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A Brief History of Judea from AD 27 to AD 70, Part I
I thought that it would be helpful to outline some of the events which transpired between the time of Jesus’ death in approximately AD 27 and the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. I am working on a chart to try to present this in a better way visually, but until then let me try to summarize it prosaically here. I have not taken the time to weave into this narrative the story of the growth and spread of Jesus’ followers -- the “Nazrenes,” the “way,” or the “Christians” as they eventually came to be called. But remember that the early spread of the gospel, the persecutions of the Christians by the Jewish Sanhedrin, and the missionary trips of Paul are taking place during much of this same history. This is the first of two parts.
As you may remember Judea in the time of Jesus was under the direct control of Rome and its affairs overseen by a governor or “Procurator.” These Procurators were appointed by the emperors, and were themselves overseen by the “legate” of Syria. Judea was by no means high level province, and thus did not tend to get high quality leadership. These Procurators had lots of power, and were generally insensitive to Jewish needs and quite adept at offending their Jewish charges. Their actions often provoked riots and they tended to deal harshly with the Jewish subjects. But the Jews had friends in Rome and often would often appeal to Rome against actions or decisions of the Procurators.
The period of the Procurators was interrupted briefly by the reign of Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, who reigned over Palestine as king. Remember that Herod Agrippa was the ruler who killed James the brother of John and imprisoned Peter, who was to escape miraculously (see Acts 12:21-31). This is the same Herod who died suddenly at the festival he had inaugurated at the honor of the emperor (Acts 12:21-31). After Herod’s death Judea reverted back to rule by these Procurators or governors. Up until the brief reign of Herod Agrippa, the Procurators had the responsibility of appointing high priests. This position of course usually went to the highest bidder, and to those who would appear most supportive of the Procurator. The priestly class took great pains to remain on the good side of the Procurator. One easily imagines the scandal and intrigue in which this resulted. High priests came and went. Needless to say, the Jews hated being under the direct control of Rome, her tin pot governors, and the corrupt and wicked priests who oversaw the temple.
After Herod Agrippa died, the first Procurator appointed by Rome – one Fadus – assumed the right again to appoint the high priest and keep custody of the high priestly robes of office. The Jews petitioned against this, and Rome granted power to appoint high priests not to the Procurators. Rome gave the power of priestly appointment to Herod Agrippa’s brother who ruled a tiny little kingdom north of Palestine, and after that to Herod Agrippa’s son, Agrippa II. However, the corruption of the priestly class continued as a great sore spot for the Jewish nationalists.
After Herod Agrippa’s reign, during the twenty years of Procurator rule, from about 44-66, the situation generally deteriorated in Judea. During this period there were seven different procurators. These Procurators often found themselves having to put down revolts led by bands of Zealot nationalists in Galilee. Many would-be messiahs came and went. There was Theudas who gathered a large band of followers which he took to the River Jordan, claiming that at his word the waters would divide and after which the promised land would again be set free from pagan rule. Procurator Fadus (44-46) sent troops, dispersed the crowd, and brought Theudas’s head back to Jerusalem. There was revolt led by two of the sons of Judas the Galilean (who had revolted back in AD 6 because of the census) during the Procuratorship of Alexander (46-48). These two were caught and crucified.
Constant tumult and rioting plagues the term of Alexander’s successor, Cumanus (48-52). Toward the end of his term a dispute broke out between Samaritans and Jews. Some Jewish Galileans were murdered in a Samaritan village, and after Camanus refused to bring the offenders to justice, two Jewish zealots formed a bad which attacked and killed many of the Samaritans. Camanus sent in his troops against the zealot forces. The Jews appealed to emperor Claudius who removed Camanus form his office.
Camanus’ successor was Felix (52-59). Felix took severe actions to rid his province of guerilla bands. Though he succeeded in the short term he further alienated much of the Jewish population. Their bands broken up and hiding places discovered, the Jewish nationalists resorted to assassination. A group called the sicarii, or “dagger men,” would mingle and mix with crowds and drive their hidden knives into the backs of victims – turncoat Jews, soldiers, even an ex high priest. In AD 54 an Egyptian rebel leader led a group of 4000 men to the Mount of Olives to bring down the walls of the city Jericho style by shouting out at the appointed signal. Felix sent out the troops who killed over 400. The leader got away. It was during the term of Felix that the apostle Paul was detained after a riot broke out in the temple courts. In Felix’ last year there was a terrible outbreak of Jew/Gentile conflict in Caesarea. Felix intervened on behalf of the Gentiles. The Jews appealed to Caesar. Felix took off with delegations to Rome. Fearing his position, and desiring to win back Jewish favor, he left Paul in prison in Caesarea (Acts 24:27). Felix was deposed of his office by the then emperor Nero, who then appointed Festus as the next Procurator. However, the Roman court sided with the Gentiles of Caesarea, and the Jews there were reduced in status to second class citizens. Embitterment from this would fester. Paul meanwhile had appealed to Caesar, so off to Rome he went.
