Josephus BJ 2:184-203 by Adam Weiler

Adam Weiler
Loren Spielman
Ancient Jewish History Assignment

Josephus BJ 2:184-203

What struck me the most interesting about this source is the Jewish commitment to the laws of their fathers. The Jews are willing to go to war against Rome or even be killed as long as a statue of Emperor Gaius (or any image for that matter) is not placed in their temple. It appears that unlike the Persians and the Hellenistic Rulers, the Roman Caesars did not have much regard for the Jewish Law.
Unlike Gaius, Petronius is much more reasonable. He listens to the Jew's complaints and tries to find a solution. In the end he even defends the Jew's case to Gaius –under the risk of death. This may indicate that although the Jews had strained (at best) relationships with Roman Caesars, with other Romans, maybe Romans actually located in Judea and the surrounding area they had better relationships. This source shows how important the Temple is to the Jews- they are willing to die rather then desecrate it. Also the fact that the Jews in mass appeal to Petronius is interesting. Either this matter was so important that people just flocked to the cause or perhaps the Jews had no efficient and or official person that could serve as an "ambassador" between them and the Romans and so they had to send a crowd instead. How much of what Josephus says is actually true I do not know. However, I do think that we can learn from this text that the Jews held their ancestral laws to be very important and that relations between them and Rome were shaky.
Josephus Ant. 18: 261-309
This text tells much of the same story but with some changes and extra details.
Here Aristobulus, brother of King Agrippa, Helcias the Elder, other powerful members of the house and the civic leaders appeal to Petronius to write to Gaius and get him to change his verdict rather then let things turn to war. The local rulers and people of power did not any violence in the region they wanted their stability. Another detail is the friendship between King Agrippa and Gaius. At a banquet thrown in his honor Gaius promises Agrippa whatever he wants. Agrippa asks that Gaius cancels his order to erect a statue in the Jewish Temple. At first Gaius agrees but when he gets Petronius's letter that says the Jews will revolt if he erects the statue. He gets angry at Petronius and decides to have him killed (luckily for Petronius Gaius is assassinated soon). What's interesting is that here Josephus claims that the Jews would have never revolted. They would have been willing to die but not to actually revolt.
These sources seem to be conflicting. Although the one in Antiquities may just be a more fleshed out version of what was written in the Jewish Wars. But we can certainly see from both that the Jews valued their law (which I am assuming is based on the Torah) and that the local leaders and people of power wanted peace and stability and were willing to let the Jews practice their religion and law to achieve this peace. The Emperor all the way in Rome seem to care less about stability of a little region and more about his general honor and whether his orders were being carried out.