Explain how the Roman occupation of Palestine affected Jewish religious life.

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, expropriating Temple treasures. The Hasmonean rule ended, weakened by feuds between the Pharisees and Sadducees, bringing ancient Palestine into the hands of another foreign overlord – the Roman Empire.

The first few years under the Roman Empire, the Jews enjoyed an extent of religious freedom. 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 inviolable … 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 laxity 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 practise idolatry and those who force Jews into respecting a Gentile as they respect God. The very act of stepping into their 'promised land' and defiling it left the Jews in an uproar. The Pharisees 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 Hellenistic ideals fro being perpetuating in their young. They protected their racial integrity 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 borne.

Herod the Great was an elected king for the Jews but remained a vassal 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 half-Jew 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 linage 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 sacrilegious 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 Hellenistic country, but he also sought the favour of the Jews. He tore down the Temple and rebuilt it 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 contemptible 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 to the early years of Nero's rule, 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.

The Jews benefitted from the Roman Occupation. Discuss.

When the Romans took over the land of Palestine from Hasmonean rule, they brought along with it new technologies, knowledge, culture, governing system and religion. Some parts of Roman rule benefitted 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 feudal clashes between idealistic parties materialised 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, 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 tithing to the Jewish Temple, the people had to give a portion of their income to tax collectors to present as tribute to the Rome. Malfeasance, 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 were funded the Temple which rifled the Sadducees and the Jews as they were for the cause of God and not to be used by the Gentiles. Slavery was widely practised. 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 sects, 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 marginalisation of the poor. As the Jewish faith was of upmost importance in the eyes of a Jew, the occupation of Rome in Palestine was not beneficial and they wanted liberation from that state.

©Tracie OoiYear 1229th September 2007