2.487-98). And some years later, in the aftermath of the First Revolt, the
citizens of Alexandria appealed to Titus to strip the Jews of their rights
(Ant.12.121-24)
Two additional episodes of conflict in Alexandria took place at the be-
ginning of Trajan’s reign, about which we learn from Greek papyri. One of
them (CPJ2:157) belongs to the so-calledActs of the Alexandrians,which
deal with historical facts by inserting them in a fictional framework and
manipulating them with strong political bias. Precise historical details are
impossible to reconstruct, but a conflict between Jews and Greeks had
taken place, probably at some point between 110 and 113c.e.Another epi-
sode of strife between the Greeks and the Jews occurring a couple of years
later is reported by an official Roman document written in October 115
(CPJ2:435). The Jews complain about “fire and weapons” prepared against
them, and a Roman authority, possibly the Roman prefect, displays a criti-
cal attitude towards the Greeks. Obscure references are made to disorders
and to a demonstration held in the theater of the city, and the arrival of a
judge sent by the emperor to investigate is noted. Other fragmentary pa-
pyri appear to allude to the eventual condemnation of those responsible
for the disorders: sixty Alexandrians were exiled and their slaves beheaded
(CPJ2:158a, 158b).
Some months later, in the spring of 116c.e., there was an uprising of
Jews not only in Egypt but also in Libya, Cyprus, Mesopotamia, and Judea.
The catalyst for the uprisings has unfortunately left no trace in extant
sources. In Libya, Egypt, and Cyprus, the Jews attacked their Greek and Ro-
man neighbors, destroying temples, statues of gods, and centers of Greek
civic life (CJZC17-23). The attacks were led by Andreas (according to Dio),
or by Lukuas (according to Eusebius), to whom Eusebius ascribes the title
“king,” a fact that has led some scholars to assume that the uprising had a
messianic background. The evidence, however, is scanty. In Cyprus, the
Jews were led by a certain Artemion (Dio 68.32.2), and here too we get an
impression of great destruction. In Egypt, where the local Jews acted in co-
operation with those of Libya (Hist. Eccl.4.2.3), the uprising covered large
sections of the country, and for a while Jews had the upper hand (CPJ
2:438). The Greeks fought back, led by theirstrat 3 goi —the most well
known is Apollonios — and helped by the Egyptian peasants and the
Romans. The Jewish uprisings were crushed only when Trajan decided on a
massive intervention. Order was restored by the autumn of 117 (CPJ2:443),
and at Oxyrhynchus the victory over the Jews was commemorated by a fes-
tival that was still observed some eighty years later (CPJ2:450).385Jews among Greeks and RomansEERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:04:16 PM