Judaea (2)

Having settled in, having traveled around the Judaea Province,
having made inquiries about this long ago Jewish Revolt, I came
to the conclusion that for most of my years I had been quite
naive about Roman Rule. My hero worship as a youngster, my
proud service in the Augusta Legion, even my sense of duty
in the Praetorian Guard somehow could not square with the
sad history of this poor "Land of Ghosts."

Most of the Jews are gone now. There's obviously an effort to
"Romanize" Judaea. But it will never be a total success in
this place. Whether the Jews earlier, whether the Arabian
people now, what has always underlied this particular province
is *poverty.*

Out in the villages, in the rural areas, we have an impoverished
people--not only in terms of a lack of wealth, but also a lack of
even the most rudimental forms of education. Most of these
people are only just eking out an existence. Yet they are
expected to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor. Everything is
seen from a particular perspective. In Ephesus where most
people are flourishing these taxes are affordable. They pay
for services and other amenities, such as good roads and
way-stations. In Judaea, the taxes present a considerable
burden on people who are really, really poor.

What I found interesting, also, was the considerable cultural
difference I have found in Judaea vis-a-vis the other provinces
where I have served. Italy, of course, along wiith Egypt and
Asia Minor, their populations display a similar culture--in this
case, Greco-Roman. In Judaea, the previous Jewish culture
proclaimed itself utterly different from our culture. We were
called "gentiles," and we were considered impure.

From what I could tell, there was diversity within the overall
Jewish culture. But what held it altogether was a "theocracy."
There were different religious groups, somehow tracing back
to different tribal connections. But by the time of the revolt,
the focus in Judaea was on the Temple in Jerusalem. The
Temple priests held the people in sway.

Learning all of this past history, I finally was able to understand
why the Christus was executed. He spoke for a greater freedom,
in that it was really about the individual's relationship with God,
beyond the rules and regulations of the Jewish theocracy. He
declared that he was the "fulfillment" of the Law (of Moses),
that he was the Way. Christus' message nearly totally conflicted
with the priests. And when he preached his words on the steps
of the Temple itself, when he attacked the coin exchange, well
that spelled his doom.

As for the Roman Governor, at that time, ordering his crucifixion,
well that still remains unclear for me. Perhaps he felt pressured
by the Temple priests, who were the "go between" with the Roman
government and the Jewish people. Crucifixion back then, too,
was employed only for a serious criminal act. What had the
Christus done that was criminal. Was it only talking against the
Temple priests, or even upsetting the coin exchange? Hardly,
from a Roman perspective! There had to be something else, at
least a hint of resistance against Rome.

Eventually I learned that there was a Jewish resistance group called
the Zealots whose total aim seemed to be driving the Romans out
of Judaea. Could Christus have been connected with this group?
I can only ask myself the question. As for the answer, we will
probably never know.

But what I do know, I have begun to form an opinion. It may not be
to our advantage to force tribal peoples, especially a theocracy,
to become a part of a Greco-Roman culture that at their point of
development seems anathema to them. As for their being a part
of the Roman Empire, that is a much more difficult situation. In the
end, it may not be as much about "expansion" as it is about "trade."

The Judaea Province is a gateway to Nabatea, now a part of the
Province of Arabia. Nabatea is important to the trade between
the Empire and India and China. *But,* Judaea is located on
the Mediterranean coast where the caravans carrying these goods
from Asia, through Nabatea, can be transferred onto ships that then
can deliver them wherever required throughout the Empire.

Judaea may be, has been, a difficult province, but it is a necessity!