Following in Felix’ footsteps, Festus took quick action against rebel insurgents. He died suddenly in AD 62. Before his successor came three months later, the high priest Annas II, had a window of opportunity to settle some scores. He had many people arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. Included amongst these was James the Just, Jesus’ brother, leader of the “Nazarene” (Christian) sect in Jerusalem, whom Annas had executed. Though James was known as a part of the Jesus sect, he was also known as a just and godly man who venerated by many Jews, and who was known to intercede tirelessly in prayer on behalf of the city. Agrippa appointed a new high priest, and soon fighting broke out between partisans of the two high priests.
The next Procurator was Albinus, who proved himself to be even more incompetent than average. Rome, worried over trouble brewing in Judea, replaced him in AD 66 with Gessius Florius, the last and perhaps worst of the Procurators of Judea, who had unparalleled appetite for bribery and corruption. He refused to act when Gentiles in Caesarea who sacrificed a chicken on the steps of a synagogue, implying that the Jews were thus a leprous nation (the sacrifice of a bird being part of the Levitical process for removal of impurity for a leper).
However it was one particular stupid act of Florius which resulted in the outbreak of war in AD 66. Like a good mobster, Florius demanded that the Judean Jews pay him “protection” money out of the temple treasury. Nothing could be done to stop this outrage, which was considered by all a great sacrilege. Expressing their outrage in humor and mockery, two “city wags” went through the streets taking up a mock collection for the poor destitute Florius. This infuriated Florius, who sent the troops into the streets against the general population. Homes were looted, and citizens were seized at random and taken to be crucified. The people, led by Eleazar, a priest and captain of the temple, retaliated, sealing off the Roman garrison and taking over the temple area. The Syrian legate overseeing Judea sent a delegation to investigate the disturbances. This delegate urged obedience to Rome, which meant obedience to the Procurator. But this was too much. Eleazar instigated the first overt act of rebellion. He commanded the cessation of the daily sacrifice offered in the temple for the emperor. This was in effect a rejection of the emperor’s authority and an act of war.
Some of the Jewish leaders led by Eleazar’s father and former priest Ananias, knew the consequences of this act of rebellion, and appealed to Florius and Agrippa for cooperation in ending the standoff. Florius seemed happy to have war begin, but Agrippa sent reinforcements to the temple to shore up the “peace party” which opposed Eleazar in his act of rebellion. But it was to no avail. On September 5, AD 66, the temple insurgents under Eleazar wiped out the Roman garrison overlooking the temple precincts, and began to fight for control of the western part of the city, which had been occupied by forces of the “peace” party.
Meanwhile the Zealot party throughout Palestine saw this as the time that they had been waiting for. Under Menahem their leader, last surviving son of Judas the Galilean, they seized the Roman fort at Masada, took the weapons, marched off to Jerusalem, and joined in the attack on the western part of the city. The peace part gave up the fight and left the city. But things now went from bad to worse for the Jews of Jerusalem. Fighting broke out between the zealots under Menahem and the temple insurgents under Eleazar, for Menahem, in mopping up the last of the peace party before their surrender, had killed their leader Ananias, who happened to be Eleazar’s father., Eleazar’s men attacked Menahem as he was worshipping at the temple. Menahem and his men were caught and tortured to death their in the temple precincts. Some of his men however escaped and fled to Masada, where they remained until their famous suicide at the end of the war. The insurgents now controlled the city.
Florius appealed to the Cestus Gallus, the Syrian legate, for help, who marched over with the twelfth legion and reinforcements to quell the revolt. After occupying the northern suburbs of Jerusalem, he concluded his troops were insufficient to take the city, so he withdrew. On November 25, AD 66, as his army passed through the pass of Beth-Horon on its way north, it was attacked by a Jewish force and decimated.
The defeat of Cestus’ forces lent great prestige to the insurgent’s cause. The “peace” party was discredited. Jews all over Palestine were now united in revolt. Quickly the Jewish forces organized for defense – not just of Jerusalem but defense of all Palestine.
The following Spring of AD 67 Nero sent Vespasian, one of the most celebrated Roman generals, to Judea with three legions. The next year was one of gradual loss of Jewish territory to the Romans. By the Spring of AD 68 all that was left was Jerusalem itself. In the meantime internecine rivalry plagued the rebels. The Zealot leaders, the priestly insurgent leaders, and others vied for control of the city. By the Spring of AD 68 one John of Gishala became master of the city, and named a the last high priest, a county priest named Phinehas.
In June of AD 68 a revolt broke out in Rome. Nero committee suicide. In and around Rome civil war raged. In short succession three separate generals became emperor. The world seemed to be coming unraveled. Vespasian suspended operations, and for a year the war in Judea was put on hold. The forces in Jerusalem took the troubles in Rome and the break in Vespasian’s attack as sign. Surely their God was about to act! Their confidence and belief in the impregnability of the city soared. But what they hoped for was not to be. |
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