The Roman army arrived on the shores of the Holy Land in 63 BCE. About 135 years later, the Temple in Jerusalem lay in ruins and the third and most enduring expulsion of the Jews from their homeland was underway. If the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles had been traumatic and even cataclysmic events, the Roman exile was all that and more: for the first time, perhaps, Jews moved outside their land with no real prospect of having a ‘home’ to return to. This lesson will explore the legacy of the failed revolts against the Roman occupation and the lessons this presents for Jews to this day.
