Full Commentary on Reza Aslan's "Zealot" (2013)

[spin]

Romans soldiers spoke in Latin, not Greek.

Which Roman soldiers spoke Latin? Most soldiers were conscripted in the empire, not Rome, so they did not speak Latin. If they came from the eastern Mediterranean they probably did speak Greek. Most Romans of any stature learned Greek, so one should be able to assume that at least the officers spoke Greek.

[Blood]

Azlan stated that lestai was "the most common Roman designation for an insurrectionist or rebel."

He is just copying this term from Josephus and assuming Roman soldiers used the same term.

And by "the Romans," he is strongly implying ethnic Italians, not all the different ethnicities in the Roman legions.