Judaism over the Centuries 7-3

7-3 Questions What caused the Jews to rebel against Roman rule? Who were the Zealots? What were the results of the 1 st Revolt? What happened to the surviving Jews after the Battle at Masada? What were the results of the 2 nd Revolt? How were the Jews discriminated against by other religions? What two languages were developed by Eastern and Western European Jews? What are the 3 main Jewish holidays?

Independence & Conquest After the Babylonian Captivity, many Jews moved to different areas around the middle east. The rest of the Jews returned home to Jerusalem. There they rebuilt Solomon’s Temple which became known as the Second Temple. The Jews would remain under Persian control until the 330s BC when the Persians were conquered.

*Under Roman Rule* Tired of foreign rule, a Jewish family called the Maccabees led a successful revolt in the 160s BC. For about 100 years, the Jews again ruled their own kingdom. Their independence does not last. By 63 BC, the Jews were conquered by the Romans. Life under Roman rule was difficult. Roman rulers tried to make Jews worship Roman Emperors. Roman rulers appointed the high priests, the leaders of the Temple. This was more than the Jews could bear. They called on their people to rebel against the Romans.

*1 st Revolt against Rome* By the first century AD, many Jews in Jerusalem had grown tired of foreign rule. These Jews thought if they could regain their independence they could re-create the kingdom of Israel. These Jews that rebelled against the Romans were called Zealots. Zealots: Believed Jews should only answer to God Refused to obey Roman officials Urged other Jews to rise up against the Romans AD66: Led by the Zealots, the Jews revolted. (Lasted 4 years) Results of 1 st Revolt: Jews were unsuccessful Jerusalem was ruined The Second Temple was burned in AD 70.

Battle at Masada Following the destruction of the Second Temple, many Jews lost the will to fight. Small group of Zealots locked themselves in a mountain fortress called Masada Romans sent 15,000 soldiers to capture the zealots. Because Masada was hard to reach, the Romans built a huge ramp to get to it. Zealots refused to surrender for two years. Romans finally broke through the walls of Masada. The Zealots took their own lives because they refused to become Roman slaves. The revolt ended in AD 73 Results: The Romans killed much of Jerusalem’s population. Surviving Jews were taken to Rome as slaves. Thousands of Jews left Jerusalem.

*A Second Revolt* 60 years after the end of the 1 st revolt, a second revolt began. Results: Romans defeated the Jews again Romans banned all Jews from the city of Jerusalem Jewish migration throughout the Mediterranean region increased.

*Migration & Discrimination* For Jews not living in Jerusalem, the nature of Judaism changed. Local synagogues became more important Rabbis took a greater role in guiding Jews in their religious lives Over many centuries, Jews moved out of the Mediterranean region to other parts of the world. In many cases, the move was not voluntary. The Jews were forced to move by other religious groups who discriminated against them. Jews were forced to leave their cities and find new places to live. As a result, some Jews settled in Europe and Asia, and much later, the United States. (diaspora)

*Different Jewish Traditions* Because of the Diaspora, Jewish communities in various parts of the world began to develop their own languages, rituals, and cultures. Examples: Jews in Eastern Europe developed Yiddish which is similar to German but is written in the Hebrew alphabet Jews in Spain and Portugal developed Ladino which is a mixture of Spanish, Hebrew, and Arabic.

*Jewish Holy Days* Hanukkah: Celebrated in December Honors the rededication of the Second Temple during the revolt of the Maccabees. Jews celebrate this event by lighting candles in a menorah with eight branches. Passover: Celebrated in April Celebrates the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt. Jews only eat Matzo (Flat Bread) Seder: Dinner where they recall and reflect upon the events of the Exodus High Holy Days: September or October Rosh Hashanah or beginning of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur (Holiest Day) Jews fast the entire day

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