Lecture 13- 5/11/10

Finishing up Hasmonean Jerusalem and moving into the period of Roman occupation (and thus the period of Herod the Great as well as that of Jesus), today's lecture described the Roman conquest of Palestine as a direct result of infighting and corruption among the Hasmonean rulers who had once been heralded as the saviors of the Jewish community. Plagued not only by sectarian dispute caused in part by their impossible claims to both the Judean throne and high priesthood, but also by political struggle amongst the royal family, the Hasmonean dynasty came to an end with Pompey's annexation of Palestine into the Roman empire in 63 BCE, establishing Hyrcanus II as the "puppet" ruler of the Jewish people (with no political authority). After the later installation of the Idumean ruler Antipeter, the Romans had clearly established rule over Jerusalem and all of Palestine, putting in place a leader whose allegiance to the Jewish community existed only because of the forced conversion to Judaism of his people by the Hasmoneans.

After Antipeter's murder, his son, Herod (the Great) ascended to the throne at the behest of the Roman occupiers. Famous for his elaborate building projects, Herod quickly became a ruler revered by the Romans for his ability to assert power over the conquered Jewish people. In the eyes of his subjects, however, Herod was a highly controversial figure. Although he used his knowledge of the Jewish tradition in order to ensure that his rule was done without (overly) offending the religious practice of the land, he was a reviled leader throughout Judea. His respect for the Jewish faith and ability to provide economic stimulus through extensive construction projects was balanced by an impulsive paranoia that led Herod to essentially kill anyone he felt even slightly threatened by, including his own sons. Thus, while Herod is known today as "the Great", his approval rating at the time more closely resembled that of Bush than it did of Washington.