Judea Falls under Roman Control

Tacitus

Histories 5.9.1–3

ca. 100–110

The first Roman to subdue the Jews and set foot in their temple by right of conquest was Gnaeus Pompey: thereafter it was a matter of common knowledge that there were no representations of the gods within, but that the place was empty and the secret shrine contained nothing. The walls of Jerusalem were razed, but the temple remained standing. Later…

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In this excerpt, the Roman historian Tacitus, who provides an overview of Roman rule in Judaea from Pompey (63 BCE) through the First Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE), notes that after Pompey first entered the Temple in Jerusalem, it became known that the Jewish Temple lacked any material representation of the Jewish God.

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The Roman Conquest of Judea

1st Century BCE
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The Early Roman Period in History and Memory

1st Century BCE–3rd Century CE

Rome's subjugation of Judea was characterized by shifts in Roman policy and major Jewish revolts against the Roman Empire. 

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On Writing Ancient History

4th Century BCE–6th Century CE

Creator Bio

Tacitus

56–120
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a Roman senator and historian of the Roman Empire. His two most influential works, Histories and Annals, span the period from the death of Augustus in 14 CE to the death of Domitian in 96 CE and include an overview of Roman rule in Judea through the First Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE). Tacitus was trained in rhetoric early in his career and later withdrew from public office to devote his time exclusively to writing.

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