Morten Hørning Jensen, «Rural Galilee and Rapid Changes: An Investigation of the Socio-Economic Dynamics and Developments in Roman Galilee», Vol. 93 (2012) 43-67
Much research on the socio-economic conditions of Galilee in the Herodian period has argued for a rapid economic deterioration amongst the rural population. This is said to have resulted in a deadly spiral of violence prompting popular protest movements of which Jesus of Nazareth became the most renowned. Other investigations, however, paint a much more lenient picture of Galilee being under only a moderate development. This article outlines the problem at hand in the research, suggests a methodology for further development and applies this to new archaeological material emerging from excavations in Galilee and the textual material available.
48 MORTEN HØRNING JENSEN
According to Josephus, Pompey’s conquest and reorganization in
63 BCE stripped the Hasmonean state of many of its conquered city-
states, allowing only Galilee proper to remain in Jewish hands (Ant.
14.74-76 and War 1.155-158). The extent to which Pompey’s
reorganizations, which also entailed subjection of Jerusalem to tax
(War 1.155-158; Ant. 14.74-76), resulted in a serious crisis and shortage
of land has been debated. Josephus himself comments on these events
(in one of his many inserted editorial remarks), stating that it was a
great disaster (pa,qoj) for Jerusalem to lose its freedom (evleuqeri,a) and
to be robbed of some 10,000 talents (Ant. 14.77-78) in this way. In light
of Josephus’ words, Applebaum may be right in claiming that the acts
of Pompey “must have created a considerable rural proletariat†17.
Nevertheless, it seems to be an exaggeration when he further claims
that Pompey in reality began the process that eventually resulted in the
rebellion of 66 CE 18. According to Josephus, all the burdens placed on
the Jewish nation by Pompey were later completely removed by Caesar
in return for the assistance provided to him by Antipater and Hyrcanus
II in his battle against Pompey in Egypt in 49-48 BCE (Ant. 14.127-
133). Not only did Caesar return a number of the former areas, but he
also granted tax relief (cf. the lists in War 1.193-194 and the decrees in
Ant. 14.190-216), and, according to Josephus, it was his stated intention
to return the land to the Jews, which had formerly been in their
possession (Ant. 14.205, 207).
The era before Herod the Great’s final capture of Jerusalem in
37 BCE was one of unrest and war, including several battles and
confrontations between the ousted Hasmonean clan of Aristobulus
II, backed by the Parthians, and his brother Hyrcanus II, backed by
the upcoming Herodian dynasty and Rome. Some of these battles
took place in Galilee, and the fighting would have caused periodic,
but significant, disruptions in the region. After Herod’s final
enthronement in 37 BCE, we have no reports of upheavals.
17
S. APPLEBAUM, “Economic Life in Palestineâ€, The Jewish People in the
First Century (eds. S.SAFRAI – M. STERN) (Amsterdam 1976) II, 656.
18
Cf. S. APPLEBAUM, “Judaea As a Roman Province: The Countryside As
a Political and Economic Factorâ€, ANRW II.8 (eds. H. TEMPORINI – W. HAASE)
(Berlin 1977) 361.
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