The First Jewish Revolt, 66–73 CE

Often referred to as the Great Revolt or the First Jewish Revolt, the rebellion against Rome that broke out in Jerusalem in 66 CE and spread throughout Judaea was a transformative event in the history of the Jewish people. (See the map First Jewish Revolt, 66–73 CE.) Tensions between the Romans and the Jews had been gradually escalating as the Romans installed corrupt and incompetent administrators in Judaea. The events that immediately precipitated the revolt revolved around the Roman procurator Gessius Florus and his clash with Jews in Jerusalem in the spring of 66 CE. In 70 CE, the Romans succeeded in breaking down Jerusalem’s defenses and ultimately destroyed the Temple.

The conflict between Jews and Greeks at Caesarea, which Josephus describes as precipitating the war, reveals deep tensions within Judaea’s provincial populations. Josephus’ historical account also emphasizes the role played by corrupt Roman governors and by disagreement and competition among Jewish factions. The fall of the last Jewish stronghold at Masada in the Judean desert in 73/74 CE marked the end of the revolt.

For historical reconstruction of these events, we are reliant mainly on Josephus, a Jerusalem priest and a leader in the early stages of the revolt, before he went over to the Roman side. Josephus was not only an eyewitness to many of the events, but in the immediate aftermath of the war, in Rome, he wrote The Jewish War, under the patronage of the emperor Vespasian. His Life of Josephus also recounts his military career and the events of the war, though there are discrepancies between the two accounts.