1 Maccabees

[Marius_Ursus]

Admittedly I know very little about the expansion of the empire into the Middle East except for what's in the Bible. I was reading one of my Roman Catholic translations over the weekend and found in 1st Maccabees how Judah (Iudas) Maccabee made a treaty with the Rome to defend against foreign invasion, that if Israel needed aid, Rome would help, and if Rome needed aid, Israel would help.

Now, I have two questions I hope someone who knows more of the Roman history side of the story can answer.

1) What do you think of the possibility that the Roman Catholic translations of the Bible include the books of Maccabees to lend legitimacy to their claim of being the right church over the Greek Orthodox branch?

2) If this passage is true, and Rome was an ally of Israel, was there ever a justification from the empire put forth for the invasion of Israel and subjugation of the Jews?

[Jona Lendering]

If [...] Rome was an ally of Israel, was there ever a justification from the empire put forth for the invasion of Israel and subjugation of the Jews?

When Pompey the Great attacked the Hasmonaean kingdom, he intervened in a dynastic conflict; he had been invited. Josephus does not suggest that a treaty played a role.

[Marius_Ursus]

Thanks, Jona. I'd like to read more about that as my Roman studies have always been in the area of northern Europe. Do you have any books to recommend?

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi Tom,
Try these books:
- Fergus Millar, The Roman Near East, [amazon]0674778863[/amazon]
- Nigel Pollard, Soldiers, Cities and Civilians in Roman Syria, [amazon]0472111558[/amazon]
- David Kennedy, The Roman Army in Jordan, [amazon]0953910210[/amazon]

[Marius_Ursus]

Thanks, Jasper.

*leaps over to Alibris*

[Felix]

Rome's allies had a way of becoming protectorates; after all if the government changed, the new ruler might not want to be an ally :twisted: . Protectorates, of course, ended up incorporated into Roman territory.