2/17/11 Thursday Lecture

Jerusalem in Revolt
Theme: Apocolyptism + Messianism + tired of being oppressed + Jewish nationalism + inept governors = revolt!


1. Pompey conquers Jerusalem 63 BCE

• After Herod, the kingdom was divided by this three sons: Archelaus the ethnarch of Judea, Herod Antipas the tetrarch of Perea and Galilee, and Herod Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis (on one that put graven images on the coins bc they were so far north of Jerusalem).  These three sons were eventually replaced by inept Roman procurators.  
• Pontius Pilate - only procurator in the Gospels that was ineffective and tried Jesus; Pontius Pilate Inscription

2. 1st Jewish Revolt 66-73 "Great Revolt"

• The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus explains it as a result of many things including zealots.  Histories by Tacitus explains it as a result of messianism and bad administration.
• Jews began to mint their own money as a way to assert authority/declare independence, and to use for propaganda; coins go all the way to year four(?), until Jerusalem is defeated by the Romans
• Mucianus --> Vespasian --> Titus (destroys Temple & Jerusalem which remained in ruins until Hadrian built a Temple to Jupiter)
• Cognitive dissonance again --> everything is spiritualized
• Vespasian instituted fiscus iuldaicus - fiscal incentive to give up being a Jew
• Masada - fortress hide-out for the Jews, originally Herod's Palace
• Signs of Roman victory: Arch if Titus, Judea Capta Coin, Judea Devicta Coin

3. 2nd Jewish Revolt 132-135 CE "Bar Kokhba Revolt"

• Simon ben Kosiba (which means liar) changed his name to Bar-Kokhba (which means son of the star)
• Depicted himself as a prince (greatest non-royal and non-priestly title possible)
• Played on emotions
• Name acronym reminded Jews of the Shema prayer in Deut. 6:4 to trust in God
• Embraced Messianism
• Center of Judaism migrates to Yavneh (West), then to Tiberias (Sea of Galilee)
• Jerusalem rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina by Hadrian
• Jews forbidden to visit Jerusalem (except on 9th of Ab)
• Bar-Kokhba revolt coins
• Words are misspelled
• Letters written in multiple languages
• Overstrikes
• Rhetoric tones down from year to year until no coin in year 4 where Hadrian punished the Jews

4. Aelia Capitolina 135-312 CE

• Hadrian punished the Jews heavily
• Banned circumcision, rebuild Jerusalem as Roman Aelia Capitolina with a temple to Jupiter, banned Jews from the city
• How did the faith survive?
• Decentralization
• Regional/local places of worship
• Synagogue (Masada, Gush Halav, Capernaum, Beth-Alpha)
• Spiritualization

These couple lectures have widened my perspective on religion.  The forming of a religion, and the interrelatedness between religions was not what I had known it to be.  It's surprising to know how powerful rulers like Constantine and Hadrian were able to shape the actual religious faiths that so many people follow today.