War of Varus

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Trees of Life
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War of Varus

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War of Varus

In light of the following tabulations, the year of the War of Varus was in 1 CE, its episode shadowing the death of Herod the Great in March of that year.
Gospel accounts record that Jesus Christ was born at the time of a taxation at Bethlehem, while Herod son of Antipater¹ was alive, and in the first days of Quirinius² acceding³ to procurator of Syria.
In accordance the birth of Jesus Christ is then fixed to the Anno Domini calendar, with Herod's death in March and then the War of Varus following Pentecost in May.
¹Herod the Great. ²Cyrenius.³Vellius Paterculus, Roman History: Book 2, Chapter 102.

Records:
Gaius Julius Caesar and Lucius Aemilius Paulus were consuls for 1 CE.
A concilium to decide Herod's successors was held in Rome under the auspices of Augustus and Consul Gaius¹; Legions in Judaea under the auspices of Consul Gaius cooperating with Varus.
¹Smallwood.


Documented:
Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 2 Chapter 5; Pisae Inscription, Messenian Inscription.
Coins minted by Herod's successors only after they were affirmed by Rome, from 1 CE.

1 CE War of Varus.


Hasmonean War

Records:
160 BCE to 34 BCE for the one hundred and twenty six years of the Hasmonean dynasty, followed by the Herodian dynasty.


Documented:
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 14, Chapter 16.

34 BCE Herod enthroned by the Jewish aristocracy and people.

Actium War

Records:
Sept 31 BCE — 37/38 BCE in the seventh year since Actium Herod's rule began under Rome.


Documented:
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 15.5.2; Josephus, The Wars of the Jews 1.19.3.

37 BCE Herod enthroned by Rome.

Jerusalem War

Records:
In 37 BCE Antigonus¹ was deposed as sovereign and held captive by Rome, Herod accession of Government and enthroned as sovereign as proclamation of Rome. Jerusalem 34 BCE, Herod enthroned as sovereign as endowed² by the Jewish aristocracy and people. First issue of Jewish coins recognizing Herod as King in year three, 34 BCE.
¹Enthroned King and High Priest by Parthia. ²After the death of Antigonus the sovereignty was deemed accessible to another



Documented:
Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 1.

37 BCE Herod enthroned by Rome. 34 BCE Herod enthroned by the Jewish aristocracy and people.

Jerusalem War

Records:
Jerusalem was captured by Pompey in 64 BCE. After twenty-seven years' time, Jerusalem was captured by Sosius and Herod in 37 BCE.

Antiquities of the Jews, 14.487:
‹This destruction befell the city of Jerusalem when Marcus Agrippa and Caninius Gallus were consuls of Rome on the hundred eighty and fifth Olympiad, on the third month, on the solemnity of the fast as if a periodical revolution of calamities had returned since that which befell the Jews under Pompey;¹ for the Jews were taken by him on the same day, and this was after twenty-seven years' time.›

The Hebrew calendar day of Monday 1st of Sivan 3725 is the day identified as the periodical revolution of twenty-seven years' very same day of Monday 1st of Sivan, 3698 as derived from the equivalent Julian calendar weekdays of Monday May 31, 37 BC and Monday May 30, 64 BC².
Monday was with Thursday ensconced as a twice-weekly fast day for devoted Jews.

¹Jerusalem and Judea comprised a part of the reorganization of the eastern provinces expedition entrusted to Pompey by Rome. The reorganization was sustained by senate proceedings after Pompey's Rome Triumph in 63 BCE, the consul year of Cicero and Antonius.

²Calculation procedure: exact the Julian year's weekday, date, and lunar phase to provide its accordant Hebrew calendar year's weekday and date.


Documented:
The Wars of the Jews Book I Chapter 7; Antiquities of the Jews 14.69: Pompey rebuilt Gadara and restored other cities of the Decapolis when they were annexed in 64 BCE¹:

Inscriptions and coins of the Decapolis cities tracing their foundation to 64 BCE.

Coinage minted in Gadara, inscriptions from Gadara, e.g. Hammat Gader, year one 64 BCE of the Pompeian Era, 'Year 1 of Rome'.
Coinage from Hippos e.g. Elagabalus, of 64 BCE Pompeian Era.
Coinage from Canatha, year one 64 BCE Pompeian Era.
Inscription from Philoteria of 64 BCE Pompeian Era.
Inscription from Tafas e.g. Otho, of 64 BCE Pompeian Era.
Inscription from Nysa-Scythopolis, of 64 BCE Pompeian Era.
Inscription from El-'Al, of 64 BCE Pompeian Era.

Jerusalem was taken by Pompey on the Hebrew calendar weekday of Monday on the 1st of Sivan in 3725, and again by Sosius and Herod on the very same weekday of Monday on the 1st of Sivan in 3698 corresponding to the equivalent common era dates of Monday the 30th May in 64 BCE and Monday the 31st of May in 37 BCE.

Herod began his reign of Jerusalem on Monday the 31st of May in 37 BCE.
Antiquities XVII Chapter 8: ‹having reigned since he had procured Antigonus to be slain thirty four years: but since he had been declared King by the Romans thirty-seven.›

Herod died thirty-seven years later in 1 CE.
A reign of thirty-seven years from May 31 37 BCE marks 1 CE as the year of the death of Herod, which is in concordance with gospel records of Jesus Christ being born 1 CE: ‹in the time of Herod the King›, The First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ.

¹Smallwood, The Jewish War.


Parthian War

Records:
In 35 BCE Antony had an unsuccessful campaign against Parthia. Antigonus being held captive by Antony for his triumph for a victory over Parthia was no longer a necessity.


Documented:
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 15.1.

Death of Antigonus in 34 BCE.

Armenian War

Records:
Antony successful in the Armenian war in 34 BCE. Antony beheaded Antigonus in order to quell Jewish unrest and enable Herod to accede to the lawful realm of Antigonus, in 34 BCE. Triumph for the victory over Armenia held by Antony in Alexandria.



Documented:
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 15.1. Plutarch, Life of Antonius.

Death of Antigonus in 34 BCE.


Primary Sources:
Herod died in 1 CE, 'having reigned thirty-four years since he had caused Antigonus to be slain, and obtained his kingdom; but thirty-seven years since he had been made king by the Romans': Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 1.33.1
Herod died in 1 CE 'having reigned since he had procured Antigonus to be slain, thirty-four years; but since he had been declared king by the Romans, thirty-seven': Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 17.8.1.

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