Jewish Revolt

[Theodosius the Great]

I cannot agree. King Herod had been able to raise about 19.3% taxes every year. That's excessive, but he spent it in Judaea. The people had to work hard, but there was economic growth. Rome did not change this (see Richard Duncan-Jones, Structure and Scale in the Roman Economy [1990] 189), but spent the money abroad. The country was ruined. From surveys, we learn that there were less mid-class farms, while big farms became bigger.

Could you please clarify, Jona? 19.3% of what? On income?

To account for corruption I would imagine the real percentage was higher when the Roman tax collectors took over. The Romans, as I understand it, outsourced tax collecting to local private companies so there was no oversight of any kind.

So, I do not think this corruption can be attributed to the Roman state. Except in the sense that it neglected to curb the corruption. This is different, IMO, from state oppression which could justify a revolt.

As for spending taxes abroad, there was the Parthian War of the late 50s and early 60s to pay for which was mutually beneficial to Rome and Judea. Rome was now directly responsible for the protection of the province. Local spending does not seem to have ceased as I recently mentioned in another thread. Coins discoveries indicate that the Western (Wailing) Wall may have been completed during the reign of Valerius Gratus.

Yes, the rise of the Zealots is understandable. But, of course, they hardly represented all of Judea. No faction could or did. That's my main point. There were Jews who fought on both sides during the Revolt which started as and largely remained a regional civil war. Besides the Zealots, which faction was actively anti-Roman? Josephus mentions only one incident prior to the war of an anti-Roman uprising led by an Egyptian. This man failed to convince the Jerusalemites to let him in the city to overthrow Roman rule.

About the Seleucids: how repressive is a tax of 360 talents for a whole country? One city, Leptis Magna, at the same time, paid the same amount. I know that Daniel, Polybius, and 1 and 2 Maccabees all have reasons to write unkindly about Antiochus IV Epiphanes, but his reputation is now better than it used to be. You might be interested in P.F. Mittag's biography (review).

Well, I was primarily refering to religious oppression. I didn't know they imposed 360 talents as an annual tax rate. Thanks for the link! Very interested.

Only in 6. After the census of Quirinius, people revolted. After some time, in 27 if I recall correctly, they sent an embassy to Rome to ask for lower taxes. (Tacitus does not mention that they were granted.)

Yes, census taking tends to spark revolts as it did in Illyria also in 6.

~Theo