Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire by Barry S. StraussMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Over the span of two centuries, the Jews revolted against Roman rule again and again and again, eventually leading to the Jewish expulsion. Strauss’s book explores the history of how Rome came to rule over ancient Judea, what led to the revolts, what was involved in the revolts, and what the consequences were. He focuses on key individuals and important battles. He shows how the struggle between Rome and Parthia (Persia) made Judea such a spark point: in ways evoking how modern-day Cold War and post-Cold War conflicts put modern Israel on various fault lines.
It is a fascinating look at how Rome operated in its provinces, how it interacted with its neighbors, and its subject nations and peoples (in particular, of course, the Jews). It also interesting to see the ways the Jews in ancient Judea saw the Romans, the Parthians, and themselves. The extent of Jewish presence throughout the Roman empire: both in terms of the diaspora as well as in the ranks of the army and bureaucracy was new to me.
It is worthwhile historical study: highly approachable, engaging, and well-documented. The one knock is that I didn’t love the narrator on the audio version; he had a slight accent that at first distracted me. I eventually got used to it.
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