The Continuous History of the Jewish People

Happy Nicanor's Day! This special episode isn't as narrative, but a collection of interesting things I uncovered in my research that didn't really fit in to the narrative, but I thought were interesting nonetheless. We'll see a straight-branched menorah (made of iron spits), the first blood libel, and tour of Jewish calendar with all the feasts and holidays you've never heard of!

Just a quick message on what to expect in the first half of 2026!

Years Covered: 130-136We end the season with the hopes of a messiah ending in bloodshed and expulsion. This is the end of Jews in Judea, for a long time.ewsSimon bar Kosiba (Bar Kokhba) xRabbi Akiva xBabatha bat Shimon xJudah (husband of Babatha) xElazar (High Priest of the revolt) xShimon ben Gamliel IIRabbi Tarfon xJudah bar IlaiJose the GalileanBruriahRabbi MeirShimon bar YochaiJose ben HalaftaElazar ben ShamuaJudah ben Bava xRomansHadrian xTinius RufusJulius SeverusGargilius AntiquusOthersJustin Martyr

Years Covered: 100-130What are the ways of the Jews without a temple? The sages of Yavne will try to answer this question as the Jewish people try to find their place in a Greco-Roman world that's getting rather heavy on the Greco.Cast of Characters:JewsSimon bar Kosiba (Bar Kokhba)Gamliel II xRabbi Joshua ben HananiahRabbi AkivaRabbi Eliezer ben HyrcanusRabbi Elazar ben AzariahRabbi TarfonShimon bar YochaiYohanan ben Zakkai xImma ShalomRachelLukuas (Andreas) xPapus xLulyanus xAquila of SinopeRomansTrajan xHadrianPliny the Youngerx Quintus Marcius TurboLucius Quietus xVespasian xTitus x

Years covered: 70-100What happened to all the people who survived the destruction of the temple? We take a look at their lives.JewsFlavius JosephusSimon bar Giora xJohn of GischalaBereniceHerod Agrippa II xTiberius Julius AlexanderJulius Antiochus EpiphanesEpiphanes of CommageneMariamneDemetrius the AlabarchEleazar ben Yair xMenahem xJudas the Galilean xShimon ben Gamliel xYohanan ben Zakkai xGamliel I xGamliel (son of Shimon ben Gamliel)Rabbi Yishmael xHyrcanusJustusAgrippa (son of Josephus)Jonathan (the Zealot) xRomansTitus xVespasian xFlavius SilvaDomitian xNerva xAntonius FelixNero xCaligula xOthersDrusillaAgrippa (nephew of Berenice) xApion xPhilo of Alexandria xIf you want, I can also tighten this further (e.g., only characters with speaking or narrative agency) or normalize it into a production-ready dramatis personae for the episode notes.tighten to people that wer alive between 68-100Below is a tightened, names-only list, limited to people who were alive at some point between 68–100 CE. An “x” marks those who died within that window.JewsFlavius Josephus xSimon bar Giora xJohn of GischalaBereniceHerod Agrippa II xTiberius Julius AlexanderJulius Antiochus EpiphanesEpiphanes of Commagene xDemetrius the AlabarchEleazar ben Yair xShimon ben Gamliel xYohanan ben Zakkai xGamliel (son of Shimon ben Gamliel)Rabbi Yishmael xJonathan (the Zealot) xRomansTitus xVespasian xFlavius SilvaDomitian xNerva xAntonius FelixNero xOthersDrusillaAgrippa (nephew of Berenice) xApion x

Years covered: 67-70Perhaps the most momentous event in all of Jewish history: the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Vespasian meets Yochanan Ben Zakkai, and spares him, and consequentially, the Pharisees. He then has to take his place in the drama known as 'The year of Four Emperors', leaving Judea to his son Titus.CAST OF CHARACTERSThe Jews:JosephusHerod Agrippa IIBereniceShimon ben GamlielHanania (former High Priest) xJoshua ben Gamla xJoseph ben Gurion xJohn of Gischala (John son of Levi)Simon bar GioraEleazar son of SimonPhineas son of SamuelTiberius Julius AlexanderMarta bat Baitos xYochanan ben ZakkaiThe Romans:VespasianTitusNero xServius Galba xGaius Julius Vindex xLucius Verginius RufusLucius Licinianus xOtho xVitellius xGaius Licinius MucianusMarcus Antonius PrimusOtherGaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes Sources:Josephus - War of The Jews Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 55b–58aSuetonius - The Lives of Caesars Tacitus - The Histories Sulpicius Severus - Chronicle 3.20

