Judean Auxilia?

[Allan]

For a fellow reenactor I would like to know if anyone can please point me in the direction of actual information about auxilia units from the province of Iudea, preferably first century AD. I found a few references to an auxilia archer unit from Ascelon, but apart from that I can't really find anything. If possible, I would like to know about any special types of equipment, armor, clothing and so on.

If auxilia units specifically from Caesarea existed, that would be really really perfect, and I would be SOOOO happy to hear about it!

Thanks in advance from

Aulus Valerius Maximus
Leg VI Victrix Coh II Cimbria

[Jona Lendering]

There's an article by Speidel about the auxiliary units in Judaea. He mentions two cohorts in Jerusalem (at the old Herodian palace and at the fortress called Antonia) A third cohort guarded the capital Caesarea. Two cohorts of infantry and one squadron of cavalry served throughout the province.

The latter was the Ala I Sebastenorum which must be meant in Acts 23.23-32. It consisted of Samarians and may have had its HQ in Caesarea too. We also know of the existence of a Cohors I Sebastenorum. These two regiments were probably created by king Herod the Great, who may have chosen Samarians, who often adhered to the Samaritan faith, to guard the Jewish population of Judaea.

Other known units are the Cohors Prima Italica Civium Romanorum, the Cohors Secunda Italica Civium Romanorum (Acts 10.1; the centurio lives in Caesarea) and the Italian Cohors Prima Augusta (Acts 27.1; story in Caesarea, no indication of the soldier's base). In short, of only one cohors we do not know the name.

Literature: M.P. Speidel, 'The Roman Army in Judaea under the Procurators', in M.P. Speidel, Roman Army Studies II (1992 Stuttgart), pages 224-232

I would be very surprised if there ever was a Cohors Prima Judaeorum or something like that. The names of those units all postdate the Claudian army reforms, and Claudius seems to have thought - after the Alexandrian pogrom and the ill-fated experiment with king Agrippa - that Judaeans were ingovernable.