Herod’s Judaea: A Mediterranean State in the Classical World (2008 Rocca), book
Herod’s Judaea: A Mediterranean State in the Classical World (2008) is a book by Samuel Rocca.
Abstract
"Samuel Rocca presents an in - depth analysis of Herodian society. The most important facet of this analysis was the relationship between Herod as ruler and the Jewish subjects over whom he ruled. Yet to understand the relationship between Herod and his subjects, between ruler and ruled, it is necessary, as part of the general background, to undertake a general analysis of Herodian Judaea and its relationship with the classical world, beginning with Augustan Rome, which was then the center of power, and followed by the main centers within the Mediterranean basin and the Hellenistic East. The author contends that Herod, though a Jewish ruler, regarded both Alexander the Great-the embodiment of the Hellenistic ruler-and Augustus as ideal models who were worthy of imitation. These models of inspiration influenced the shape of society in Herodian Judaea as a whole. In fact, Herod pushed Judaea towards major Hellenization, albeit with many elements more akin to Rome. This trend of Hellenization was present well before the Herodian period but intensified under Herod’s rule. It seems that one of the reasons for the intensification of this trend was King Herod’s domination of Judaean society, which allowed him to dictate socio-cultural trends to a greater extent than Augustus was able to do in Rome. Samuel Rocca deals with Herod as the head of Jewish society in Judaea, and hence this study is first and foremost a study of Herodian society. Thus he analyzes the Herodian ideology of rule, the court, the army, the administration, the economy, the ruling political bodies, the city as a microcosm, the religion, and the burial customs. This book anchors Herodian Judaea as firmly as possible within the surrounding Mediterranean world and therefore within the realities of Hellenistic Roman civilization in order to better understand its multi-faceted dimensions as part of the surrounding contemporary world, and not simply as an entity belonging to a biblical - New Testament reality."--Publisher description.
"Samuel Rocca untersucht die Gesellschaft zur Zeit des Herodes. Im Zentrum seiner Untersuchung steht das Verhältnis von Herodes zu seinen jüdischen Untertanen. Der Autor zeigt auf, daß Herodes, obwohl er ein jüdischer Herrscher war, sowohl Alexander den Großen- die Verkörperung des hellenistischen Herrschers - als auch Augustus als Ideale ansah, die er nachahmte. Tatsächlich führte Herodes in Judäa eine Hellenisierung durch, wenn auch mit vielen Elementen, die es wiederum Rom annäherten. Bei diesem Buch handelt es sich nicht um eine Biographie des Herodes, sondern um eine Untersuchung seines Führungsstils und - vor allem - der Gesellschaftsstruktur unter seiner Herrschaft. Der Autor analysiert unter anderem die Führungsideologie, den Hofstaat, die Armee, die Administration, die Wirtschaft und Religion im Staat Judäa unter Herodes."--Publishe description (German).
Editions
Published in Tübingen, Germany: Mohr Siebeck, 2008 (Texte und Studien zum antiken Judentum, 122).
