A Roman province
Open the map in AD 66 and zoom in on Judea, between the Mediterranean and the Jordan valley. Turn on the Cities layer and find Jerusalem. Which empires had ruled this land before Rome?
Open this view on the mapRoman Empire · 66-135 AD
Judea and Rome: the Jewish-Roman wars
Two great revolts against Roman rule ended with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70 and the defeat of Bar Kokhba in 135. Students explore the causes, what changed for the Jewish people, and how the events are remembered.
- Length
- 50 minutes
- Ages
- 13–16
- On the map
- 3 steps, AD 66 to AD 81
- Live lesson
- 7 rounds, 3 on the map
- Worksheet
- Two A4 pages, with Classroom
- You need
- A projector; phones for live
Live lesson · new in Classroom
Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.
Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.
€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.
- 7 rounds
- 3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
- About 15 minutes
- Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
- A report
- Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
Introduction
5 minRead aloud
Two great revolts against Roman rule ended with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70 and the defeat of Bar Kokhba in 135. Students explore the causes, what changed for the Jewish people, and how the events are remembered.
By the end of the lesson, students can
- Explain the causes of the Jewish revolt against Rome in AD 66.
- Describe the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70 and its consequences for Jewish life and religion.
- Compare how Rome and the Jewish people remembered these wars.
Explore the map
15 minProject the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.
AD 70
Turn on Historical Events and find the markers for the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple (AD 70), and for Masada. Why do you think the last rebels held out in the desert?
Open this view on the mapRome remembers
Pan to Rome and zoom in on the Forum. The Arch of Titus there shows Roman soldiers carrying the Temple's great lampstand, the menorah, in a victory parade. Why would Rome celebrate this so publicly?
Open this view on the mapClass discussion
15 minPick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.
- Roman governors in Judea often clashed with Jewish religious law, for example over taxes and the Temple. Why is foreign rule hardest to accept when it touches religion?
- Most of what we know about the war of 66-73 comes from Josephus, a Jewish commander who went over to the Romans. How does that affect how we read him?
- After AD 70, rabbis gathered at Yavne, and Judaism continued without the Temple through prayer, study and the synagogue. How can a religion survive the loss of its central holy place?
- Rome built an arch to celebrate the victory; Jews still mourn the destruction every year on the fast day of Tisha B'Av. How can one event be remembered so differently?
- After the revolt of 132-135, Rome renamed Jerusalem "Aelia Capitolina". Why do conquerors rename places?
Game round
10 minNo ruler in Rule History fought these wars. Play one round as Marcus Aurelius, an emperor of the following generation. Discuss: the game asks you to rule. Whose point of view does it leave out, and how might a Judean of AD 70 answer the same questions?
Open Rule HistoryWorksheet
5 minThis worksheet comes with Classroom
€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.