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We 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.

ews

• Simon bar Kosiba (Bar Kokhba) x
• Rabbi Akiva x
• Babatha bat Shimon x
• Judah (husband of Babatha) x
• Elazar (High Priest of the revolt) x
• Shimon ben Gamliel II
• Rabbi Tarfon x
• Judah bar Ilai
• Jose the Galilean
• Bruriah
• Rabbi Meir
• Shimon bar Yochai
• Jose ben Halafta
• Elazar ben Shamua
• Judah ben Bava x

Romans

• Hadrian x
• Tinius Rufus
• Julius Severus
• Gargilius Antiquus

Others

• Justin Martyr

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What 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:

Jews

• Simon bar Kosiba (Bar Kokhba)
• Gamliel II x
• Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah
• Rabbi Akiva
• Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus
• Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah
• Rabbi Tarfon
• Shimon bar Yochai
• Yohanan ben Zakkai x
• Imma Shalom
• Rachel
• Lukuas (Andreas) x
• Papus x
• Lulyanus x
• Aquila of Sinope

Romans

• Trajan x
• Hadrian
• Pliny the Youngerx
• Quintus Marcius Turbo
• Lucius Quietus x
• Vespasian x
• Titus x

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What happened to all the people who survived the destruction of the temple? We take a look at their lives.

Jews

• Flavius Josephus
• Simon bar Giora x
• John of Gischala
• Berenice
• Herod Agrippa II x
• Tiberius Julius Alexander
• Julius Antiochus Epiphanes
• Epiphanes of Commagene
• Mariamne
• Demetrius the Alabarch
• Eleazar ben Yair x
• Menahem x
• Judas the Galilean x
• Shimon ben Gamliel x
• Yohanan ben Zakkai x
• Gamliel I x
• Gamliel (son of Shimon ben Gamliel)
• Rabbi Yishmael x
• Hyrcanus
• Justus
• Agrippa (son of Josephus)
• Jonathan (the Zealot) x

Romans

• Titus x
• Vespasian x
• Flavius Silva
• Domitian x
• Nerva x
• Antonius Felix
• Nero x
• Caligula x

Others

• Drusilla
• Agrippa (nephew of Berenice) x
• Apion x
• Philo of Alexandria x

If 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 68-100

Below 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.

Jews

• Flavius Josephus x
• Simon bar Giora x
• John of Gischala
• Berenice
• Herod Agrippa II x
• Tiberius Julius Alexander
• Julius Antiochus Epiphanes
• Epiphanes of Commagene x
• Demetrius the Alabarch
• Eleazar ben Yair x
• Shimon ben Gamliel x
• Yohanan ben Zakkai x
• Gamliel (son of Shimon ben Gamliel)
• Rabbi Yishmael x
• Jonathan (the Zealot) x

Romans

• Titus x
• Vespasian x
• Flavius Silva
• Domitian x
• Nerva x
• Antonius Felix
• Nero x

Others

• Drusilla
• Agrippa (nephew of Berenice) x
• Apion x

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Perhaps 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 CHARACTERS

The Jews:

• Josephus
• Herod Agrippa II
• Berenice
• Shimon ben Gamliel
• Hanania (former High Priest) x
• Joshua ben Gamla x
• Joseph ben Gurion x
• John of Gischala (John son of Levi)
• Simon bar Giora
• Eleazar son of Simon
• Phineas son of Samuel
• Tiberius Julius Alexander
• Marta bat Baitos x
• Yochanan ben Zakkai

The Romans:

• Vespasian
• Titus
• Nero x
• Servius Galba x
• Gaius Julius Vindex x
• Lucius Verginius Rufus
• Lucius Licinianus x
• Otho x
• Vitellius x
• Gaius Licinius Mucianus
• Marcus Antonius Primus

Other

• Gaius Julius Antiochus Epiphanes 

Sources:

Josephus - War of The Jews

Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 55b–58a

Suetonius - The Lives of Caesars

Tacitus - The Histories

Sulpicius Severus - Chronicle 3.20

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The Romans make landfall in the Galilee to restore order. We relive the siege of Jotapata, where Jospehus made his name.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

JEWS:

