Roman Occupation
Pilate's Prefecture
AD 26-36
Marcellus' Prefecture
AD 37-41
Prefecture of Cumanus
AD 48-52
Florus' Prefecture
AD 64-66
Jewish Revolt
AD 66-73
Florus' Prefecture: Temple Treasury
Florus raided treasury and took 17 talents - vast sum of money Massacre followed: beatings and crucifixions Sparked Jews into a full-scale revolt
Pseudepigrapha
False Writings Considered even less important than apocrypha Contains jubilees, Psalms of Solomon and Enoch Popular and influential at the time of Jesus
Pilate's Prefecture: Slaughter in the Temple
'Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices' (Luke 13) Not found in Josephus but adds weight to the idea of Pilate being a heavy-handed and cruel ruler
Roman Occupation
63 Pompey Hyrcanus II - High Priest and ethnarch - ruler of the nation Antipater appointed military governor and later appointed two of his sons, Phassel and Herod, as governors of Judaea and Galilee. Jewish government became semi-independent with Hyrcanus becoming nothing more than a client ruler paying tribute to Rome and supporting them politically and militarily.
AD 70
After a long and bitter war Emperor Titus captured Jerusalem and burned down the temple Josephus suggests this was not the intention of the Romans but the fact that they refused to allow it to be rebuilt suggests otherwise.
AD 6
Archelaus (king of Judaea deposed) and Prefect administers in Judaea
AD 66
Beginning of Jewish Revolt
Prefecture of Cumanus: Burning of a Torah scroll
Brigands attacked caravan of Imperial official so Cumanus punished them by sending in troops to plunder neighbouring villages and one soldier tore and burned a copy of the Torah. Loads of Jews rushed to Cumanus who fearing a full-scale rebellion beheaded the soldier.
Josephus
Captured during Jewish war and flattered Vespasian meaning that he became an interpreter and spokesman for Romans for rest of the war.
Loss of Temple
Changed Jewish religion forever Sadducees wiped out as religious and political force (no need for priests anymore) - Judaism as sacrificial religion lost forever After a short while Pharisees began to re-organise Judaism centred on synagogues with focus on Law and Talmud
Mishnah
Collection of traditions, sometimes known as 'oral law' Commentary on Jewish Law and collections of interpretations by various important rabbis Very wide time span: 200 BC - AD 200 Use with caution - Pharisaic bias
Caesar's actions
Did not enforce emperor worship = idolatry against their commandments Sacrifices offered daily for the Emperor's welfare by Romans and other peoples of the Empire Jews allowed to keep paying temple tax and performing their daily sacrifice Also were not conscripted into the army which would have conflicted with Sabbath and festival observance.
Romans
Did not require Jews to appear in court on the Sabbath Observed local customs such as a prohibition of images Roman procurators nominated High Priests and controlled use of their vestments
Prefecture of Cumanus: The Flasher
During a festival a Roman soldier exposed himself and made obscene gestures from the roof of the temple. Jews started to throw stones so Cumanus sent in troops and Josephus reports that about 20,000 people died in the crush.
Marcellus' Prefecture: The Emperor's statue
Emperor Caligula took emperor worship very seriously and removed their privileges. Told Petronius (legate of Syria) to have a statue put up of himself in precincts of Jerusalem Temple and masses of Jews gathered in protest. Fortunately he died and Petronius could avoid putting up the statue.
Pilate's Prefecture: Execution of popular prophet
Executed Jesus whom Josephus refers to as 'a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure'
Florus' Prefecture: Synagogue Sacrifices
Gentiles sacrificed birds in front of Synagogue in Caesarea thereby polluting building and upsetting Jews who were restrained in their protests
40 BC
Herod appointed King of Judea by the Roman Senate
4 BC
Herod dies and his kingdom is divided
Jerusalem after deposition of Archelaus...
High Priest became head of state - gave Sadducees considerable power Only 200 troops were garrisoned in Jerusalem and the procurator lived in Caesarea
Josephus on the Emperor's statue
If Caligula 'wished to set up these statues, he must first sacrifice the entire Jewish nation'
Roman Policy
Initially allowed Jerusalem to rule itself but after complaints from the High Priest about Archelaus' governance style they appointed a prefect of procurator who ruled Judea with the help of the high priest.
AD 70
Jerusalem destroyed
Josephus on flags
Jews 'said they would take their death very willingly, rather than the wisdom of their laws should be transgressed' which led to Pilate removing the flags.
Apocryphal writings e.g. Sirach 1,2,3; 4 Maccabees
Not considered important enough to include in Jewish scriptures Reveal much about Jewish ideas and thought
Halakah
Oral Teaching about Torah
Pilate's Prefecture: Flags in Jerusalem
Pilate ordered his soldiers to bring flags with Caesar's head on them into the Holy City which enraged Jews and nearly led to considerable bloodshed.
Pilate's Prefecture: Aqueducts
Pilate ordered money to be looted from the Temple treasury for funds for an aqueduct. He upset Jews since he desecrated Temple precincts and stole money set aside for funding the Temple.
Pilate's Prefecture: Massacre of Samaritans
Pilate sent in troops to a service killing many men, women and children. When the emperor heard he recalled Pilate to Rome ending his prefecture and abolished taxes on sale of agricultural produce in Jerusalem and returned High Priest's vestments.
63 BC
Pompey captures Jerusalem. Palestine becomes part of the Roman Empire
Talmud
Rabbinic commentaries on scriptures
20 BC
Reconstruction of Jerusalem Temple begins
Archelaus 4 BC - AD 6
Ruler of Judea, Idumea and Samaria
Josephus Flavius
Very pro-Roman - wrote to explain Jewish history to a gentile audience, biased in favour of pharisees. Jewish prince who went over to Roman side during the Jewish war.