ARCHAEOLOGY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA LECTURE - REVOLT! WHY THE JEWS TOOK ON ROME

Revolt! Why the Jews Took on Rome with Andrea Berlin, Boston University

What is the real story behind the animosities that eventually led to the catastrophe of the Jewish Revolt against Rome? Why would a small population without military capabilities or political allies dare to challenge a ruling power of such might? New archaeological evidence reveals a growing cultural divide beginning about two generations before the Revolt broke out, and sheds new light on the prehistory of this explosive event. This lecture will start with the constructions of Herod the Great and his sons, with a focus on the places that he built to impress his patrons. The appearance and character of some of those buildings created the conditions that led Jews throughout the land to band together more intensively and eventually persuade some to organize against Rome.