The Great Revolt (66 – 70 CE) – Jewish Virtual Library
Posted By admin on October 15, 2022
The Jews' Great Revolt against Rome in 66 C.E. led to one of the greatest catastrophes in Jewish life and, in retrospect, might well have been a terrible mistake.
No one could argue with the Jews for wanting to throw off Roman rule. Since the Romans had first occupied Israel in 63 B.C.E., their rule had grown more and more onerous. From almost the beginning of the Common Era, Judea was ruled by Roman procurators, whose chief responsibility was to collect and deliver an annual tax to the empire. Whatever the procurators raised beyond the quota assigned, they could keep. Not surprisingly, they often imposed confiscatory taxes. Equally infuriating to the Judeans, Rome took over the appointment of the High Priest (a turn of events that the ancient Jews appreciated as much as modern Catholics would have appreciated Mussolini appointing the popes). As a result, the High Priests, who represented the Jews before God on their most sacred occasions, increasingly came from the ranks of Jews who collaborated with Rome.
At the beginning of the Common Era, a new group arose among the Jews: the Zealots (in Hebrew, Ka-na-im). These anti-Roman rebels were active for more than six decades, and later instigated the Great Revolt. Their most basic belief was that all means were justified to attain political and religious liberty.
The Jews' anti-Roman feelings were seriously exacerbated during the reign of the half-crazed emperor Caligula, who in the year 39 declared himself to be a deity and ordered his statue to be set up at every temple in the Roman Empire. The Jews, alone in the empire, refused the command; they would not defile God's Temple with a statue of pagan Rome's newest deity.
Caligula threatened to destroy the Temple, so a delegation of Jews was sent to pacify him. To no avail. Caligula raged at them, "So you are the enemies of the gods, the only people who refuse to recognize my divinity." Only the emperor's sudden, violent death saved the Jews from wholesale massacre.
Caligula's action radicalized even the more moderate Jews. What assurance did they have, after all, that another Roman ruler would not arise and try to defile the Temple or destroy Judaism altogether? In addition, Caligula's sudden demise might also have been interpreted as confirming the Zealots' belief that God would fight alongside the Jews if only they would have the courage to confront Rome.
In the decades after Caligula's death, Jews found their religion subject to periodic gross indignities, Roman soldiers exposing themselves in the Temple on one occasion, and burning a Torah scroll on another.
Ultimately, the combination of financial exploitation, Romes unbridled contempt for Judaism, and the unabashed favoritism that the Romans extended to gentiles living in Israel brought about the revolt.
In the year 66, Florus, the last Roman procurator, stole vast quantities of silver from the Temple. The outraged Jewish masses rioted and wiped out the small Roman garrison stationed in Jerusalem. Cestius Gallus, the Roman ruler in neighboring Syria, sent in a larger force of soldiers. But the Jewish insurgents routed them as well.
This was a heartening victory that had a terrible consequence: Many Jews suddenly became convinced that they could defeat Rome, and the Zealots' ranks grew geometrically. Never again, however, did the Jews achieve so decisive a victory.
When the Romans returned, they had 60,000 heavily armed and highly professional troops. They launched their first attack against the Jewish state's most radicalized area, the Galilee in the north. The Romans vanquished the Galilee, and an estimated 100,000 Jews were killed or sold into slavery.
Throughout the Roman conquest of this territory, the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem did almost nothing to help their beleaguered brothers. They apparently had concludedtoo late, unfortunatelythat the revolt could not be won, and wanted to hold down Jewish deaths as much as possible.
The highly embittered refugees who succeeded in escaping the Galilean massacres fled to the last major Jewish strongholdJerusalem. There, they killed anyone in the Jewish leadership who was not as radical as they. Thus, all the more moderate Jewish leaders who headed the Jewish government at the revolt's beginning in 66 were dead by 68and not one died at the hands of a Roman. All were killed by fellow Jews.
The scene was now set for the revolt's final catastrophe. Outside Jerusalem, Roman troops prepared to besiege the city; inside the city, the Jews were engaged in a suicidal civil war. In later generations, the rabbis hyperbolically declared that the revolt's failure, and the Temple's destruction, was due not to Roman military superiority but to causeless hatred (sinat khinam) among the Jews (Yoma 9b). While the Romans would have won the war in any case, the Jewish civil war both hastened their victory and immensely increased the casualties. One horrendous example: In expectation of a Roman siege, Jerusalem's Jews had stockpiled a supply of dry food that could have fed the city for many years. But one of the warring Zealot factions burned the entire supply, apparently hoping that destroying this "security blanket" would compel everyone to participate in the revolt. The starvation resulting from this mad act caused suffering as great as any the Romans inflicted.
