Jewish Congregation of Marco Island “Ta Sh’ma” Life-Long Learning Program “…But Was Caesar Good for the Jews?” March 21, 2021 The Lay of the Land (or: Knowing the Imperial Players) - --- 753 BCE traditional date for the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus The Roman Republic 509 overthrow of Tarquinius frees Rome from Etruscan rule 63 Pompey deposes Aristobulus II, and crowns John Hyrcanus II 60 First Triumvirate (Crassus, Pompey, and Caesar) Julio-Claudian Dynasty 44 Gaius Julius Caesar > dictator perpetuo 43 Lex Titia establishes the Second Triumvirate 1 27 BCE Gaius Octavius > Imperator Caesar divi filius Augustus 6 CE Iudea incorporated as a Province of Rome 2 14 CE Tiberius Caesar Augustus 3 37 Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus 4 41 Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus 5 54 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus 66 First Judean Rebellion Civil War - The Empire in Flux 6 68 Servius Galba Caesar Augustus 7 69 Marcus Otho Caesar Augustus “Year of the 8 69 Aulus Vitellius Four Emperors” Flavian Imperial Dynasty 9 69 Vespasianus (military commander of Legio X Fretensis) 70 sack of Jerusalem 73 Fall of Masada 10 79 Titus Caesar Vespasianus (commander of Lexio X) 11 81 Titus Flavius Domitianus Nerva-Antonine Imperial Dynasty 12 96 Marcus Cocceius Nerva 13 98 Trajan (Caesar Nerva Traianus) 115-7 Tumultus Iudaicus (“Kitos War”) “the Five Good 14 117 Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Emperors” 133 Bar-Kochba Rebellion 135 Hadrianic persecution (per Niccolo Machiavelli 15 138 Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius 16 161-169 Lucius Verus 17 161-180 Marcus Aurelius Antoninus concurrent co-governance 18 177-192 Commodus - continued “…But Was Caesar Good for the Jews?” (March 21, 2010) – page 2 the eastern Mediterranean at height bronze sestertius of Vespasian of the Roman Empire, 117 CE inscription: “Captive Judea” “The imperial military depots were resupplied by ship, “S[enatus] C[onsulto]” which made it difficult for Roman armies to operate more than seventy-five miles from a coast or large river. This explains why Rome conquered only the lands fringing the shores of the Mediterranean, and why the northern boundaries of its territory were defined by rivers” – Tom Standage, An Edible History of the World A) Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 69a - B) Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea (265-339), Chronicon 5 - When the Samaritans had obtained permis- sion from Alexander to destroy the Temple Alexander arrived [at Jerusalem in 332 BCE] in Jerusalem, the high priest Shim’on the with a victorious army, and was full of rage Just (garbed in his golden vestments, and against the Judeans because they would not accompanied by a host of Judean dignita- fight against his enemy Darius. ries) went out to meet the conqueror. At the Yet a day or two later he departed with the sight of Shim’on, Alexander fell prostrate at greatest love and kindness for the Jude- his feet. ans— permitting them to live by their He explained to his astonished companions ancient laws; forgiving them the tribute of the year“ שנת שמיטה] that the image of the Jewish high priest the Sabbatical Year was always with him in battle, fighting of release” - ref. Leviticus 25]; and willingly for him and leading him to victory. Shim- inviting their people to fight for him, as his on vindicated the sentiments of his country- allies. men, declaring that— far from being rebels— they offered prayers in the Temple for the welfare of the king and his dominions. portrait of Alexander the Great (depicted as Zeus Ammon) silver tetradrachma of Lysimachus, c. 290 BCE - continued “…But Was Caesar Good for the Jews?” (March 21, 2010) – page 3 C) Josephus Flavius (37-100?), D) from Ezra 4 - Antiquities of the Jews 14:10:6 - The [Samaritan and Arab] adversaries of Ju- Gaius [Julius] Caesar had decreed that the dah and Benjamin sent a letter to Emperor Judeans shall possess Jerusalem, and may Xerxes in Persia: “Let it be made known to encompass that city with walls; that Hyrca- Your Majesty that the Judeans who have nus, the son of Alexander, the high priest come up from you have arrived at Jeru- and ethnarch of the Judeans, may hold it salem, and are rebuilding that wicked and in any manner he pleases; and that the Ju- rebellious city. If this city is rebuilt, and deans are allowed a remittance of tribute, its walls completed, they will not pay tri- the year following the Sabbatical year. bute, nor poll-tax, nor land-tax, to the deleterious effect of the Empire. “You will find in the Imperial archives of your forebears that this city is harmful to kings and states, with sedition rife within its walls since early days. If this city’s walls are rebuilt, you will no longer have any in- fluence in the province Beyond the River.” E) Emil Schürer (1844-1910), Geschichte des Jüdischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu - The policies of [the first Roman Emperor] Augustus toward the Jews of the Empire in general, and the inhabitants of Judea in particular, followed the favorable line established by Julius Caesar. Judea was incorporated into the Empire, as part of the Province of Syria, when Augustus deposed Herod Archelaus, successor to Roman client-king Herod the Great. Augustus extended favorable treatment to Jews throughout the Diaspora. He ensured the “inviolability of their sacred books and synagogues” and exempted them from the need to appear in court on the Sabbath, or on Friday after The Ninth Hour [ = 3:00 p.m.]