6.3 Roman Rule and the Destruction of the Second Temple

The Roman conquest of Jerusalem in 63 BCE marked a turning point for Jewish society. While allowing religious practices, Roman rule introduced cultural tensions and political control. This period saw the reign of Herod the Great and growing resentment towards Roman authority.

Tensions escalated into the Great Revolt of 66 CE, sparked by Roman oppression and Jewish revolutionary groups. The conflict culminated in the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, a catastrophic event that reshaped Judaism and led to the Jewish diaspora.

Roman Rule and Jewish Society

Impact of Roman Rule on Jewish Life

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• Roman rule over Judea began in 63 BCE when Pompey the Great conquered Jerusalem, leading to a period of significant changes and challenges for Jewish society and religion
• The Romans allowed the Jews to maintain their religious practices and traditions, but also imposed various forms of control and influence over Jewish life
  • Appointing high priests
  • Collecting taxes
• Roman rule introduced Hellenistic culture and ideas into Jewish society, which led to cultural and religious tensions
  • Sadducees embraced these influences
  • Pharisees resisted them

Herod the Great's Reign and Roman Offenses

• The Romans granted the Jewish king Herod the Great a significant degree of autonomy in ruling Judea, but his reign was marked by contrasts
  • Grand building projects (expansion of the Second Temple)
  • Brutal repression of political opponents
• The Roman practice of emperor worship and the placement of Roman symbols and images in Jewish public spaces were seen as deeply offensive and sacrilegious by many Jews
  • Placement of symbols and images in the Temple
  • Contributed to growing resentment and resistance against Roman rule

Jewish Revolt Against Rome

Factors Leading to the Revolt

• The First Jewish Revolt against Roman rule (Great Revolt) began in 66 CE, sparked by a series of escalating tensions and conflicts between the Jews and the Romans
• Corrupt and oppressive rule of the Roman procurators (governors) of Judea contributed to the revolt
  • Seized Jewish property
  • Imposed heavy taxes
  • Showed disregard for Jewish religious practices and sensitivities
• Growing influence of Jewish revolutionary groups advocated for armed resistance against Roman rule
  • Zealots sought to establish an independent Jewish state

Immediate Triggers and Course of the Revolt

• The immediate trigger for the revolt was a series of provocations and clashes between Jews and Romans
  • Seizure of the Temple treasure by the Roman procurator Florus
  • Desecration of a synagogue by Greek residents of Caesarea
• The revolt began with the Jews successfully driving the Romans out of Jerusalem and establishing an independent Jewish state
• The Romans soon returned with a massive army under the command of Vespasian and his son Titus to crush the rebellion

Destruction of the Second Temple

Significance of the Temple's Destruction

• In 70 CE, after a long and brutal siege, the Romans under Titus captured Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple, the central religious and cultural institution of the Jewish people
• The destruction of the Temple was a catastrophic event for the Jews
  • Deprived them of their holiest site and the center of their religious worship
  • Marked the end of Jewish political autonomy and the beginning of a long period of exile and dispersion
• The loss of the Temple had profound theological implications for Judaism
  • Forced the rabbis to find new ways of understanding and practicing their religion without the sacrificial cult and the priestly system that had been based in the Temple

Aftermath and Consequences

• In the aftermath of the Temple's destruction, the rabbis developed new forms of Jewish worship and study
  • Prayer
  • Torah reading
  • Compilation of the Mishnah and Talmud, which became the foundations of rabbinic Judaism
• The destruction of the Temple had significant political and social consequences for the Jewish people
  • Suppression of Jewish revolts
  • Imposition of the fiscus Judaicus (special tax on Jews)
  • Beginning of the Jewish diaspora, as many Jews were forced to flee Judea and settle in other parts of the Roman Empire (Alexandria, Antioch, Rome)