A magisterial history of the titanic struggle between the Roman and Jewish worlds that led to the destruction of Jerusalem. In 70 C.E., after a four-year war, three Roman legions besieged and eventually devastated Jerusalem, destroying Herod's magnificent Temple. Sixty years later, after further violent rebellions and the city's final destruction, Hadrian built the new city of Aelia Capitolina where Jerusalem had once stood. Jews were barred from entering its territory. They were taxed simply for being Jewish. They were forbidden to worship their god. They were wholly reviled. What brought about this conflict between the Romans and the subjects they had previously treated with tolerance? Martin Goodman--equally renowned in Jewish and in Roman studies--examines this conflict, its causes, and its consequences with unprecedented authority and thoroughness. He delineates the incompatibility between the cultural, political, and religious beliefs and practices of the two peoples. He explains how Rome's interests were served by a policy of brutality against the Jews. He makes clear how the original Christians first distanced themselves from their origins, and then became increasingly hostile toward Jews as Christian influence spread within the empire. The book thus also offers an exceptional account of the origins of anti-Semitism, the history of which reverberates still. An indispensable book.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Too much infornation:
I read this book because of my particular interest in the history of the Land of Israel, with the hope of finding some new insights into the 700-year conflict between Rome and the Jews, that started with Pompey's conquest of Judea in 67 BCE and continued through the Roman imperial and Byzantine periods, until the Muslim conquest of The Holy Land in 638. With his eminence in the fields of both Roman studies and Jewish studies, the author seems uniquely well-placed to shed light on this. The book's... more info
Two OK books in one:
This book is really two separate books. The first 2/3 of the book contrasts Roman and Judean civilization: there are lots of interesting little tidbits about Rome - for example, that emperors became known throughout the Empire through coinage, and that Romans believed in ghosts and even had a festival to appease them. But despite the title of the book, Goodman does not suggest that a clash of civiliations was inevitable. Indeed, the last 1/3 of the book (focusing on the Jewish revolts against Rome and... more info
christianity history could be better:
I have no sufficient knowledge of the relations between Judaism and the Romans, during the first few centuries from Christianity's foundation, to make any comment on the accuracy of the author's treatment of this aspect. But in so far as Prof. Goodman deals with the initiation and early history of Christianity, particularly in chapter 13, the book is a little disappointing. All we know of Jesus and early Christianity is contained in writings made after Jesus' death. Much scholarship has been devoted to... more info
Interesting:
I appreciated reading the authors book. A little lengthy and sometimes slow moving. Highly informative on the politics, society and economics of this time period.Any challenging inferences made by the author encourages further study.Personnally, I need to review attitudes of the Roman Emperor and his son.Also, I need to refer to the exploites of the X Legion after Caesar and Nero. Books like this generate more interest.
