By October 11, 2016 Read More →

59 B.C.E ― 17 C.E. Livy

Second TempleLivy’s 102nd Book of History

Marc Antony, The Temple Mount and the God of Israel, Mathias Antigonus (The Last Hasmonaean King)

“Livy mentions the Jews at least twice in his History. The first time he does so in his account of Pompey’s conquest of Syria (64. B.C.E.), and the second time, when he relates the capture of Jerusalem by Marc Antony’s commanders (37 B.C.E.). In connection with the first event he seems to give a description of the Jewish religion that stresses the anonymity of the Jewish God and the absence in the Temple at Jerusalem of any statue to represent the Deity; cf. Cassius Dio, XXXVII, 17:2 (No. 406).”

Periochae, CII

The capture of Jerusalem by Pompey in 63 B.C.E.

“Cn. Pompeius conquered the Jews and captured their Temple Jerusalem never invaded before.”

Scholia in Lucanum, II, 593

The worship of an unknown God by Jews:

They do not state to which deity pertains the Temple at Jerusalem, nor is any image found there, since they do not think the god partakes of any figure.”

Source: Stern, Menahem. Greek and Latin Authors on Jews and Judaism (p. 329). 131; Periochae, CII ― Rossbach = F136aR; Stern, Menahem. Greek and Latin Authors on Jews and Judaism. (p.330) 133; Scholia in Lucanum, II, 593 ― Usener (Stern # 131, 133)

Comments are closed.