The Parthians had been weakened by the new and powerful Kushan kingdom in eastern Iran.

In 110, Trajan moved against Parthia, thus ending a 50-year peace that Nero had established. The reasons for these executions are not clear, but they are probably part of a religious persecution by Rome that also underscored the Jewish unrest. Later, as Paul spread the gospel throughout the world, he preached that non-Jews could convert directly to Christianity without becoming Jewish first.) Originally Christianity was an offshoot of Judaism, thus the earliest Christians needed first to be Jews. Grant describes him as “the first significant Christian churchman.” (At this point in the history of Christianity there were both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. If you don’t believe it, read the very anti-Jewish first-century historian Tacitus, who in small part stated: “The other practices of the Jews are sinister and revolting, and have entrenched themselves by their very wickedness.”Įarly in the second century, under Trajan’s rule, the head of the Judaeo-Christian Church, Simeon, son of Cleophas, was executed by the Roman governor of Judaea.įurthermore, Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, a leading gentile Christian, was sent to Rome and executed about the year 110. There is no doubt that at this time in history there was quite a lot of animosity against the Jews. (Image © by David Hendin)Īfter Domitian’s harsh rule, his successor, Nerva, was less abusive to his subjects. Indeed, the first name of Bar Kokhba, “Simon” was known ONLY from his coins until 40 years ago-1960 to be exact-when the Bar Kokhba letters, discovered in caves near the Dead Sea, were discovered and translated.īar Kokhba bronze coin with the name of Simon. By comparison, the numismatic evidence from the First Revolt consists of both the coins of the Jews of the period, as well as the JUDAEA CAPTA coins of the Flavians, which reflect a great deal on their view of Rome’s victory.īar Kokhba’s coins are likewise very important to our knowledge of the so-called Second Revolt. We do not know a great deal about the “war of Quietus,” and one reason is that there is not any known numismatic material that references this war. These revolts were likely the direct results of both the aftermath of the reign of Domitian (who was especially hard on Christians and Jews) as well as attacks under Trajan’s rule on both Christian and Jewish leaders.

More accurately, the “war of Quietus” was a series of revolts. It was fought in Cyrenaica, Cyprus, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, but apparently not in Judaea. It was called “the war of Quietus” and took place between the years 115 and 117 AD. This war took place between the Jewish War (First Revolt: 66–70 AD) and the Bar Kokhba War (Second Revolt: 132–135 AD). There was a significant “Third Revolt” of the Jews during the reign of the emperor Trajan (98–117 AD).

The Cruelties of War by A Churchman