I've been busy so didn't see Donuel's comments and Greg F.'s question until today.

Donuel, you accuse a man of anti-Semitism with no evidence, claiming that the evidence is well-hidden. Anyone can play that game. I could accuse you of hating Turks. There is no evidence that you hate Turks, but maybe you are just hiding the evidence. Or maybe not.

The absence of smoke does not necessarily mean that the fire is well-hidden.


Greg F., Tacitus provides a nice answer to your question about what the Italians were doing in Judea. This is from HISTORIES, Book V, sections 9 and 10, (Loeb Classical Library, 1931)http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Tacitus/Histories/5A*.html#9

The first Roman to subdue the Jews and set foot in their temple by right of conquest was Gnaeus Pompey;29 thereafter it was a matter of common knowledge that there were no representations of the gods within, but that the place was empty and the secret shrine contained nothing. The walls of Jerusalem were razed, but the temple remained standing. Later, in the time of our civil wars, when these eastern provinces had fallen into the hands of Mark Antony, the Parthian prince, Pacorus, seized Judea, but he was slain by Publius Ventidius, and the Parthians were thrown back across the Euphrates:30 the Jews were subdued by Gaius Sosius.31 Antony gave the throne to Herod, and Augustus, after his victory, increased his power. After Herod's death, a certain Simon32 assumed the name of king without waiting for Caesar's decision. He, however, was put to death by Quintilius Varus, governor of Syria; the Jews were repressed; and the kingdom was divided into three parts and given to Herod's sons.33 Under Tiberius all was quiet. Then, when Caligula ordered the Jews to set up his statue in their temple, they chose rather to resort to arms, but the emperor's death put an end to their uprising. The princes now being dead or reduced to insignificance, Claudius made Judea a province and entrusted it to Roman knights or to freedmen; one of the latter, Antonius Felix, practised every kind of cruelty and p193lust, wielding the power of king with all the instincts of a slave;34 he had married Drusilla, the grand-daughter of Cleopatra and Antony, and so was Antony's grandson-in‑law, while Claudius was Antony's grandson.

10 Still the Jews' patience lasted until Gessius Florus became procurator:35 in his time war began. When Cestius Gallus, governor of Syria, tried to stop it, he suffered varied fortunes and met defeat more often than he gained victory. On his death, whether in the course of nature or from vexation, Nero sent out Vespasian, who, aided by his good fortune and reputation as well as by his excellent subordinates, within two summers occupied with his victorious army the whole of the level country and all the cities except Jerusalem. The next year was taken up with civil war, and thus was passed in inactivity so far as the Jews were concerned. When peace had been secured throughout Italy, foreign troubles began again; and the fact that the Jews alone had failed to surrender increased our resentment; at the same time, having regard to all the possibilities and hazards of a new reign, it seemed expedient for Titus to remain with the army.

Kent

P.S. Some of you may be interested in Luke's references to some of those mentioned by Tacitus. There are many references to Herod and his sons (Luke 1:5, 3:1, 3:19, 23:7-11 Acts 12:1-23 and others, as well as references to Augustus (Luke 2:1), Tiberius (Luke 3:1), Claudius (Acts 11:28, 18:2), Felix (Acts 23:24-24:27), and Drusilla (Acts 24:24).