steve43 wrote:
Cyrene was the last of the outposts of the Jewish Zealots and refugees to be subdued in A.D. 73 or thereabouts. At that time, Vespasian was firmly in power.
Probably more interesting about Cyrene is that Ismael, the son of Fabi, was beheaded there early in the revolt- probably around A.D. 66-68. Ismael had resigned the High Priest position in A.D. 61 in order to be a part of Poppea's (and presumably Nero's) court in Rome. A very confounding move that suggests ulterior motives.
When the Jewish revolt began, what was Ismael, a Jewish aristocrat/priest if there ever was one, doing in Cyrene?
He failed in his mission, was captured, and beheaded by the Sicarii/Zealots there.
Interesting......thanks.
High Priest Ishmael retained in Rome.
With the permission of Festus, they sent ten of their leading men to Nero, with Ismael the high priest and Helcias, the keeper of the sacred treasury. 195 When Nero heard what they had to say, he forgave what they had already done, and also allowed them to let stand the wall they had built. This was granted to gratify Poppea, Nero's wife, who was a religious woman and had requested him for these favours and told the ten envoys to go on home, while she kept Helcias and Ismael with herself as hostages. 196 When the king heard this news, he gave the high priesthood to Joseph, surnamed Cabi, son of Simon the former high priest.
Ant: book 20
At the Jewish/Roman War
Among them were ................ three of high priestly stock, sons of the Ishmael who was beheaded in Cyrene
War: book 6 ch.2
A Jewish high priest, with Hasmonean connections
*, beheaded in a foreign land. Cyrene. Interesting indeed! And what other Jewish High priest was beheaded in a foreign land? Antigonus. The last Hasmonean King and High Priest of the Jews, beheaded in Antioch in 37 b.c.e., after being hung up alive on a cross and scourged.
Well well, that does place a very different interpretation on the gospel Simon from Cyrene story. Context matters. History mattered to the gospel storytellers.
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* can't find a link to support this from the Wikipedia page.
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added later
ISHMAEL BEN PHABI (FIABI) II.:
High priest under Agrippa II.; not to be identified (as by Grätz and Schürer) with the high priest of the same name who was appointed by Valerius Gratus and who officiated during 15-16 of the common era. Ishmael was a worthy successor of the high priest Phinehas. He was appointed to the office by Agrippa in the year 59, and enjoyed the sympathy of the people. He was very rich; his mother made him, for the Day of Atonement, a priestly robe which cost 100 minæ. Ishmael at first followed the Sadducean method of burning the sacrificial red heifer, but finally authorized the procedure according to the Pharisaic teaching. Being one of the foremost ten citizens of Jerusalem sent on an embassy to Emperor Nero, he was detained by the empress at Rome as a hostage. He was beheaded in Cyrene after the destruction of Jerusalem, and is glorified by the Mishnah teachers (Parah iii. 5; Soṭah ix. 15; Pes. 57a; Yoma 35b).
Bibliography:
Josephus, Ant. xx. 8. §§ 8, 11;
idem, B. J. vi. 2; § 2;
Schürer, Gesch. ii. 219;
Ad. Büchler, Das Synedrion in Jerusalem, pp. 67, 96, Vienna, 1902.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/artic ... i-fiabi-ii