2/17 Lecture

Jerusalem in Revolt
-during Roman rule 63 BCE- 614 CE
-Herod dies -> his kingdom divided among his 3 sons (Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip)
-Herodian rulers gradually replaced by Roman procurators -> direct Roman rule
-Pontius Pilate: only Roman governor of Judea mentioned in the Gospels. 


First Revolt (66-73 CE)
-Sources: messianism, Jewish nationalism, growing internal Jewish conflict, inept Rome governors/administration,...
-Evidence for the 1st revolt from Revolt coins: "for the freedom of Zion" etc.
-Revolt breaks out in 66 CE; Roman governor Mucianus defeated -> Rome appoints Vespasian to conquer Galilee, Transjordan 67 CE -> Vespasian proclaimed Emperor; Titus takes charge in 70 CE
-Temple & Jerusalem destroyed in 70 CE by Titus
-Vespasian instituted the fiscus iudaicus (a special tax on Jews)
-Roman victory displayed on coins (Judea Capta, Judea Devicta)


Second "Bar-Kokhba" Revolt (132-135 CE)
-Bar-Kokhba, Akiba, and Messianism
-institutional and spiritual crisis
-Jerusalem rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina by Hadrian, Jews forbidden to visit Jerusalem
-used revolt coins as propaganda to rekindle Jewish independence
     -many coins were overstrikes
     -wanted to promote Jerusalem as eternal capitol
     -modeled after coins that failed first revolt against Rome
     -the rhetoric toned down from year to year..
-Simon called himself nasi, which means 'prince', which is the highest non-royal and non-priestly title possible
-Outcome: Emperor Hadrian suppressed revolt; banned circumcision; rebuilt Jerusalem as a Roman city with a temple to Jupiter; banned Jews from the city
-Rise of synagogue as a response to the destruction of the Temple


The end of this lecture marked the end of the Jerusalem for a long while. After experiencing two major events that destroyed Jewish nationalism and religion, Jews had to find alternate ways to continue to be Jewish. This meant that they had to think of some kind of Jewish movements that did not depend Jerusalem or the Temple to be the center of their faith. They needed a more spiritualized God instead of a physical or tangible God that would always be with them wherever they were. Jewish identity needed to be defined by not being at the Temple but what one ate and drank, how one talked, dressed, and prayed. Religion had to get personalized.  I've always viewed religion as being something constant and unchanging, so it was interesting to see how necessary it is for religion to adapt to change. If religion was resistant to change, it would just cease to exist whenever it encounters a catastrophe.