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Roman
Misrule in Palestine
A brief account
of Roman rule in Palestine is given here by Tacitus, a 1st-century
Roman historian. In his account, we can see the path that would
lead to the Judean revolt of 66-73.
Because Herod's successors were not able to keep the peace,
the Romans introduced their own governors, known as procurators,
to administer Palestine directly. The manner in which these procurators
ruled grew progressively more odious until the patience of Judeans
was exhausted.
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Antony gave the throne to Herod, and Augustus, after his
victory, increased his power. After Herod's death, a certain
Simon
78assumed the name of king without waiting for Caesar's
decision. He, however, was put to death by Quintilius Varus,
governor of Syria; the Jews were repressed; and the kingdom
was divided into three parts and given to Herod's sons.
Under Tiberius
all was quiet. Then, when Caligula
ordered the Jews to set
up his statue in their Temple, they chose rather to
resort to arms, but the emperor's death put an end to their
uprising. The princes
now being dead or reduced to insignificance, Claudius
made Judea a province and entrusted it to Roman knights
or to freedmen; one of the latter, Antonius
Felix, practiced every kind of cruelty and lust, wielding
the power of a king with all the instincts of a slave; he
married Drusilla, the granddaughter of Cleopatra and Antony,
and so was Antony's grandson-in-law, while Claudius was
Antony's grandson. Still the Jews' patience lasted until
Gesius
Florus became
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