Jewish War under Trajan and Hadrian

Description

Two major Jewish risings against Rome took place in the years following the destruction of Jerusalem - the first during Trajan's Parthian war, and the second, led by Bar Kokhba, under Hadrian's principate. The impact of these risings not only on Judaea, but also on Cyrene, Egypt, Cyprus and Mesopotamia, is shown by accounts in both ancient Jewish and non-Jewish literature. More recently discovered sources include letters and documents from fighters and refugees, and inscriptions attesting war and restoration. Historical evaluation has veered between regret for a pointless bloodbath and admiration for sustained resistance. William Horbury offers a new history of these risings, presenting a fresh review of sources and interpretations. He explores the period of Jewish war under Trajan and Hadrian not just as the end of an era, but also as a time of continuity in Jewish life and development in Jewish and Christian origins.

William Horbury is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and a Fellow of the British Academy. His recent publications include Jewish Messianism and the Cult of Christ (1998), Herodian Judaism and New Testament Study (2006), and, with David Noy, Jewish Inscriptions of Graeco-Roman Egypt (1992). He is also the co-editor, with W. D. Davies and J. V. M. Sturdy, of The Cambridge History of Judaism, Volume 3 (1999).

'This is an excellent work, very well documented (the footnotes are outstanding), and worth reading for anyone interested in ancient military history or Romano-Jewish relations.' A. A. Nofi, The NYMAS Review '... Horbury has done a service to scholarship in compiling this magnificent book, which will stand as a memorial to the ancient Jewish victims of the might of Rome.' John J. Collins, Journal of Jewish Studies 'Jewish War under Trajan and Hadrian is an impressive work of technical historical scholarship, and as such is quite dense. This is well demonstrated by the extensive footnotes, which make up almost half of the text. Therefore, the volume will primarily be useful for academic research at a graduate level and above. For any who are interested in this period of the history both of Judaism and of the Roman Empire, however, particularly in the areas of Roman- Jewish relations and military history, Horbury's landmark study should not be missed. It will surely prove an indispensable resource for many years to come.' Jesse Nickel, Biblical and Early Christian Studies