Dr. Guy Maclean Rogers

Right. So the background to the spark which lit off the revolt was this conflict over who was going to be able to say that they were in charge of Caesarea. And essentially, both sides were provoking the other, but it got ratcheted up by this attempted sacrifice of birds outside of the synagogue. We don't know exactly what the purpose of the sacrifice was.

Right. So the background to the spark which lit off the revolt was this conflict over who was going to be able to say that they were in charge of Caesarea. And essentially, both sides were provoking the other, but it got ratcheted up by this attempted sacrifice of birds outside of the synagogue. We don't know exactly what the purpose of the sacrifice was.

But of course, it would have been presumably to or for some gods or goddesses and would have been seen by the Jews as an abomination. And they attempted to get the governor, the procurator, this guy, Gessius Florus, to intervene. And instead of doing that, he sort of took off and

But of course, it would have been presumably to or for some gods or goddesses and would have been seen by the Jews as an abomination. And they attempted to get the governor, the procurator, this guy, Gessius Florus, to intervene. And instead of doing that, he sort of took off and

But of course, it would have been presumably to or for some gods or goddesses and would have been seen by the Jews as an abomination. And they attempted to get the governor, the procurator, this guy, Gessius Florus, to intervene. And instead of doing that, he sort of took off and

went to Jerusalem because at the time, apparently, the Jews of Judea were in arrears in the payment of the tribute to the Romans. He decided that what he would do is he would go to the temple treasury and withdraw 17 talents worth of silver, which was an enormous sum of money from the treasury, which was not the procedure that he was supposed to follow.

went to Jerusalem because at the time, apparently, the Jews of Judea were in arrears in the payment of the tribute to the Romans. He decided that what he would do is he would go to the temple treasury and withdraw 17 talents worth of silver, which was an enormous sum of money from the treasury, which was not the procedure that he was supposed to follow.

went to Jerusalem because at the time, apparently, the Jews of Judea were in arrears in the payment of the tribute to the Romans. He decided that what he would do is he would go to the temple treasury and withdraw 17 talents worth of silver, which was an enormous sum of money from the treasury, which was not the procedure that he was supposed to follow.

And when the civilian population of Jerusalem protested against that, he unleashed upon them the auxiliary troops that were under his command, and they massacred something like 3,600 civilians. And as I tell my students, in these situations of ethnic conflict, They tend to be resolvable until large amounts of blood are shed.

And when the civilian population of Jerusalem protested against that, he unleashed upon them the auxiliary troops that were under his command, and they massacred something like 3,600 civilians. And as I tell my students, in these situations of ethnic conflict, They tend to be resolvable until large amounts of blood are shed.

And when the civilian population of Jerusalem protested against that, he unleashed upon them the auxiliary troops that were under his command, and they massacred something like 3,600 civilians. And as I tell my students, in these situations of ethnic conflict, They tend to be resolvable until large amounts of blood are shed.

And it's really at that point in the spring of 66 that ethnic conflict turns into a war in Judea centered in Jerusalem.

And it's really at that point in the spring of 66 that ethnic conflict turns into a war in Judea centered in Jerusalem.

And it's really at that point in the spring of 66 that ethnic conflict turns into a war in Judea centered in Jerusalem.

Exactly. There were among the Jews leaders who tried to convince the population of Jerusalem to not react to what happened and escalate the situation.

Exactly. There were among the Jews leaders who tried to convince the population of Jerusalem to not react to what happened and escalate the situation.

Exactly. There were among the Jews leaders who tried to convince the population of Jerusalem to not react to what happened and escalate the situation.

But I think you're exactly right that the news of what had happened, and I really think for your audience that it's worth thinking about how it is that people would react to having their sisters, their brothers, their grandparents killed really without very much provocation. And at that point, I think a lot of people who were kind of sitting on the fence were

But I think you're exactly right that the news of what had happened, and I really think for your audience that it's worth thinking about how it is that people would react to having their sisters, their brothers, their grandparents killed really without very much provocation. And at that point, I think a lot of people who were kind of sitting on the fence were

But I think you're exactly right that the news of what had happened, and I really think for your audience that it's worth thinking about how it is that people would react to having their sisters, their brothers, their grandparents killed really without very much provocation. And at that point, I think a lot of people who were kind of sitting on the fence were