Years covered: 67The Romans make landfall in the Galilee to restore order. We relive the siege of Jotapata, where Jospehus made his name.CAST OF CHARACTERSJEWS:Herod Agrippa IIBereniceMattathias son of Theophilus xJoshua ben GamlaEleazar ben HananiaHanania ben Hanania xShimon ben GamlielYochanan ben ZakkaiMenahem ben Judah xJosephusBen BatiachJoseph ben GurionEliezer ben SimonJohn son of Levi (John of Gischala)Tiberius Julius AlexanderSimon bar GioraNicanorROMANSNeroGessius Florus xCestius Gallus xVespasianTitusSources:War of the Jews - JosephusThe Lives of the Caesars - SeutoniusThe Annals - TacitusBabylonian Talmud Bava Batra 21

Years Covered: 44-66 ADWe chart Jospehus' formative years, which track the steady decline of relations between Rome and Judea, as Rome plunges into debt and civil war, and Judea into anarchy and rule by organized crime. It all culminates in an attack on Masada, and refusal to sacrifice to the health of the Roman Emperor.Cast of CharactersJewsHerod Agrippa IIxHerod of Chalcis xBereniceDrusillaQueen Helene of Adiabene xIzates II xAnanias of Adiabene (merchant)Elazar of GalileeAlexander LysimachusTiberius Julius AlexanderJonathan the High Priest xHanania ben Nadvai xFlavius JosephusBanusZechariah ben AvkolasKamtzaMenahem son of JudahSalomeAristobulus of ChalcisJames the Just xPaul of Tarsus xAlytriosPrincess SymachoRomansEmperor Claudius xGaius MarsusCuspius FadusVentidius CumanusMarcus Antonius FelixPorcius FestusLucceius AlbinusGessius FlorusCestius GallusNeroPoppaea Sabina Agrippina the Younger xPallasOthoSporusSources:War of the Jews - JosephusAntiquities of the Jews - JosephusThe Book of ActsThe Lives of the Ceasars - SeutoniusThe Annals - TacitusTalmud Bavli Gittin 55b–56aTalmud Bavli Sukkah 2b

Years Covered: 33-44We continue to followHerod Agrippa—the politically nimble, debt-ridden, charm-wielding, luck-chasing Jewish prince of the early Roman Empire. A family quarrel propels Agrippa into a world of high-stakes intrigue stretching from Tyre to Alexandria, and from the courts of Roman governors to the inner circle of the Julio-Claudians themselves. Meanwhile, the messiah claimant Jesus of Nazareth is dead, but that's not the end of the story. We also meet Philo of Alexandria, the Jew who tries to bridge the gap between Jewish and Greek thought.Cast of CharatersThe Jews:Herodians-Herod Agrippa I x-Herod Antipas x-Herodias x -Aristobulus -Cypros -Berenice-Herod Agrippa II-Drusilla Pharisees and Sadducees-Caiaphas -Gamliel the Elder -Simon bar Hillel Jewish Christians -Stephen x-Simon Peter -Saul/Paul of Tarsus -AnanaisJewish Diaspora -Alexander Lysimacus -Philo of Alexandria-Anilai and Asinai xThe Romans-Emperor Tiberius x-Emperor Caligula x-Emperor Claudius -Tiberius Gemellus x-Julia Drusilla x-Aulus Avilius Flaccus-Lucius Pomponius Flaccus x-Lucius Vitellius -Publius Petronius -Gaius Vibius Marsus -Marcellus-Pontius Pilate -ThallusThe Greek-ApionSources:Antiquities of the Jews - JosephusThe War of the Jews - JosephusOn the Embassy to Gaius - Philo of AlexandriaAgainst Flaccus - Philo of AlexandriaThe Book of ActsThe Twelve Caesars - SeutoniusThe Annals - TacitusThe Talmud