Judaism In The Roman Empire Essay

Judaism in the Roman Empire

Judaism in a religion comprised of the beliefs and traditions of the Jewish people. Judaism is a monotheistic religion based on the Abrahamic covenant and the covenant that God made with the Israelites who are the ancestors of the Jews. Thus, Abraham is known as the father of Judaism. Through this covenant God promised the land of Canaan as the promise land to his people. However, as time when on that changed and many people came against the Jewish people. One empire that came very strongly against the Jewish people was the Roman Empire. Judaism suffered many tragedies and had to fight with unfair odds, but with God on their side and compromise they found a place within the Roman Empire.

Judaism has been around

Moses set them free with God’s help and they went to the promise land of Canaan. However, it was not easy sailing at all of the Jewish people. There was a wicked ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes who was the son of King Antiochus of Syria. When he became king “he decided to conquer Egypt and rule that country as well as Syria” (1 Maccabees:16). However, he did not stop there in the year 143 he decided to attack the Jewish people. “Antiochus marched with a great army against the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem” (1 Maccabees:20). When Antiochus marched against Jerusalem he had no regard for the people, their religion, or traditions. He went into their temples stole their sacred possession and killed their people. “He entered the Temple and took away the gold altar, the lampstand with all its equipment, the table for the bread offered to the Lord, the cups and bowls, the gold fire pans, the curtain, and the crowns. He also stripped all the gold

In building the Roman Empire they became known as “masters of the wars” (The War of the Jews, Book 6). The Roman Empire attacked Jerusalem and burned the cities and killed many of the people there. “They slew those whom they overtook, without mercy, and set fire to the houses wither the Jews were fled, and burnt every soul in them, and laid waste a great many of the rest (The War of the Jews, Book 6). Yet, they did not kill everyone because they had murdered so many, they solders got tired of killing and Caesar let many of the Jewish be taken captive. “Since his soldiers were already quite tired with killing men, and yet there appeared to be a vast multitude still remaining alive, Caesar gave orders that they should kill none but those that were in arms, and opposed them, but should take the rest alive” (The War of the Jews, Book 6). During this war between the Jews and the Roman Empire, they took captive ninety-seven thousand and killed eleven hundred thousand. The Romans were attacking and capturing the Jewish people and they did not want to stand for it. Therefore, in Masada many Jews committed mass suicide to escape Roman capture. There were men who moved in “haste to do the work, as full of an unconquerable ardor of mind, and moved with a demoniacal fury. So they went their ways, as one still endeavoring to be before another, and as thinking that this eagerness would be a demonstration of their courage and good conduct, if