.jpg%20General%20Pompey.jpg)
Nadene Goldfoot
Key Milestones of the Decline and Fall of Jerusalem
- Roman Intervention (63 BCE): The Roman general Pompey conquered Jerusalem after a 3 month long siege during a Hasmonean civil war, ending Jewish political independence and turning Judea into a Roman client state. Parthian Invasion (40 BCE): The Parthians invaded and placed the Hasmonean prince Antigonus II on the throne. Herod's Conquest (37 BCE): Backed by the Roman Senate and Roman legions, Herod the Great retook Jerusalem, executed Antigonus, and established the Herodian dynasty. Herod the Great (73 BCE-4 BCE) king of Judea, son of Antipater the Idumean by his Nasabatean wife, Cypros. , associated by Christian reference with the Massacre of the Innocents. [The Massacre of the Innocents is a biblical story from the Gospel of Matthew (2:16–18) in which King Herod the Great orders the execution of all male children aged two and under in Bethlehem] This is a copy of the story of Moses who was born in 1391 BCE, over a thousand years after he was born. This was the cause of much anti-Semitism then and now. He had the Temple in Jerusalem rebuilt and erected new cities of Sebaste and Caesarea.
- So, the Hasmonean dynasty ended in 37 BCE, when Herod the Great captured Jerusalem and had Matatiah executed; the last Hasmonean ruler, Antigonus II Matatiah. Antigonus II Mattathias was executed by the Roman general Mark Antony in 37 BCE at Antioch, after being captured during the siege of Jerusalem and handed over at the instigation of Herod the Great.
- Herod the Great's victory ended the rule of the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty. Herod ruled as a Roman client king until his death in 4 BCE, during which he launched major construction projects like the expansion of the Second Temple and the fortress of Masada.
- After King Herod the Great died in 4 BCE, his kingdom was split among his sons and sister by Roman Emperor Augustus into the Herodian Tetrarchy:
Herod Archelaus: Ruled Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea as ethnarch (not independent ) (4 BCE–6 CE) until Roman authorities banished him for cruelty, turning Judea into a direct Roman province.
Herod Antipas: Ruled Galilee and Peraea as tetrarch (ruler of a 4th part) (4 BCE–39 CE).
Philip the Tetrarch: Ruled the northeastern territories (Gaulanitis, Trachonitis, Batanea, etc.) as tetrarch (4 BCE–34 CE). - None of the sons inherited the title of full king (basileus)
Salome I: Received the coastal region around Ashdod.
Salome I was the sister of Herod the Great and the mother of Berenice by her husband Costobarus, governor of Idumea. She was a nominal queen regnant of the toparchy of Iamnia, Azotus, Phasaelis from 4 BCE. She was the cause of her sister-in-law, Mariamne to be executed on charges of adultery, and caused Herod to go against her nephews. Herod thought she, his sister, was the only loyal family member, so left her the town of Jabneh. in his will. She died in 10 CE.
After Herod Archelaus was deposed in 6 CE for cruel and incompetent rule, Judea came under direct Roman rule as a Roman province. Herod Archelaus and Herod Antipas were brothers and sons of Herod the Great, who divided his kingdom among them after his death in 4 BCE. He ruled as ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea (4 BC–AD 6).
- The Deposition: Emperor Augustus banished Archelaus (who ruled Judea, Samaria, and Idumea as ethnarch) to Gaul after Jewish and Samaritan delegations complained about his tyranny. He was known for extreme cruelty and tyranny. He brutally suppressed early protests, killing 3,000 people in the temple
- Roman Administration: Emperor Augustus placed Judea under direct Roman administration, appointing a prefect (such as Quirinius, who oversaw the census) to govern the region.
- Later Exceptions: The territory briefly returned to Herodian rule under King Herod Agrippa I from 41 to 44 CE, before reverting permanently to Roman provincial status.
- Roman Rule of Judah
- In 44 CE, following the sudden death of King Herod Agrippa I, Judah (then known as the Roman province of Judaea) reverted back to direct Roman rule.This transition marked a critical turning point that altered the region's geography and governance, ultimately setting off a chain reaction toward total collapse:
- Territorial Expansion: When direct Roman rule was restored, the borders of the Judaea Province were officially expanded. In addition to Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea, the province was enlarged to encompass Galilee and Peraea.
- Transition to Procurators: Governance was stripped away from the local Jewish royalty and handed over to a succession of Roman governors (procurators), starting with Cuspius Fadus.
- Escalating Tensions: The new Roman administrators severely mismanaged the region. Corrupt leadership, heavy taxation via local tax collectors, and a blatant disregard for Jewish religious customs fueled widespread resentment.
- First Jewish-Roman War
- The Path to War: This administrative corruption triggered the rise of radical anti-Roman rebel groups. The boiling socio-political unrest directly culminated in the First Jewish–Roman War in 66 CE. [
- Destruction of Jerusalem: The conflict ended in tragedy for the region.
- In 70 CE, Roman forces under Titus besieged and captured Jerusalem, resulting in the destruction of the Second Temple and the mass displacement of the Jewish population Relief of Arch of Titus in Jerusalem showing captives carrying Temple vessels, shewbread table, 7 branched candlesticks and the trumpet; the Jordan; and the sacrificial procession from Temple for Romans; erected by the Senate in honor of Vespasian and Titus. They show the goddess of victory crowning Titus.
- Resource:
- The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia
- Wikipedia
