo, XVI. page 756. That he was shun, is confirmed by Dio, XU.X page 411, as Dean Aldrich observes. Who also adds, that the slaughter of Malichus about the same time, which Jose- phus joins with this of Lysanias, in his history Of the War, I. 22. is not mentioned either by Dio, or in the Antiquities of Josephui himself, or any other author So that it is highly probable Josephus missed it here voluntarily, as having discovered hisTormer mistake about it.
The genuine works of Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian ..., Volume 2 By Flavius Josephus, William Whiston, Samuel Burder