Table of contents
Introduction
1. Purpose of the Research 2. Methodology A. The General Framework B. Main Features: Methodological Introduction C. Sources D. The Use of the Horizontal Approach E. The Use of Comparative Methodology F. Positivism versus Relativism G. Inductive versus Deductive Methodology H. Terminology
I: Herod the King: Royalty and the Ideology of Power
1. Herod King of Judaea 2. Herod and the Jewish Ideology of Rule A. Herod and the Heritage of the House of David B. Herod and the Heritage of the Hasmonaeans 3. Herod and the Hellenistic Ideology of Rule A. Herod, the Hellenistic King B. Herod’s Evergetism: The Expression in Foreign Policy of Herod’s Power as Hellenistic King 4. Herod, the Client King of Rome 5. Herod and Juba II, A Comparison 6. Conclusions
II. The Court of King Herod
1. The Origins of the Court of King Herod 2. The Royal Court of Herodian Judaea A. The Composition of the Herodian Court B. Herod’s Family (Synegenes) i. Herod’s Brother and Sisters ii. Herod’s Wives iii. Herod’s Offspring and Heirs C. Herod’s Friends (Philoi) and the Rest of His Court i. The Inner Circle of Friends: Ministers and Advisors (Ptolemaeus and Nicolaus) ii. The Inner Circle of Friends: Orators, Ambassadors and Those Without positions iii. The Outer Circle of Friends: Friends of Herod’s Sons iv. Visitors (Xenoi): Intellectuals, Dynasts, and Political Envoys v. Herod’s Military Household vi. The Domestic Staff vii. The Herodian Cultural Circle viii. Those Who Were Different: Concubines, Prostitutes and Catamites 3. The Setting of the Herodian Court: the Herodian Palace A. The Herodian Palace: Origins and Structure B. City Palaces C. Winter Palaces D. Fortified Palaces 4. Conclusions Appendix I. Herod’s Portrait Appendix II. The Gymnasium of Jerusalem
III. The Army of King Herod
1. Herod and his Army A. The Ethnic Composition and the Strength of Herod's Army B. The Structure of Herod’s Army 2. The Campaigns of Herod’s Army 3. The Fortifications A. The Sources of Herodian Fortifications B. The Evolution of Herodian Fortifications C. The Types and Distribution of Fortifications of the Herodian Kingdom i. The Herodian Cities ii. The City Acropolis and the Tetrapyrgia iii. The Regional Distribution of the Static Defenses in the Herodian Kingdom, 4. Military Colonies and Their Role in Defending the Herodian Kingdom 5. Herod’s Navy 6. Conclusions
IV: The Administration and Economy of the Herodian Kingdom
1. The Administration of the Herodian Kingdom A. The Sources of the Administrative Division of Herodian Judaea B. The Administrative Division of the Herodian Kingdom 2. Taxation and Revenues in the Herodian Kingdom A. The Taxation System of Herodian Judaea B. The Income of King Herod C. Herod’s Social Program 3. The Division of the Land in the Herodian Kingdom A. Royal Land and Royal Estates B. Private Owned Lands i. The Village ii. The Manor 4. The Economic Resources A. The Agriculture Products B. Industry: Glass, Purple-Dye, Pottery and Stone C. Markets and Internal Trade D. International Trade: Maritime Trade and the Spice Route 5. Conclusions Appendix I. The Languages of Herodian Judaea
V: The Ruling Bodies of Herodian Judaea
1. The Legal Position of the Ruler in Herodian Judaea 2. Herod and the Judaean Ruling Class 3. The Ruling Bodies of the Herodian State A. The Political Constitution of Herodian Judaea i. The boulē ii. The ekklesia iii. The Synedrion-Sanhedrin iv. Outside Judaea: The Greek Cities and the Nomadic Tribes B. The Courts of Herodian Judaea 4. Conclusions Appendix I. The Law on Thieves in Jerusalem and Rome
VI: The Cults of the Herodian Kingdom
1. The High Priest and Temple Cult in the Herodian Period A. The High Priest and the Temple Bureaucracy B. The Temple Cult in the Herodian Period 2. Herod and the Rebuilding of the Temple A. Sources of inspiration and Parallels for Herod’s Temple B. The Temple and the Temple Mount 3. The Synagogue in Judaea: A Civic Center 4. Herod and the Pagan Cults 5. Conclusions
VII: The Herodian City
1. The Herodian Dynasty and the City 2. The Urban Features of the Herodian City 3. Jerusalem a Classical City A. Demography B. The Water Supply C. The Leisure Buildings D. The Private Buildings of Herodian Jerusalem 4. Conclusions
VIII: Herod’s Burial—Conclusion
1. The Death of King Herod 2. The Burial of King Herod A. Herod’s Funeral B. Herod’s Tomb C. Herod’s Burial. Sarcophagus or Ossuary? 3. Conclusions 4. Appendix I: Monumental Tombs of the Hasmonean and Herodian Period: A Comparative Analysis 5. Final Conclusions
Bibliography