You are hereHomeBARSeptember/October 1994Was It an Essene Settlement? The only time we hear of the tax being suspended was during the reigns of Demetrius of Syria and Alexander Balas, when those kings sought to curry favor from Jonathan around 160 B.C.E. (1 Maccabees 10:2830). Join the BAS Library! Already a library member? Log in here. Institution user? Log in with your IP address.