We do know that some great figures of ancient Israel opposed the revolt, most notably Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. Since the Zealot leaders ordered the execution of anyone advocating surrender to Rome, Rabbi Yochanan arranged for his disciples to smuggle him out of Jerusalem, disguised as a corpse. Once safe, he personally surrendered to the Roman general Vespasian, who granted him concessions that allowed Jewish communal life to continue.
During the summer of 70, the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem, and initiated an orgy of violence and destruction. Shortly thereafter, they destroyed the Second Temple. This was the final and most devastating Roman blow against Judea.
It is estimated that as many as one million Jews died in the Great Revolt against Rome. When people today speak of the almost two-thousand-year span of Jewish homelessness and exile, they are dating it from the failure of the revolt and the destruction of the Temple. Indeed, the Great Revolt of 66-70, followed some sixty years later by the Bar Kokhba revolt, were the greatest calamities in Jewish history prior to the Holocaust. In addition to the more than one million Jews killed, these failed rebellions led to the total loss of Jewish political authority in Israel until 1948. This loss in itself exacerbated the magnitude of later Jewish catastrophes, since it precluded Israel from being used as a refuge for the large numbers of Jews fleeing persecutions elsewhere.
Follow this link:
The Great Revolt (66 - 70 CE) - Jewish Virtual Library
- Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Here's what that means - WRAL News - September 26th, 2023
- Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day explained | Arts & Culture - Red and Black - September 26th, 2023
- JewBelong markets joys and challenges of Judaism with witty ... - NorthJersey.com - September 26th, 2023
- The Best Part Of Krusty The Clown's Judaism Is That It Doesn't Need ... - Defector - September 26th, 2023
- Judaism and No Regrets - Aish - September 26th, 2023
- Yom Kippur 2023: What to know about the holiest day in Judaism - Asbury Park Press - September 26th, 2023
- Can one of Judaism's oldest professions endure the test of time? - Ynetnews - September 26th, 2023
- Judaism On Our Own Terms: The answer to an anti-Zionist Jewish future? - Mondoweiss - September 16th, 2023
- US Womens Soccer League head Jessica Berman draws on her Judaism to level the field - The Times of Israel - September 16th, 2023
- The Virtues Of Judaism - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - September 16th, 2023
- Why There Are No Jails in Judaism - Aish - September 16th, 2023
- What Does Judaism Have to Say About Aliens? - Alma - August 12th, 2023
- Rabbi teaching Introduction to Judaism class at UA - Arkansas Online - August 12th, 2023
- Nation and Religion in Judaism The European Conservative - The European Conservative - August 12th, 2023
- How did 21 Messianic Jews in Show Low decide to convert to Judaism? It's a story with many beginnings. - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix - August 8th, 2023
- Goals of Jewish education aimed at creating appreciations, connections to Judaism - Cleveland Jewish News - August 6th, 2023
- The Detailed History of Judaism in Alsace - The Collector - August 6th, 2023
- Fugitive Nicholas Rossi who allegedly converted to Judaism can be ... - The Jewish Chronicle - August 6th, 2023
- Judaism - Religion, Monotheism, Culture | Britannica - July 28th, 2023
- Tony Bennett's Daughter, Antonia, says Judaism Grounds Her - Jew in the City - July 28th, 2023
- Judaism - Rituals, Beliefs, Torah | Britannica - July 14th, 2023
- Where Do Women Stand in Conservative Judaism? A Female Leader in the Movement Explains - Jewish Exponent - July 14th, 2023
- In Judaism, wisdom is found where the wild things are - St. Louis Jewish Light - July 14th, 2023
- Professor Brings Passion for Judaism and Teaching to Campus - Christopher Newport University - July 14th, 2023
- Isaac Newton and Judaism - Jewish Link of New Jersey - July 14th, 2023
- In Judaism, wisdom is found where the wild things are - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - July 12th, 2023
- New York Mix: Rediscovering Judaism in the Big Apple - Israel Hayom - July 11th, 2023
- Alan Arkin and the three pillars of Judaism - Forward - July 11th, 2023
- Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism - The Times of Israel - July 11th, 2023
- Origins of Judaism - Wikipedia - July 9th, 2023
- Christianity and Judaism - Wikipedia - July 9th, 2023
- Converting to Judaism: Is it good for the Jews? - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - July 9th, 2023
- I Was Pregnant and Moving Across the World. Judaism Helped Me ... - Kveller.com - July 3rd, 2023
