Jews- History of Israel

[InvestigateTruth]

This question is primarily for Jews, but also anyone who has knowledge about Israel history.

We know that for many centuries the Jews had lived in other countries, until late 19th century (or early 20th century), when they returned to Isreal again.

Question is, when exactly and why the Jews left Israel? What was the conditions of Israel, and what events happend that caused the Jews leave Israel?!

 

[Shaul]

Actually there has always been at least a remnant of Jews living in the land of Israel. Even during the late Second Temple period most Jews already did not live in that land. After the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans in the mid second century C.E. (circa 135), is when most of the land was depopulated of Jews. They were forcibly removed by the Romans from Jerusalem and other parts of Israel, although not all of it.

Need more details?

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Actually there has always been at least a remnant of Jews living in the land of Israel. Even during the late Second Temple period most Jews already did not live in that land. After the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans in the mid second century C.E. (circa 135), is when most of the land was depopulated of Jews. They were forcibly removed by the Romans from Jerusalem and other parts of Israel, although not all of it.

Need more details?

Thank you!

So, before the Jews had to leave, who was ruling the land of Israel? How was the relationship between the Jewish rulers and the Jewish people? Why did the Romans fought with Jews? Were Romans Christians in those days, or had a different religion? Sorry too many questions, but any info appreciated.

 

[sun rise]

Were Romans Christians in those days, or had a different religion?

The question is answered in any good historical overview.

 

[Harel13]

Question is, when exactly and why the Jews left Israel? What was the conditions of Israel, and what events happend that caused the Jews leave Israel?!

The first exiles were at the hand of the Assyrians. Next came the Babylonians. During the Persian era, some of the Jews exiled to Babylon returned. The rebuilt community eventually came to rival the Babylonian one in size and importance (we're talking about a few million at least). Then came the Great Revolt, the Jews fought hard but lost. It is thought today that at most, perhaps 10,000 Jews were exiled at the time, mostly to be sold into slavery. The Jews retained their majority in Israel until the Bar Kokhba Revolt, which they also lost. Many were killed during that war and the Romans retaliated harshly, effectively kicking the Jews out of Judea and into the Galilee. From this time onward, we start hearing about more and more people leaving Israel and going to places like Europe and Babylon. Some also came to the land, but mostly the numbers were dwindling. The Christinization of the Roman Empire and subsequent anti-Jewish laws and superior rights given to Christians exacerbated the outbound immigration, as other lands offered better legal recognition of Jewish rights. Eventually the Jewish majority became a minority.

 

[Harel13]

So, before the Jews had to leave, who was ruling the land of Israel?

The Romans, Byzantines, Persians or Arabs, depending on what time frame we're talking about.

How was the relationship between the Jewish rulers and the Jewish people?

There were Jewish leaders of the Jewish people, but not so much Jewish rulers. King Monobazus died circa the Great Revolt and anyway, he wasn't a ruler of Judea or anywhere in the Land of Israel. Agrippas II did rule some parts of the northern area of Israel. I don't know how he was toward other Jews, except that he assisted the Romans during the Great Revolt. Tiberius Alexander was a heretical Jew who had served as praefectus of Judea before coming back to assist the Romans in defeating the Jews during the Great Revolt.

Why did the Romans fought with Jews?

The Great Revolt started for a number of reasons, but at its core, it was because the Jews were fed up with Roman rule..The reasons for the Bar Kokhba Revolt are disputed among modern scholars, but it's agreed that it had something to do with Roman rule.

Were Romans Christians in those days, or had a different religion?

As I wrote in the previous post, it depends what era you're talking about. Obviously the Christians led by Paul manged to convert some Roman pretty quickly. But if you're talking about full-out Christianization from Constantine and onwards, then yes, some of the exile had to do with that.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

This question is primarily for Jews, but also anyone who has knowledge about Israel history.

We know that for many centuries the Jews had lived in other countries, until late 19th century (or early 20th century), when they returned to Isreal again.

Question is, when exactly and why the Jews left Israel? What was the conditions of Israel, and what events happend that caused the Jews leave Israel?!

Before I reply, let me just remind the forum that despite the diaspora, there were always a remnant of Jews that lived in the land.

Jews left Israel because the Romans drove us out as punishment for making war on them.

Jewish diaspora - Wikipedia

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Thank you!

So, before the Jews had to leave, who was ruling the land of Israel? How was the relationship between the Jewish rulers and the Jewish people? Why did the Romans fought with Jews? Were Romans Christians in those days, or had a different religion? Sorry too many questions, but any info appreciated.

