Jews in the Roman Empire

1. Jews in the Roman Empire • On Herod the Great: Matt 2:13-17 • Judaism, Loyalty to Rome: Mk 12:13-17 • Jesus and revolution: Matt 27:27-37 • 66-73: Jewish war against the Romans • 70: Destruction of the Temple • Works of Flavius Josephus (37-100); the Jewish War; Antiquities of the Jews

2. Jews in the Roman Empire • 132-35 Second Jewish revolt against Rome led by bar Kochba, “Son of the Star” • Jewish people in the first century C.E. united by: One God, the land, the Torah, the Jerusalem Temple • First-century Jewish diversity

3. Jewish Groups • Sadducees: Priests, aristocracy, collaboration with Rome • Pharisees: teachers of the Law (Torah and oral tradition); holy nation; resurrection • Essenes: Isolationist group; Jerusalem Temple corrupt; Dead Sea Scrolls • Zealots: Overthrowing Roman rule; active in war of 66-73.

4. Qumran Library • Oldest surviving copies of Hebew Bible; some fragments, 2nd cent. BCE. Complete Isaiah scroll, perhaps 900 years older than previously known manuscript • Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal works (Jewish religious works generally written later than the canonical books of the Hebrew Bible (200 BCE - 100 CE)

5. Qumran Library • Commentaries on canonical books such as Habbakuk; Isaiah, Hosea, Micah • Compositions produced entirely by and for Essene community: e.g. “Manual of Discipline”, “Hymns”, “War Scroll” • Great importance for knowledge of 1st century Judaism and early Christianity