The Jewish War (mid 60's to mid 70's AD)
I don't think we can really understand the New Testament without knowing
about this war.
Prior to the war Christianity was basically a Jewish sect.
After the war it split with Judaism and became a truly separate religion.
The theory is that Jewish-Christianity with its imminent return of Jesus
and end-of-the-world mentality provided the real impetus behind the war.
This is probably unfair, there were certainly lots of Jewish groups
that hated the Roman occupation.
Rightly or not, this friction explains the falling out with the more
mainstream Pharisees after its disastrous results.
"... the war which the Jews
made with the Romans has been the greatest of
those, not only that have been in our times,
but in a manner, of those that ever were heard
of both of those wherein cities have fought against
cities or nations against nations ... "
(Josephus, The Jewish War, 1)
66 AD Uprising in Alexandria, Egypt
A Jewish revolt crushed by Rome.
66 AD Uprising in Caesarea
A Jewish revolt crushed by Rome.
66 AD Uprising in Jerusalem
A Jewish revolution crushed by Rome.
67 AD Vespasian reconquors Galilee
A Jewish revolution crushed by Rome.
67-68 AD Zealots escaping Galilee take over Jerusalem
A Jewish revolution crushed by Rome.
70 AD Titus lays siege to Jerusalem
A Jewish revolution crushed by Rome.
73 AD Masada the final defeat
A Jewish revolution crushed by Rome.
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(c) 2005 Thomas F. Swezey All rights reserved.