You are talking about what was the case in Judea 132 AD – 135 AD during the Bar Kokhba revolt. At that time in history, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee were provinces in the Roman empire. There was a Jewish monarchy, but it was subservient to Rome. Jews had kind of been a longstanding pain in the Roman side -- even when there was not a war, Zealots carried out attacks In addition, the provinces had Roman Prelates that ruled. The animosity between Jews and Rome surrounded two things. First, Jews wanted their own free country. And secondly, there was a source of dissonance between Roman polytheism and Jewish monotheism. Very, very few Romans were Christian at that time, because Christianity had just started and was still in its infancy.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

The Romans, Byzantines, Persians or Arabs, depending on what time frame we're talking about. But if you're talking about full-out Christianization from Constantine and onwards, then yes, some of the exile had to do with that.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but what exactly does the Jewish diaspora have to do with Rome becoming Christian? The two events are separated by 100s of years.

 

[rosends]

For some additional background, I recommend this book

https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Centuries-Jewish-Life-Holy/dp/B0007AJX9W

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Question is, when exactly and why the Jews left Israel? What was the conditions of Israel, and what events happend that caused the Jews leave Israel?!

I suggest that the question is: What have you read on the subject?

 

[metis]

Question is, when exactly and why the Jews left Israel? What was the conditions of Israel, and what events happend that caused the Jews leave Israel?!

Throughout history, Jews sometimes left before the massacres and occupations to go live elsewhere, such as with the large Jewish community that was centered in Alexandria, Egypt. Many left during the exiles and never returned. The Roman occupation and destruction of eretz Israel forced a great many to relocate, which explains why so many ended up in eastern Europe, for example. Poland had roughly 6 million Jews living there prior to the Holocaust, and only 3 million survived.

 

[Harel13]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but what exactly does the Jewish diaspora have to do with Rome becoming Christian? The two events are separated by 100s of years.

I beg to differ. I summarized it in this post. Off the top of my head, I can't remember any evidence that significant masses of Jews were exiled after the destruction of the 2nd Temple. Josephus has numbers pertaining to the war that have long been rejected as being highly exaggerated. Yes, many were killed, but most of the remaining population stayed in Israel and they still outnumbered the non-Jewish population.
An argument may be made for the post-Bar Kokhba Revolt era but even that took about a century. Circa the 3rd century CE, the Jewish and non-Jewish populations of Israel were more or less equal (see R. Yankelewitz, 'The Relative Size of the Jewish and Gentile Populations in Eretz Israel in the Roman Period', Cathedra 61 (1991), pp. 160-162 (Heb.)).

About the Christian expansion, Z. U. Ma'oz 'Comments on Jewish and Christian Communities in Byzantine Palestine', PEQ 117 (1985), p. 65 notes:

"The following two centuries [5th-6th centuries] saw the widespread expansion of Christianity in Palestine and the erection of churches and monasteries on a large scale sponsored by imperial and ecclesiastical initiative."​

 

[InvestigateTruth]

The first exiles were at the hand of the Assyrians. Next came the Babylonians. During the Persian era, some of the Jews exiled to Babylon returned. The rebuilt community eventually came to rival the Babylonian one in size and importance (we're talking about a few million at least). Then came the Great Revolt, the Jews fought hard but lost. It is thought today that at most, perhaps 10,000 Jews were exiled at the time, mostly to be sold into slavery. The Jews retained their majority in Israel until the Bar Kokhba Revolt, which they also lost. Many were killed during that war and the Romans retaliated harshly, effectively kicking the Jews out of Judea and into the Galilee. From this time onward, we start hearing about more and more people leaving Israel and going to places like Europe and Babylon. Some also came to the land, but mostly the numbers were dwindling. The Christinization of the Roman Empire and subsequent anti-Jewish laws and superior rights given to Christians exacerbated the outbound immigration, as other lands offered better legal recognition of Jewish rights. Eventually the Jewish majority became a minority.

Thank you!

Was there a time after Jesus and during the first and second centuries, that there was a Jewish Theocracy ruling Israel?

 

[Harel13]

Thank you!

Was there a time after Jesus and during the first and second centuries, that there was a Jewish Theocracy ruling Israel?

Perhaps during the Bar Kokhba Revolt, but "theocratic" in a loose sense. Bar Kokhba was smart and Jewish law was very important to him, but is his rule necessarily defined as theocratic? We don't know much about his relationship with the sages. Some hypothesize that he was a kohen (priestly descendant of Aaron).

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Thank you!

Was there a time after Jesus and during the first and second centuries, that there was a Jewish Theocracy ruling Israel?

Although Judea was ruled by Rome all during those two centuries, Rome allowed its conquered peoples the freedom to follow their own religions. Jewish life at that time was governed by the Torah as interpreted by the Oral Torah. So you could say they lived in a theocracy of sorts.