- This Secular Israeli Is a Fanatic Hater of Torah Judaism the Way ... - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 3rd, 2023
- Death penalty 'available' but should be 'exceedingly rare' in Judaism ... - Cleveland Jewish News - June 29th, 2023
- LGBTQ+ Converts Find a New Spiritual Home in Reform Judaism - Tablet Magazine - June 29th, 2023
- Why Hebrew is of central importance in Judaism - Heritage Florida Jewish News - June 29th, 2023
- These rural Ugandan villagers dedicated themselves to Judaism ... - The Canadian Jewish News - June 29th, 2023
- How New York was renewed by Torah Judaism after the Holocaust - Arutz Sheva - June 29th, 2023
- Balancing AI and Judaism - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - June 22nd, 2023
- United Torah Judaism says it wont vote with coalition in protest of missing funding - The Times of Israel - June 22nd, 2023
- Tithe and Tithing history, practice in Christianity, Islam and Judaism - NNN NEWS NIGERIA - June 22nd, 2023
- 'The Convent': Converting to Judaism during the Crusades - review - The Jerusalem Post - June 19th, 2023
- Summer Roundtable Webinars on WUPJ Values: The WUPJ ... - World Union for Progressive Judaism - June 12th, 2023
- Does The Qur'an Attack Christianity And Judaism? OpEd - Eurasia Review - June 10th, 2023
- Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st Century with ... - Moment Magazine - June 10th, 2023
- The Pizza I Couldn't Leave Behind When I Converted to Judaism - Tablet Magazine - June 8th, 2023
- Rude Giuliani: Judaism's secret is never forgetting the past - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - June 8th, 2023
- For Judaism, It Is Increasingly Clear, Zionism Was a Dangerous ... - Washington Report on Middle East Affairs - June 8th, 2023
- What is Judaism? - Center for Religious & Spiritual Life - Gettysburg.edu - May 24th, 2023
- Converting to Judaism in Israel is nearly impossible - ITIM report - The Jerusalem Post - May 24th, 2023
- Israels National Program for Conversion to Judaism Is Failing, Report Says - Israel News - Haaretz - May 24th, 2023
- Practicing Judaism and finding God this Shavuot - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - May 24th, 2023
- In a joyous and colorful reimagination of Noahs Ark, a vision for a new kind of Judaism - Forward - May 24th, 2023
- 'The Origins of Judaism': Finding how far back rabbinic tradition goes - The Jerusalem Post - May 20th, 2023
- At JC3, Judaism Blossoms Among the Expats of San Miguel - Moment Magazine - May 17th, 2023
- How Judaism Honors New Mothers, From Medieval Embroidery to ... - Brandeis University - May 17th, 2023
- Judaism's rituals to honor new mothers are ever-rooted, ever-changing from medieval embroidery and prayer to new traditions today - The Conversation - May 13th, 2023
- Judaism - Wikipedia - February 11th, 2023
- The Jewish Denominations | My Jewish Learning - February 7th, 2023
- Judaism - Basic beliefs and doctrines | Britannica - January 12th, 2023
- Beliefs and branches of Judaism | Britannica - December 15th, 2022
- Judaism: Beliefs, Rituals, Celebrations And Symbols - Edubirdie - December 15th, 2022
- The Patient is best when it focuses on Judaism, not serial killers - Haaretz - December 9th, 2022
- Wanting in, wanting out: Phoebe Maltz Bovy contemplates the soup of beliefs found in a new book called 'Bad Jews' - The Canadian Jewish News - October 15th, 2022
- THIS BEAUTIFUL FUTURE to Host Talkback with Jewish Faith Leaders This Month - Broadway World - October 15th, 2022
- The myth of the lost golden age - OnlySky - October 15th, 2022
- USAFA cadet forced to choose between her religion and key training told the issue is being Jewish - Daily Kos - October 15th, 2022
- The power of prayer - Cleveland Jewish News - October 15th, 2022
- Path of the Spirit: Our environment witnesses to the sacred - Las Cruces Sun-News - October 15th, 2022
- Judaism and Human Creativity - aish.com - Aish.com - October 6th, 2022
- Do Jewish converts have to believe in God? - Forward - October 6th, 2022
- 'The Patient': Why Ezra Converting to Orthodox Judaism Is Such a Big Deal - Showbiz Cheat Sheet - October 6th, 2022
- After 500 Years, Closing the Circle - aish.com - Aish.com - October 6th, 2022
- Sukkot Belongs to Every Jew - Jewish Journal - October 6th, 2022
- Judaism - InfoPlease - October 4th, 2022
- Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Here's what that means - Rockdale Newton Citizen - October 4th, 2022
- Pro-abortion Stances Are the Norm Surveying Islam and Judaism - A Little Bit Human - October 4th, 2022
- As a Jewish new year begins, reflections on my career and faith | Greenbiz - GreenBiz - October 4th, 2022
- Student Voices: Celebrating Rosh Hashanah with the Second Gentleman - GW Today - October 4th, 2022
Comments