| There were many reasons why the Jews and | | | | did they were to be put to death. |
| Christians came into conflict with the Roman state, | | | | At one stage the Romans attempted to erect |
| considering the Jews had rebelled against the Roman | | | | standards and other statues in the Jewish temple and |
| state several times causing serious problems for the | | | | surrounding Jerusalem, this was a contravention of |
| Roman state. The Jewish conflicts with the Romans | | | | Jewish law and thus a small riot broke out. Jews from |
| were predominantly about Jewish customs and laws. | | | | all around the Roman empire would send money to |
| In Alexandria under the reign of Augustus, one source | | | | Jerusalem which was called the temple tax, this tax |
| of tension between the Roman state and the Jews | | | | was to be used for the upkeep of the temple, |
| was the laographia or poll tax. This tax was imposed | | | | however when the temple was destroyed by the |
| on all except the Greek citizen elite. The Jews felt | | | | Romans in A.D 70, the Romans then demanded the |
| this tax was a statement that they were inferior. | | | | tax to paid to the Roman state to allow them to |
| Often there was unrest in the cities of the Roman | | | | practice their Jewish religion, this resulted in further |
| Empire that had mixed Greeks and Jews this often | | | | tensions and demonstrations. |
| ended up involving riots and other disturbances of the | | | | The Jews were often rioting and causing trouble |
| peace. Under the emperor Gaius who was well known | | | | because of their laws and religion which then resulted |
| for his dislike of the Jews that it came to the point that | | | | in action taken by the Roman state and the regular |
| full scale rioting occurred. The Greeks and Jews often | | | | conflict between the Roman state and the Jews. |
| came into conflict and there were serious outbreaks | | | | There were three major wars and revolts between |
| of trouble in A.D 66 and A.D 115. | | | | the Romans and the Jews that Josephus records, the |
| In a letter dated around A.D 41, Claudius writes to the | | | | final resulting in all Jews being banned from the city of |
| city of Alexandria where he blames the recent unrest | | | | Jerusalem. |
| and riots on the Jews and he simply states that if the | | | | The Christians came into conflict with the Roman state |
| conflict is not resolved then he will show the city what | | | | for various reasons but the most prominent reason |
| a benevolent ruler is like when he is turned to righteous | | | | was the Christian teaching not to sacrifice to idols, this |
| anger. He then goes on to say that he pleads with the | | | | resulted in serious conflict with the Roman state |
| Alexandrians to behave gently and in a kindly manner | | | | because the state was thought to have been |
| with the Jews. He also tells the Jews not to insinuate | | | | protected by various state gods and rituals. Since the |
| themselves into the games presided over by the | | | | Christians refused to acknowledge the states gods, |
| Gymnasiarchs and Kosmetai, since they already enjoy | | | | then they were atheists and were seen as unpatriotic |
| the benefits of the city even though it is not their own | | | | and to have a disregard for the welfare of the state. |
| city. He also advises the Jews not to bring more Jews | | | | The state went to great lengths to ensure everyone |
| into the city from Syria or Egypt, which would bring | | | | sacrificed to the gods, many Christians refused and |
| more suspicion onto them and if they did he would | | | | this resulted in many years of persecution and conflict |
| come against them as a plague. | | | | under various emperors. The Christians believed the |
| Josephus also writes about an occasion that was | | | | state gods were not gods but demons and refused to |
| instigated by the Jews when they went in large | | | | sacrifice, this caused the state to inflict various |
| numbers to a Greek meeting in the amphitheatre. The | | | | punishments on the Christians. |
| Greeks responded as if they were spies and created | | | | During the reign of Emperor Nero a large portion of the |
| a scene and grabbed three Jews to burn them alive, | | | | city of Rome was burnt down, and Nero needed a |
| however the whole community of Jews rose up and | | | | scapegoat. Nero knew that the pagans of Rome |
| started a riot, pelting the Greeks with rocks and then | | | | were not all that tolerant of the Christians so he |
| getting torches they went to the amphitheatre | | | | blamed them as the cause of the fire and the first |
| threatening to burn it down with all the Greeks in it. | | | | state legislated persecution broke out in the city of |
| Tiberius the Roman governor of the city had to get | | | | Rome against the Christians. Tacitus records that the |
| involved and quell the Jews anger. | | | | Christians were not so much persecuted by Nero |
| Around A.D 115-117, during the reign of Trajan the Jews | | | | because of the burning of the city but because of |
| rebelled and destroyed large amounts of area around | | | | hate for the human race. The Christians also formed a |
| Egypt, Cyrene and Cyprus. Eusebius writes that the | | | | community with distinct customs and were rather |
| Jews rushed into a faction fight against their Greek | | | | critical of Roman society specifically their morality. |
| neighbors as if seized by some terrible spirit of revolt. | | | | To make things worse the Christians claimed loyalty to |
| Then in the next year it ended up being a full scale | | | | the church and that loyalty superseded any other |
| war which resulted in Lupus the governor of Egypt | | | | loyalties to the state. This created problems in the unity |
| fleeing to Alexandria and killing all the Jews of the city. | | | | of families when one was converted to Christianity. |
| During this time the Jews in the region of Cyrene were | | | | The Roman authorities were suspicious of anything |
| also revolting killing both Romans and Greeks and in | | | | that looked like a secret society, especially if it was |
| Cyprus the Jews killed two hundred and forty | | | | linked to an Asiatic religion, which they associated with |
| thousand people and because of this no Jew was | | | | immorality. |
| allowed to even go to the island of Cyprus and if they | | | | |