Rome’s Effect on Jewish Life during the Occupation of the Holy
Land
When Rome first stepped into Palestine soil in 63 B.C, General Pompey, of the Roman legion, offended the Jews
by stepping into the ‘Holy of Holies’, the most sacred part of the Temple that only the ordained High Priest was
allowed to step into, taking Temple treasures. The Romans established their own control over the Jews and the
Holy Land
The first few years under the Roman Empire, the Jews enjoyed an extent of religious freedom. Emperor
Augustus Caesar stated in his ‘Edict of Augustus on Jewish Rights’ in 1BCE that ‘by the will of … the Romans,
that the Jews shall use their own customs in accordance with their ancestral law … their sacred offerings shall
be accepted … and shall be paid to the financial officials of Jerusalem…’ The Jews were allowed to worship in
their synagogues, carry out sacrifices at the Temple and allowed to carry out their Mosaic Law, provided that
they paid their tributes to the Roman Empire and maintained the peace in the land.
Despite the laziness of Rome, who imposed their gods and culture on other nations, the Jews viewed the
Romans as infiltrators of their Holy Land, unclean people who practice idolatry and those who force Jews into
respecting a Gentile as their God (the Emperor of Rome). The very act of stepping into their ‘promised land’ and
defiling it left the Jews in an uproar. The Pharisees (very devout Jews) detested the Roman rule but took a
more passive role and dutifully devoted themselves to their laws. On the other hand, the aristocratic Sadducees
sought to appease the Romans for their gain. A fanatic few, known as the Zealots, arose during this period,
refusing to pay taxes and fought for liberation of the Holy Land and its people. The Jews saw the Roman
occupation as an act of God’s divine punishment as they had deviated from the Mosaic Law.
The Jews became strict in their faith and devoted to the Law during those times. They were fiercely loyal to the
old traditions passed down from their forefathers, worshipping at synagogues. The Jews took great care to
prevent Roman ideals from being forced on their young. They protected their racial integrity (never intermarried) and identity through the careful education of their children, only allowing them to mix within the
Jewish community. The more liberalistic Jews took up arms and staged many revolts and uprisings to voice out
their disapproval of a foreign rule. With that, the idea of a political Messiah, who would free His chosen people
and the Holy Land, was ignited.
Herod the Great was an elected king for the Jews but remained under the power of Rome. The Romans thought
that a king that was of Jewish descent would appease the Jews, but it further infuriated them. Herod was a halfJew from his paternal side but the Jews believed that the identity of a Jew was carried on from the mother.
Also, Herod had put aside Jewish traditions and adopted the lifestyle of the Romans. The Jews considered Herod
an outsider masquerading as a Jew and detested his draconian rule.
Not only did Herod’s lineage anger the Jews. Herod was a great builder and he built and dedicated a temple to
Augustus in Caesarea. In the temple, statues of Roman gods Zeus and Hera depicting the emperor and Rome
were erected. They were considered blasphemous to the Jews who considered them idols. Amphitheatres and
theatres, built in Augustus’ name, held Roman games which offended the Jews with their naked competitors
and religious customs that were associated with it. In further aggravation of the Jews, Herod placed a towering
golden eagle, symbolic of Roman dominion, over the great gates of Jerusalem.
Herod tried to turn his country into a Roman country, but he also sought the favor of the Jews. He tore down
the remains of the Temple and rebuilt a new one along side other building projects. Part of it appeased the Jews
as it was carefully planned out with consecrated priests, however, his pagan and sinful lifestyle drew much
opposition.
Herod was also hateful in the eyes of the righteous Jews. He had interfered with the High Priesthood, selecting
and disposing of them at his own whims. This broke down the integrity of the Jewish High Priesthood which was
a sacred post only for God’s elected – not Herod’s.
From the time of Augustus’ rule (27 BC-14 AD) to the early years of Nero’s rule (late 50s AD), the Jews enjoyed
a cautious tolerance from the Romans, permitted to keep to their God and their laws. However, when Nero
became of age, he started persecuting Christians and Jews alike. His rule was tyrannous, desecrating and an
age of darkness for both groups. The Jews suffered the loss of their rights to worship and subjugation into
emperor worship that they rose against the draconian ruler.
When the Romans took over the land of Palestine, they brought along with it new technologies, knowledge,
culture, governing system and religion. Some parts of Roman rule benefited the Jews while others robbed them
of their rights and disrupted the normalcy of Jewish life.
The Romans brought a time of peace after a period of strife due to the feuds between the Pharisees and
Sadducees. Peace was subjective: in one perspective, the Romans did bring forth a time where no clashes
between idealistic parties materialized and the people were well governed, but in another, the Romans
oppressed the Jewish people into silence and any uprising was effectively dealt with. They established a good
transport system from the north of Galilee to the south of the Dead Sea. Many trade routes on land and sea
were established with the East and trade flourished for the Jews, especially those at seaports.
The Romans did not force the Jews into worshipping Roman gods, instead refrained from disrespecting Jewish
customs and allowed them to keep their own faith and a certain freedom of self-rule by the Sanhedrin court.
The Sanhedrin controlled religious affairs and carried out legislative and judicial administration in the governing
of the Jewish society. However, they were still under the control of the Roman procurator (the Roman
representative of the emperor, under Roman law.
Integration of culture flourished as Roman science and technology improved the lives of the Jews. Great
buildings such as baths, theatres and government offices punctuated the landscape of Palestine and more jobs
were created as more people needed to be hired to build roads, ships, buildings and trade was flourishing.
However, Roman rule brought a time of misery, especially for the poor. Apart from giving gifts to the Jewish
Temple, the people had to give a portion of their income to tax collectors to present as tribute to the Rome.
Crime, corruption and bribes made tax collectors take proportionately more from the poor than from the rich,
creating a gap in society, highly defined classes of the rich and the poor.
Building projects by Herod and the construction of water canals and roads taken up by Pontius Pilate (the
Roman governor of the Holy Land) were funded by the Temple which upset the Sadducees and the Jews as they
were for the cause of God and not to be used by the Gentiles. Slavery was widely practiced. Jewish families
whose members were found guilty of breaking the laws were torn apart and the rest were sold as slaves, some
of which whom were sent to work in building projects. Villages housing fanatical rebels were not spared. The
Jews also lived in fear.
Overall, the Romans did bring quite a lot of benefits to the lives of the Jews. They provided a livelihood, stability
in place of the chaos, created by the different religious groups, commerce and efficient town planning. However,
it did not appease the Jews as the Romans were but a sinful lot whom were not chosen by God to lead the
people. On religious grounds, despite given religious freedom, the Jews viewed the foreign overlord as a
punishment for their sins. There was corruption and abuse of the poor. As the Jewish faith was of utmost
importance in the eyes of a Jew, the occupation of Rome in Palestine was not beneficial and they wanted
liberation from that state.
Nine vocabulary words – 18 points
Sixteen paragraphs – 32 points
Main idea – 5 points