Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
both factions asked for help from the
new political and military power of the
period - Rome.
Jewish clashes with Rome broke out
repeatedly, culminating in a full-scale
revolt in AD 66. It took the Romans
four years to gain victory in this First
Jewish War.When in AD 70 they finally
captured Jerusalem, they destroyed
the city and demolished the Temple
(see pp44-5)
. The final subjugation of
the Jews occurred three years later at
Masada. Judaea once again became a
THE ROMANS AND JEWISH UPRISINGS
The Romans lost no time in taking
advantage of this opportunity: in 63
BC their legions took Jerusalem. The
Hasmoneans were superseded by a
series of Roman governors, known as
procurators. Anxious
not to offend local reli-
gious sensibilities, the
Romans had the Jewish
Herod (the Great) rule
a s a cl ient k ing in
Palestine (37-4 BC).
Allowed a relatively free
h a n d in dom esti c
affairs, the ambitious
Herod expanded his
frontiers and promoted
architectural projects
such as the Masada and
Herodion fortress com-
plexes, the port-city of Caesarea and
the grand reconstruction of the Jews'
Second Temple in Jerusalem.
On Herod's death his kingdom was
ruled for a brief period by his three
s ons before being g overned
directly by the Romans. A heavy
tax burden, insensitive adminis-
tration and the imposition of
Roman culture were responsible
for growing discontent
among the Jews. Large
numbers of Messianic
claimants, revolutionary
prophets and apocalyptic
preachers only served to
inflame the situation fur-
ther. This was the political
climate into which Jesus
Christ was born, as described
in the biblical New Testament.
Jerash, a former Decapolis city which flourished under the Romans
Roman province, but the Jews refused
to be subdued and before long a sec-
ond major revolt broke out.
THE EXILE OF THE JEWS
After the Second Jewish War (AD
132-5), Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem
as Aelia Capitolina, a Roman city,
which Jews were forbidden to
enter. Their communities were
broken up and great numbers
were sold into slavery and
sent to Rome. Others fled,
south into Egypt and across
North Africa, or east to join
the existing Jewish commu-
nity in Babylon who had
settled there after the destruc-
tion of the First Temple. This
great scattering of the Jews is
known as the Diaspora.
Hadrian, builder of
Aelia Capitolina
164 BC
The
Maccabean Revolt
results in Jewish
independence
37-4 BC
Herod
the Great reigns
in Judaea
AD 66-70
First
Jewish War and the
destruction of the
Second Temple
132-5
Second
Jewish War led by
Simon Bar-Kokhba
300 BC
200 BC
100 BC
AD 1
AD 100
AD 200
3rd century
BC
Growth of
the Decapolis
63 BC
Roman
legions under
Pompey conquer
Jerusalem
AD 73
Fall
of Masada
1st century BC
Petra-based
Nabataean empire
at its height
Coin minted by the
Jewish rebels at
Masada
