Cherub786
Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2017
- Messages
- 180
- Reaction score
- 26
- Location
- America
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Undisclosed
I believe that by far the greatest historian was Josephus. No other pre-modern historian comes close to the amount of detail and information. Here is a historian who in fact actively participated in the events he chronicled, at least before he was captured by the Romans and decided to switch sides.
His two great works “The Jewish War” and “Antiquities of the Jews” are absolute masterpieces.
It’s interesting to read about the background of the Jewish revolts of the first century. I think that revolt was always simmering beneath the surface in Judea, but it was finally sparked by the behavior of the Roman procurator Gessius Florus when the latter looted seventeen talents from the Temple treasury in Jerusalem. Because of the incompetence of Florus he had to be replaced in 66 (he was only procurator for two years!). But I believe ultimately it was the fault of the Romans who could have easily stopped the revolt had they been more flexible and negotiated with the Jewish community, instead of engaging in behavior which forced even ordinary Jews to pick up arms and rebel.
One of the more interesting things about the first Jewish revolt (which resulted in destruction of the Temple in 70 CE), were the various Jewish factions and the brief civil war that occurred when these factions took control of Jerusalem and began fighting each other.
If anyone is interested or has read about this exciting episode in history please comment. Thanks.
His two great works “The Jewish War” and “Antiquities of the Jews” are absolute masterpieces.
It’s interesting to read about the background of the Jewish revolts of the first century. I think that revolt was always simmering beneath the surface in Judea, but it was finally sparked by the behavior of the Roman procurator Gessius Florus when the latter looted seventeen talents from the Temple treasury in Jerusalem. Because of the incompetence of Florus he had to be replaced in 66 (he was only procurator for two years!). But I believe ultimately it was the fault of the Romans who could have easily stopped the revolt had they been more flexible and negotiated with the Jewish community, instead of engaging in behavior which forced even ordinary Jews to pick up arms and rebel.
One of the more interesting things about the first Jewish revolt (which resulted in destruction of the Temple in 70 CE), were the various Jewish factions and the brief civil war that occurred when these factions took control of Jerusalem and began fighting each other.
If anyone is interested or has read about this exciting episode in history please comment. Thanks.
