Ancient Rome vs. the Jews

[guy]

 

Barry Strauss, a prolific author on the Classical world, has written what appears to be an interesting book about the conflict between Ancient Rome and the Jews. Here's an engaging interview with Barry Strauss and his Classicist colleague, Victor Davis Hanson.

 

Here's a quick review of the conflict:

The ancient Jewish conflicts with Rome were a series of intense and devastating uprisings that lasted about 70 years, from 66 to 135 CE. These revolts were driven by a strong desire for religious freedom, political independence, and resistance to Roman rule. Here's a breakdown of the major conflicts:

 

🏛️ The Three Major Jewish–Roman Wars

 

1. The First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE)

Cause: Rising tensions over Roman taxation, religious interference, and corrupt governance.

Key Events:

Jewish rebels seized Jerusalem.

Rome responded with a brutal siege led by General Titus.

Destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE—an event that profoundly shaped Jewish history.

Final resistance at Masada, where Jewish defenders committed mass suicide rather than surrender.

Outcome: Massive loss of life, destruction of Jerusalem, and the beginning of widespread Jewish diaspora.

2. The Kitos War (115–117 CE)

Cause: Jewish uprisings in Roman provinces like Egypt, Cyprus, and Cyrenaica during Emperor Trajan’s reign.

Key Events:

Jewish communities revolted violently against Roman rule.

Roman retaliation was swift and severe.

Outcome: Annihilation of Jewish populations in several regions; deepened Roman hostility toward Jews.

3. The Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–136 CE)

Cause: Emperor Hadrian’s ban on circumcision and plans to build a Roman temple over the ruins of the Jewish Temple.

Leader: Simon bar Kokhba, seen by many as a messianic figure.

Outcome:

Massive Jewish casualties: Roman forces under Emperor Hadrian crushed the rebellion with overwhelming brutality. Ancient sources like Cassius Dio estimate 580,000 Jews killed, though this number is debated. Many towns and villages were razed, and survivors were enslaved or displaced.

Destruction of Judea: The province was devastated. Archaeological evidence reveals widespread ruin, particularly in rebel strongholds like Betar, where Bar Kokhba made his final stand.

End of Jewish political autonomy: The revolt ended hopes for a restored Jewish kingdom. Bar Kokhba, hailed by some as the Messiah, was killed, and no further large-scale Jewish military uprisings occurred in Judea.

Religious and cultural suppression: Hadrian briefly banned circumcision, renamed Judea as Syria Palaestina to erase Jewish identity, and rebuilt Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina, a Roman city with a temple to Jupiter on the Temple Mount.

Rabbinic Judaism’s rise: With the Temple permanently gone and messianic militarism discredited, Jewish leadership shifted toward the rabbis and the development of the Mishnah and Talmud.

Diaspora deepens: The Jewish population in Judea was decimated. Many Jews fled or were exiled, speeding up the move toward a dispersed, diasporic identity.

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2025 by guy

[caesar novus]

Video says Iran switched from long record of pro to anti Judaism. I note that occurred when the domestic Persian royal family was toppled by outsider Arab family dictatorship a half century ago. Video also lambasts the Romans as hostile but like for the Christians, Romans granted some unique privileges as noted below by grok. Maybe the book explains such nuances better.

Quote

The ancient Romans granted certain privileges to Jews at various times, primarily to maintain stability and leverage their communities within the empire. These privileges were not uniform and varied by period, emperor, and region, often shaped by political pragmatism rather than benevolence. Here’s a concise overview based on historical evidence:

• Religious Exemptions: Jews were often allowed to practice their religion freely, which was unusual in the Roman Empire, where conquered peoples were typically expected to adopt Roman religious practices or at least pay homage to Roman gods. For example, Jews were exempt from emperor worship and mandatory sacrifices to Roman deities, as their monotheism was recognized as an ancient tradition. This exemption was formalized under Julius Caesar and continued under Augustus, as noted in documents like the Jewish Antiquities by Flavius Josephus, who records decrees allowing Jews to observe the Sabbath and follow dietary laws.
• Tax Privileges and Autonomy: Julius Caesar, in the 1st century BCE, granted Jews the right to collect and send the Temple tax (a half-shekel) to Jerusalem, a significant privilege that supported the maintenance of the Second Temple. They were also allowed to govern their internal affairs in certain communities, such as in Alexandria and parts of Asia Minor, where Jewish courts could handle civil matters. These rights were reaffirmed by Augustus and other emperors, though they could be revoked or ignored by local authorities, leading to tensions.
• Military Exemption: Jews were sometimes exempt from military service, as their religious laws (e.g., Sabbath observance) conflicted with Roman military demands. This was particularly evident in the early empire, though it became less consistent after the Jewish revolts.
• Citizenship and Legal Status: In some cases, Jews in the diaspora, particularly in cities like Alexandria, received partial citizenship rights or protections under Roman law. For instance, Claudius issued edicts in 41 CE protecting Jewish religious practices in Alexandria after conflicts with Greek residents. However, these privileges were not equivalent to full Roman citizenship and were often contested by other groups.
• Revocation and Tensions: These privileges were not universal or permanent. After the First Jewish-Roman War (66–73 CE), the Temple tax was redirected to the Roman temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (the Fiscus Judaicus), a punitive measure under Vespasian. Subsequent revolts, like the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 CE), led to harsher restrictions, including bans on circumcision and Sabbath observance under Hadrian, though some were later relaxed.

