When Rome extended its power in the East, it found in Palestine a region inhabited by a people with a very strong religious and cultural identity
a people tied to a sacred land and to a monotheistic faith unique in its kind at that time
in 63 BC the Roman general Pompey conquered Jerusalem
it was the beginning of Roman rule over Judea
initially Rome left a certain autonomy to local rulers such as Herod the Great who reigned with the favor of Rome and maintained order
but after his death the situation became more unstable
tensions between the Jewish people and the Roman authority grew over the years
Rome imposed heavy taxes and often showed little understanding for local religious traditions
this caused various episodes of rebellion and discontent
the first great revolt broke out in 66 AD
it was a violent and long war that ended with a dramatic event in 70 AD
the Roman legions led by Titus conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple
this was a very hard blow to the identity of the Jewish people
many were killed or enslaved and others fled to different regions of the empire
but the resistance did not stop
in 132 AD a last revolt led by Bar Kokhba broke out
it was brutally repressed by the emperor Hadrian
this time Rome decided to erase every trace of Jewish independence
Jerusalem was transformed into a Roman colony and renamed Aelia Capitolina
Judea was renamed Palestine with a clear political intent
Rome wanted to break the historical bond between the people and the land
this was the true origin of the diaspora
a forced dispersion that led the Jewish people to live in communities scattered throughout the Mediterranean and beyond
but the memory of their land and their roots never faded
thus ended the ancient direct bond between the Palestinian people and their land under Rome
but their history continued in exile in hope and memory
The Palestinian people under Rome and the diaspora
When Rome arrived in Palestine in the first century BC it found a complex land
inhabited by a people who had already lived through centuries of foreign domination
first the Assyrians then the Babylonians then the Persians then Alexander's Greeks
and finally the Romans
in 63 BC the Roman general Pompey conquered Jerusalem during an internal war between two brothers of the Hasmonean dynasty
the Romans took advantage of the chaos to establish themselves as the dominant power
but they did not immediately transform the region into a Roman province
initially Judea remained a client kingdom with a certain autonomy
Herod the Great was the most famous king of this period
he was a controversial figure loved by Rome but hated by many among his people
he carried out great public works including the reconstruction of the Temple of Jerusalem which became one of the most sacred and impressive places in the ancient world
but his power was fragile and tied to the protection of Rome
upon his death the territory was divided between his sons and soon Rome decided to take direct control
the Judea became a Roman province governed by a procurator
the most famous was Pontius Pilate who appears in the Gospels as the one who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus
in the meantime the tension between the local population and the Roman authority continued to grow
taxes were high the legions were present everywhere and religious provocations were frequent
Rome did not understand the profound value of the Jewish religion
many emperors claimed to be venerated as divinities and this was unacceptable for a monotheistic people
in 66 AD the first great revolt broke out
it was a real war that lasted four years
the Jewish rebels managed to take control of Jerusalem and expelled the Romans
but Rome's response was implacable
the emperor Vespasian sent his son Titus with a powerful army
after a very long siege Jerusalem fell in 70
the Temple was destroyed and many neighborhoods of the city were razed to the ground
the destruction of the Temple was a traumatic event
it was the center of the Jewish faith the place where God lived
without the Temple religion had to change
rabbinic Judaism was born based on the synagogue, study and law
a profound spiritual transformation
but it didn't end there
a last great revolt broke out in 132 AD led by Bar Kokhba
at first it seemed like a winning war
the rebels managed to create an independent state for three years
but Rome came back even harder
Hadrian sent enormous armies
the revolt was crushed and the survivors were dispersed
Jerusalem was transformed into Aelia Capitolina
a Roman city with pagan temples and forbidden to Jews
the region was renamed Palestine inspired by the ancient Philistines
a name chosen to erase the Jewish identity
thus the diaspora was born
a forced dispersion that lasted centuries
the Palestinian people spread throughout the Mediterranean in Babylon in Egypt in Rome in Spain
bringing with them traditions customs language memor
but wherever they went they kept the memory of their land
every year during Easter they pronounced the words next year to Jerusalem
because hope never died
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