Rabi Yehudah ha-Nasi (Judah ‘the Prince’) was a fascinating figure. While remembered chiefly for his role in editing and redacting the Mishah, he also helped broker peace between the Jews of occupied Judea and their Roman overlords in the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba Revolt. According to the Talmud, Yehudah was highly respected among the […]
15
Jan
Jan
The nature of the Jewish Diaspora determines that Hebrew manuscripts are dispersed widely throughout the world. Fortunately, the Vatican – a magnet of global treasures – has accumulated a sizeable collection. For centuries, this collection was hidden, available only to a select group of archivists and scholars granted exclusive access to the Vatican’s vaults. For […]
03
Jan
Jan
Rome’s Jewish history stretches back much further than people think, predating even the time of Julius Caesar over 2,000 years ago. My family, of Orthodox Sephardic origin, have been here for just over a quarter of that time: the last 500 years. Not so long in the grand scheme of Rome’s history, but certainly long […]
19
Dec
Dec
When the Romans breached Jerusalem’s walls in 70 AD, they set upon a spree of slaughter and pillaging, the barbarity of which truly chills the blood. Josephus records the death toll at 1.1 million – a number compounded by the many visitors who had come to celebrate Passover. Jerusalem’s houses were burned, its walls were […]
13
Nov
Nov
Like his uncle Caligula, the emperor Nero has earned an unsavoury reputation in the annals of history, yet an interesting and overlooked aspect of his reign is the relationship between Nero and the Jews. Today’s post looks at this relationship in detail, considering where his favourable treatment of the Jews might have come from and […]
25
Oct
Oct
Cover image “The Second Holy Temple in Jerusalem” by Alex Levin. Web: www.artlevin.com In the previous post, we looked at Caligula’s reception of Philo’s Jewish Embassy in Rome. The meeting, documented by a Jewish grammarian, is invaluable as it provides one of the few non-Roman perspectives on the emperor Caligula, elsewhere portrayed as mad, bad, […]
08
Oct
Oct
Of all Rome’s emperors, Caligula stands among the most infamous. His reputation for being mad, bad, and dangerous-to-know has endured for nearly 2,000 since his brutal assassination, orchestrated by his disaffected Praetorian Prefect who had had enough of the emperor’s insults. The charges of cruelty and debauchery laid at Caligula’s feet are many. apparently held […]
02
Oct
Oct
Walk along the eastern side of the River Tiber, where Fabricius Bridge connects Tiber Island to the historic centre, and you’ll stumble upon a true treasure of Hidden Rome: the Ghettarello. Nestled between the Church of Saint Nicola in Chains and an eyesore of a modern bus stop on the road running along the Tiber […]
17
Sep
Sep
Last time in our series about ancient Rome and Judea, we looked at when the Jews first made contact with the Roman Republic, forming a close alliance against a common enemy, the Seleucids, in the mid-2nd-century BC. This alliance lasted around 100 years, until 64 BC, when Pompey Magnus invaded Judea, captured Jerusalem, and established […]
04
Sep
Sep
Judaea Capta Part 1: Judaea Capta The summer of 70 AD scorched as the sun beat down over Judaea, baking its desert sands. For the Roman legions surrounding Jerusalem’s city walls, the bright light reflecting off their armour was blinding. But for the people of Jerusalem, these were the darkest of days. On August 30th, […]