The privileges were largely pragmatic, aimed at securing Jewish loyalty and minimizing unrest in a strategically important region. However, they were balanced against Roman disdain for Jewish separatism and frequent local hostility from non-Jewish populations, which could lead to sporadic violence or loss of privileges. Sources like Josephus, Roman legal texts, and inscriptions (e.g., from Sardis and Ephesus) confirm these arrangements, though their application was inconsistent and often depended on the whims of local governors or emperors.

 

Edited August 21, 2025 by caesar novus

[guidoLaMoto]

Contrary to that summary, I was always under the impression that the Romans were remarkably tolerant of exotic religions. There was, for instance, a large temple complex dedicated to Isis in Rome itself. The Romans only took exception when the religion took on political positions. Eg- John the Baptist & Christ preaching about The Kingdom of Heaven.

By coincidence, my attention has recently been drawn to the Pilate Cycle, the apochryphal letters supposedly written by Pontius Pilatus to Tiberius Caesar and Suetonius. With the earliest known copies dating to the 6th century AD, most experts today hold them to be forgeries & fictitious. Reading the English translations (I can't seem to find the original Greek online), I find the one thing the letters to Suetonius have going for them is that they are fairly voluminous and only mention John & Christ in a couple paragraphs as potential trouble makers preaching about The K of G. Most of the chit chat is about more pressing matters of governing Judea- raising money for aquaducts & such, convincing the Sadducees & Phagocytes to co-operate with the Romans, etc....Very clever for a forger to go to such lengths to distract us.

[caesar novus]

4 hours ago, guidoLaMoto said:

Contrary to that summary, I was always under the impression that the Romans were remarkably tolerant of exotic religions.

I partly agree, so researched the ai tool reputations. It sounds like perplexity.ai delves deepest with the fewest "hallucinations". Below is a quite persuasive summary by it's crippled free version. I was able to voice-speak to it and examine it's annotations:

Quote

The ancient Romans were generally tolerant of exotic and foreign religions, with some important exceptions and nuances:

• General Tolerance: Romans allowed subject peoples to worship their own gods, often building temples and making sacrifices to those deities as a mark of respect. They also incorporated many foreign gods and cults into their own practices, assimilating Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and other deities. Romans joined and popularized such cults as those of Isis (Egyptian goddess), Mithras (Persian sun god), and Cybele (Anatolian mother goddess), especially when their own native gods seemed insufficient or at times of crisis.

• Conditions for Tolerance: The main expectation was that conquered peoples and foreign cults should also honor the Roman gods and, crucially, participate in the Imperial Cult—worship of the emperor as a divine or semi-divine figure. As long as exotic religions did not openly challenge Roman authority or refuse to show loyalty through public participation in Roman rites, they were generally allowed to practice freely.

• Official Limits and Suspicion: Problems arose when a religion seemed to threaten Roman public order, morality, or state stability. Mystery cults, especially those involving secrecy, exclusive rites, or ecstatic gatherings (like Dionysian/Bacchic worship), sometimes faced restrictions or temporary bans if authorities felt alarmed. However, such cults were often re-allowed if they toned down disruptive practices.

• Monotheism as an Exception: Monotheistic religions—primarily Judaism and Christianity—were unique challenges because adherents refused to honor other gods or participate in Roman civic rituals. Romans saw this as subversive or disloyal. Jewish worship was mostly tolerated due to its antiquity and established nature, though there were periods of conflict. Christianity, being both exclusive and missionary, was sometimes subject to intense suppression before eventually becoming the state religion.

• Conclusion: Roman attitudes were pragmatic: tolerance was extended as long as new or foreign religions didn’t threaten unity or state loyalty. When lines were crossed—mainly through exclusivity, secrecy, or perceived sedition—repression could be harsh but was usually the exception, not the rule. Most exotic religions flourished in the empire alongside traditional ones.

 

Edited August 22, 2025 by caesar novus

[guidoLaMoto]

I must be descended from the Romans ..I freely transfer from religion to religion depending on who has a holiday going on today....And when I have a special request, I pray to the lesser known saints. I figure they're not busy and would appreciate the business.

It's also my understanding that, at least in the 1st century AD, Rome didn't differentiate the Chrisitians from the rest of the Jews, considering them merely a small sect of Judaism.

The religion of choice among the Legionaries was the Cult of Mithras, which involved sacrificial death and re-birth, predating the concept in Christianity.

Edited August 22, 2025 by guidoLaMoto