Judaea
Judaea, originally known as Judah, is an ancient region located in the southern part of the historical land of Palestine, bordered by Samaria and Galilee. During Hellenistic times, the term Judaea referred to the entire area and its population, gaining prominence under Roman governance from AD 6 until about 135 AD. The region underwent various political changes, transitioning from Persian control to that of Alexander the Great, followed by the Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires. A significant event in Judaea's history was the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus IV Epiphanes, which led to a brief period of Jewish independence before Roman domination began with Pompey in 63 BC.
The territory was ruled by notable figures such as Herod the Great, whose reign was marked by his complex relationships with both Roman leaders and local factions. After the deposition of Herod's son Archelaus in AD 6, Judaea became a Roman province, witnessing events such as the crucifixion of Jesus under the governance of Pontius Pilate. The region was the site of two major Jewish revolts against Roman rule, which resulted in widespread devastation and a significant shift in the center of Jewish life. Ultimately, Judaea was renamed Syria Palaestina in 135 AD, paving the way for the establishment of smaller provinces within the area, reflecting the ongoing historical and cultural transformations that have shaped this pivotal region.
Subject Terms
Judaea
(1) the Greek equivalent of Judah, the most southerly of the three traditional main divisions of the ancient Holy Land or Palestine (the other divisions were Samaria and Galilee), (2) the name given in Hellenistic times to the whole land and state and by the Romans, in the first instance, to their province in the region (AD 6–41, 44–135). Judaea (2) passed from Persian control (538–332 BC) into the hands of Alexander the Great, and later came under the control first of the Ptolemies and then of the Seleucids (200). The attempts of Antiochus IV Epiphanes to suppress the Jewish faith (see Jerusalem) led to rebellion and the creation of an independent Hasmonaean (Maccabean) Kingdom, which was, however, brought under Roman domination by Pompey the Great in 63. Herod the Great, resisting encroachment by Cleopatra VII of Egypt, ruled the country as the client first of Antony (37–31/30) and then of Augustus (31/30–4); the birth of Jesus is believed to date from the last year or two of Augustus' life. Herod's kingdom was then divided between his sons Archelaus (Judaea-Judah, Samaria, Idumaea), Herod Antipas (Peraea, the scene of the emergence of John the Baptist, and Galilee, where Jesus' mission was for the most part conducted), and Philip (the north).
After Archelaus' deposition in AD 6 his territory became the Roman province of Judaea, under governors (praefecti, then procurators) including Pontius Pilate (26–36), during whose tenure Jesus was crucified. The kingship of Marcus Julius Agrippa I (41–44) was only a brief intermission in this provincial status, though subsequently Agrippa II (49/50–before 93/4) was permitted to rule over outlying parts of the country. The two Jewish Revolts or Roman Wars (66–73, 132–35) had devastating effects, displacing the center of Judaism first to Jamnia (Yavneh) and then to various towns in Galilee. The province, upgraded in status (70) and garrisoned by a second legion (c 130), was given the name of Syria Palaestina (135), and in the later empire a number of smaller provinces were created: Palaestina Prima, Palaestina Secunda (the north), Arabia (Transjordan), and Palaestine Tertia or Salutaris (the Sinai Peninsula and parts of the Negev)—a region which now received Christian settlements, for instance at Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin) and Nessana (Auja el-Hafir).