How were the residents of Palestine treated at the time of the Roman occupation?

Answer 1

To use Augustus Caesar as a benchmark for time, the Roman Empire and also while still officially a republic, had great control of the Eastern shore and eastwards of all the major people groups in that area. To be a bit more specific, Pompey had annexed Judea, which was part of its geo-political interests long before the empire built by Augustus.

As one might expect, to hold together an empire the size of the Roman one took more than sheer military force. Deals were made with local leaders, there was the prize of Roman citizenship, and Rome's protection of occupied lands from less then " kind" empires to the East such as Parthia.

Generally speaking Rome's treatment was as fair as a conquering force could expect. There was one basic key however, set by Rome when foreign peoples were subjugated. That was that all rebellions would be met, sooner or later, by brute force.

In the area called Palestine, there was Judea of course. Rome used its power to subdue Jews and any other groups in the area by force or the threat of it.

The people of Judea rebelled more than once in the areas around Jerusalem. The socalled Jewish War in 66 AD to 72 AD wrecked Judea and it was submitted to cruel punishments.

Later when Hadrian was emperor, he also crushed Jewish rebellions throughout the eastern Mediterranean. He renamed areas that were once called Judea to the name of Palestine.

Rome's prior treaties with Judea were broken by Rome. Judea was not noticed because of its treaties. Judea was strategical place between Asia Minor and Egypt.

Prior to Rome's interest in this part of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, the area was torn with battle after battle that often times caused desecrations and payments to whom ever had the upper hand.

Judea was treated as part of Rome's overall foreign policy objectives. Its wealth was important but not a determining factor as the 66 AD CE Jewish Wars proved. Other provinces of Rome such as Spain and Gaul were rich with profits for Rome

Under Rome, Judea's position as a client State began when Pompey invaded Judea in 63 BC BCE. It was allowed a degree of self government. At one time King Herod the Great was client king of part of Judea. He rebuilt the temple that foreign powers had destroyed. He however was pro Roman & ruled as a tyrant.

Judea did not become a point of interest because of broken treaties. It was to strategic an area to ignore. Its position between Asia Minor & Egypt was the main concern of Rome's foreign policy.

Answer:

Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, the two sons of the Jewish King Yannai (Johanan Hyrcanus, 1st century BCE), got the Romans involved in Judea when they asked the Romans to settle a dispute. At first the Romans were cordial; and they actually became party to a military treaty with Judea (Talmud, Avodah Zara 9a). A couple of decades later, however, they unilaterally abrogated the treaty, and placed Roman governors over the land who afflicted the Jews with crushing taxation (Talmud, Yoma 9a). In the first two centuries CE, things got worse, with the Romans destroying the Second Temple and temporarily outlawing Torah-observances, and the Jews attempting to revolt. The Romans destroyed large numbers of Jewish communities in the Holy Land, and they killed some of the leading Jewish sages.

(During those times that the Romans didn'tinterfere with the internal life of the Jews, the reason was because the Romans wanted to receive their taxes. That, and making sure none of their colonies planned rebellions, was usually the only thing that the Romans were really concerned about.)