04-22-2010, 07:17 PM
Quote:That certainly turn things upside down then...No, this interpretation is already quite old; Gedaliah Alon already wrote this; his book (The Jews in their land in the Talmudic age (70-640 C.E.)) was published in 1989, but is essentially older.
As I see it, there were several steps. In the first place, the Trajanic War, which ended in a decisive Roman victory. The Land of Israel had remained quiet. It must have given the Romans the feeling that the problems with the Jews were over.
The Jewish response to the foundation of Aelia Capitolina had been calm. If the pagans wanted to venerate the One God, why not? Certainly, the Romans would not do this according to the Law, but wasn't it written that the sanctuary in Jerusalem was to be a home for all nations? The sages appear to have discussed the question whether this ban was sufficient anti-Jewish to oblige the Jews to revolt. Although there were rabbis who argued for war, the majority believed that for the conditions for an obligatory war (the famous "milhemet mitzvah") had not been met.
This changed with the ban on the mutilation of genitals, which seems to have followed immediately after the foundation of Aelia Capitolina. This was not a matter of "a pagan interpretation of the Jewish cult", it was considered a direct attack on Judaism, and therefore justified an obligatory war. With disastrous consequences.
