Revolts of 66 CE in Alexandria

Josephus

The Jewish War 2.487-497

ca. 75

In Alexandria there had always been antagonism between the natives and the Jewish colony ever since Alexander, grateful for the Jews’ enthusiastic support against the Egyptians, had rewarded their assistance with the grant of residence in the city on a par with the Greeks. This privilege was continued by his successors, who in addition designated…

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Continuous feuding between Greeks and Jews eventually exploded (again) into riots in Alexandria. Josephus traces the roots of the unrest back to the favorable status granted the Jews by Alexander and his successors in Egypt in the late fourth century BCE, which in his view ignited animosity between Jews and Greeks. He further explains that when the Romans extended those Jewish privileges, the animosity between Jews and Greeks continued. While Josephus claims that the Roman governor, Tiberius Julius Alexander, exercises considerable restraint before crushing the riots, when troops are eventually deployed to subdue the Jewish rebels, the carnage is extensive.

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Creator Bio

Josephus

37–100

Flavius Josephus was born into a prominent Jewish priestly family and served as a general stationed in the Galilee during the First Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE). He was captured by the Romans and eventually integrated into the Flavian imperial aristocracy, who commissioned him to compose chronicles of the Jewish–Roman war and the history of the Jews. Josephus’ works, all written in Greek, include The Jewish War, Jewish Antiquities, Against Apion, and his autobiography, Life of Josephus. These writings provide important insights into the Judaisms of the Second Temple period and include one of the few surviving accounts of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

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