. F) David Noy (1959- ), “A Sight Unfit to See”: Jewish Reactions to the Roman Imperial Cult – In 39 or 40 the [third Roman] Emperor Gaius Caligu- la decided to have a statue of himself installed in the Jewish Caligula Temple in Jerusalem. He ordered the governor of Syria, Petronius, to use as much military force as necessary to erect it. But Petronius was confronted with thousands of protesting Judean Jews before he had even left Syria. Jews throughout the Roman world were horrified at the greatest threat to the monotheistic and aniconic nature of their worship for 200 years [cf. I Maccabees 1:54-56 = 167 BCE]. [King Marcus Julius] Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great and current ruler of a client-kingdom northeast of Judea that A narcissistic sociopath, included the Galilee, happened to be in Rome. When he was four of whose five years as informed about the statue, he apparently had a stroke, but Emperor were character- recovered sufficiently to write to Caligula with a lengthy ized by every kind of profli- argument against the statue. Caligula’s mind was changed, igacy and cruelty. and he ordered the icon returned to Syria. - continued “…But Was Caesar Good for the Jews?” (March 21, 2010) – page 4 G) Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 41a – [When the Covenant was renewed every seven years, with a public reading of Torah in the Temple (per Deuteronomy 31:10-13),] how did they conduct the reading of The Paragraph About Portrait coin of Agrippa I The King [ = Deuteronomy 17:14-20]? The High Priest ( ) presents [the Torah scroll] to the King, who stands to from Caesarea, 42 receive it and then reads it while seated. King Agrippa [Marcus Julius Agrippa, ruled 41-44 CE] rose to receive it, but remained respectfully standing to read it, for which the sages lauded him. But when he got to the verse “you may not appoint a foreigner over you” [ = Deuteronomy 17:15], he stop- ped reading and his eyes brimmed with tears. They reassured him: “Fear not, Agrippa— you are our brother, you are our brother!” Acts 12:1 - Herod the Great Aristobulus IV Marcus Julius Agrippa (Edomite) (Hasmonean) (King Agrippa I / Herod Agrippa) | | | Mariamne Berenice Cypros (Hasmonean) (daughter of Herod’s sister) (daughter of Mariamne’s daughter) H) F. F. [Frederic Fyvie] Bruce (1910-1980), New Testament History - The cruelty of [Marcus Antonius Felix, Roman procurator of Judea 52-60], coupled with his accessibility to bribes (see Acts 24:26), led to a great increase Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 9b - of crime in Judaea. The period of his rule was marked by internal feuds and disturbances, On account of what was the Second Temple which he put down with severity. destroyed? Because gratuitous hatred prevailed within it. His successor Porcius Festus [procurator of Ju- dea 60-62,] inherited the problems of his predecessor in regard to the Roman practice of creating civic privileges for Jews. During his administration, Judean hostility to Roman policy was greatly inflamed by the civic privileges issue. Feelings were aroused which played an important part in the closely following uprising of 66. I) Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 56a - As [the fifth Roman Emperor] Caesar Nero came up against them [in 67 to lay siege to the Judean capital], he shot an arrow towards the east, and it fell on Jerusalem. He then shot one towards the west— and it, too, fell on Jerusalem. So he fired arrows towards all four points of the compass— yet each one fell on Jeru- salem. Whereupon he said to a young boy nearby: “Recite for me the last verse of Scripture you learned!” To which the boy obediently re- sponded: “Now I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel” [Ezekiel 25:14]. The Emperor thought to himself: “The Holy And Blessed One wishes to lay waste to His Own house, but to wash His Own Hands of it and lay the blame on me!” So he turned and ran away and became a proselyte; Rabbi Mei’ir was descended from him. - continued “…But Was Caesar Good for the Jews?” (March 21, 2010) – page 5 J) Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 56b - The wicked Titus [who oversaw the destruction of Jerusalem at the order of the ninth Emperor, Vespasian (whom he then succeeded as the tenth)] blasphemed and insulted Heaven.