roman soldier moons the jew over 2000 years ago and causes a riot

This is the historical recounting of an actual event that occurred in Judea over 2000 years ago during the Roman occupation. The event was described in detail by the Roman-jewish author, Flavius Josephus in his epic writing, The Wars of the Jews, chapter 12.

[@oldsnake1551]

Wow, an argument exactly like the one in that Monty Python sketch is actually recorded of having happened in the Babylonian Talmud. Two rabbis were arguing over whether not the Jews should fight against or cooperate with the Romans, and one of the rabbis started listing off the things that they had done for them just like that (aquaducts, education, law and order, etc..).

[@greatgambino]

Wow! I didnt know that was where Monty Python dug up that information. Caius, who was the Roman Caesar at the prior time, thought he was a God and demanded the statues of himself be placed in the Temple at Jerusalem in violation of the prior agreements Rome had established with Judea. These agreements were an exception to all the other Roman provinces which had no such privileges. When Caius did this, it started an extreme reaction to it in jerusalem. When the current procurator told the jews of what he had been ordered to do the jews reacted by, in mass, preparing to die first before they would let that happen. The procurator was so moved that he told them he would relent and send a message back to Rome that he could not do such a thing, even if it meant that he would die in the fury of Caius. When Caius go the message he was furious and send a message back to the procurator ordering him back to Rome, possibly facing execution. As fate would have it, Caius died before the message reached the procurator and he did not face trial in Rome. Still the jews were angry at the affront.

[@DavidWoodruff1972]

"turned his breech to the Jews"....just learned where "breeches (britches)" comes from.

[@mikicerise6250]

Yep. Sounds like the Middle East.

[@urielseptim9860]

Wow this is crazy I'm reading antiquities of the jews right now and am right before this section! Can't wait lol

[@greatgambino]

I got engrossed in it as I am doing a documentary on the essenes and Josephus wrote extensively about them and for a time, lived as one of them. In reading these parts of The Wars of The Jews, I was surprised at all the attempts the Romans made to placate the jews They did not require the same homage and worship to their gods for the jews, as the Romans did in all their other provinces. Also, Herod who was a tyrant by many estimations, also did his best to be assimilated as one with the jews and the Temple. He did massive construction projects including the great Temple, which was considered at that time to be one of the most grand constructions in all the world at that time. He also built the Caesarea port which could have become one of the worlds most busiest ports in the Roman empire for its ideal location. The engineering to construct the harbor was no small feat. And the prosperity of Caesarea and Judea in general, jumped up enormously. Yet still the jews resented Herod, who even practiced Judaism in the hopes of being full accepted at the Temple, which he never was. Also, Herod had a deep respect for the Essenes who were known for their honesty and peacefulness. According to Josephus he held them in high regard and exempted them from taking any oaths since he knew their word was good. So.......maybe Herod was not quite as evil as portrayed.

[@ericsteinhauer3991]

Uh… the story is…
The soldier on the pinnacle of the temple mooned the hebrews is true. What incited the riot was when the soldier turned around and displayed his uncircumcised member to the crowd. That is what pushed the crowd to riot.
And gave the Roman’s the excuse to destroy the temple