Jews under Christian rule
Seth Schwartz
EVENTS Like Chapter 5, this chapter analyses the impact on Jews of a relatively well-understood historical process. Here as there, analysis is hindered by our nearly complete inability to reconstruct narrative history Jews. Though late antique Jews, unlike their immediate ancestors, left behind abundant physical and literary remains, there even less historiography stricto sensu than before: in fact none, whether Jewish or pagan Christian, having now been replaced chronography, saints’ lives, apocalypses, homiletics liturgy (the last three both Christian versions). All these texts aspired impart religious messages, not describe events, frequently events they do are incredible, though often repeated modern historians. Aside from episodes discussed body perhaps which have strong claim historicity poorly attested. The Palestinian rebellion under Gallus Caesar ( c . 352) has alternately magnified dismissed; indeed, it seems certain that some sort uprising occurred, centred Galilee, may explain destruction at Sepphoris observed archaeologists conventionally attributed effects earthquake 363. Perhaps same event explains apparent mid-fourth-century decline settlement south-eastern well (see below). But silence about revolt Talmud, for whose editors reign was probably within living memory, works Gallus’ staffer Ammianus Marcellinus, admittedly mysterious. best explanation be rabbis opposed so kept silent its perpetrators, simply important enough mention. year 352 turbulent one other had greater his attention (Stemberger 2000: 161–84).
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