List of Roman rulers who "defiled" the temple

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Giuseppe
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List of Roman rulers who "defiled" the temple

Post by Giuseppe »

  • The first was Pilate:

    Pilate was the first who brought those images to Jerusalem, and set them up there.

    (Ant. 18, 3, 1)
  • The second was Titus, who destroyed the Temple.
  • The third was Hadrian, who defiled further the place of the temple.
I am ignoring here Caligula since he was not able to introduce his statue in the temple.

This short list, so easily inferred from Josephus, shows the originality of Pilate as the only Roman governor who preceded both Titus and Hadrian in the action of defilement of the temple.
Charles Wilson
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Re: List of Roman rulers who "defiled" the temple

Post by Charles Wilson »

Pompey:

Josephus, Ant..., 14, 4, 4:

"...for Pompey went into it, and not a few of those that were with him also, and saw all that which it was unlawful for any other men to see but only for the high priests. There were in that temple the golden table, the holy candlestick, and the pouring vessels, and a great quantity of spices; and besides these there were among the treasures two thousand talents of sacred money: yet did Pompey touch nothing of all this, on account of his regard to religion; and in this point also he acted in a manner that was worthy of his virtue. The next day he gave order to those that had the charge of the temple to cleanse it, and to bring what offerings the law required to God; and restored the high priesthood to Hyrcanus, both because he had been useful to him in other respects, and because he hindered the Jews in the country from giving Aristobulus any assistance in his war against him..."
Giuseppe
Posts: 13732
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:37 am
Location: Italy

Re: List of Roman rulers who "defiled" the temple

Post by Giuseppe »

Pompey defiled the temple so, en passant, not at all out of the blue.
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