• Herod Agrippa II
• Berenice
• Mattathias son of Theophilus x
• Joshua ben Gamla
• Eleazar ben Hanania
• Hanania ben Hanania x
• Shimon ben Gamliel
• Yochanan ben Zakkai
• Menahem ben Judah x
• Josephus
• Ben Batiach
• Joseph ben Gurion
• Eliezer ben Simon
• John son of Levi (John of Gischala)
• Tiberius Julius Alexander
• Simon bar Giora
• Nicanor

ROMANS

• Nero
• Gessius Florus x
• Cestius Gallus x
• Vespasian
• Titus

Sources:

War of the Jews - Josephus

The Lives of the Caesars - Seutonius

The Annals - Tacitus

Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 21

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We 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 Characters

Jews

• Herod Agrippa IIx
• Herod of Chalcis x
• Berenice
• Drusilla
• Queen Helene of Adiabene x
• Izates II x
• Ananias of Adiabene (merchant)
• Elazar of Galilee
• Alexander Lysimachus
• Tiberius Julius Alexander
• Jonathan the High Priest x
• Hanania ben Nadvai x
• Flavius Josephus
• Banus
• Zechariah ben Avkolas
• Kamtza
• Menahem son of Judah
• Salome
• Aristobulus of Chalcis
• James the Just x
• Paul of Tarsus x
• Alytrios
• Princess Symacho

Romans

• Emperor Claudius x
• Gaius Marsus
• Cuspius Fadus
• Ventidius Cumanus
• Marcus Antonius Felix
• Porcius Festus
• Lucceius Albinus
• Gessius Florus
• Cestius Gallus
• Nero
• Poppaea Sabina 
• Agrippina the Younger x
• Pallas
• Otho
• Sporus

Sources:

War of the Jews - Josephus

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The Book of Acts

The Lives of the Ceasars - Seutonius

The Annals - Tacitus

Talmud Bavli Gittin 55b–56a

Talmud Bavli Sukkah 2b

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We 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 Charaters

The 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

-Ananais

Jewish Diaspora

-Alexander Lysimacus

-Philo of Alexandria

-Anilai and Asinai x

The 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

-Thallus

The Greek

-Apion

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The War of the Jews - Josephus

On the Embassy to Gaius - Philo of Alexandria

Against Flaccus - Philo of Alexandria

The Book of Acts

The Twelve Caesars - Seutonius

The Annals - Tacitus

The Talmud

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Oscar Wilde once said that 'anyone who never lived beyond their means suffered from a lack of imagination'. Herod Agrippa has imagination in spades. Lucky for him, his grandfather's purges are over, but now his friends in Rome are going to start dying. Back in Judea, it's one messiah claimant after another as Judah the Galilean and Jesus of Nazareth enter, and exit, our stage.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Herod Agrippa

Herod Archelaus x

Herod Antipas

Hillel x

Shammai x

Caisphas the High Priest

Judas the Galilean x

Jesus of Nazareth x

John the Baptist x

Cypros, wife of Herod Agrippa

Berenice, wife of Herod Antipas

Herodias, Herod Agrippa's sister

Barabbas

Judas Iscariot

Mary, mother of Jesus of Nazareth

The Romans:

Augustus x

Livia x

Julia, daughter of Augustus

Tiberius

Sejanus x

Publius Quirinius x

Gaius Caesar x

Lucius Caesar x

Agrippa Postumus x

Agrippina The Elder x

Germanicus x

Claudius

Livilla x

Nero Julius Caesar x

Drusus Caesar X

Gaius Caesar (Caligula)

Apicata

Antonia Minor

Aelia Paetina

Marcus Anoninus Pallas

Pontius Pilate

Others:

Glaphyra, widow of Alexander, wife of Herod Archelaus x

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

War of the Jews - Josephus

Annals - Tacitus

Gospel of Mark

Gospel of Luke

Gospel of Matthew

Tractate Sanhedrin 41a - The Talmud

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Years Covered: 34bc - 1bc

You can't rebuild a temple without breaking a few heads, and in Herod's case, it will be his own family. Our final episode covers Herod the Great's final years.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Herod the Great x

Miriam (Mariamne I) x

Alexandra x

Hyrcanus II x

Salome

Pheroras x

Joseph the Treasurer 

Sohemus x

Costobarus x

The Babas Boys x

Antipater x

Doris 

Alexander x

Aristobulus x

Herod Archelaus 

Herod Antipas 

Philip I

Judas x

Matthias x

Hillel

Shammai 

Bava ben Buta 

Shemaya

Bernice 

The Romans

Octavian (Augustus)

Mark Antony x

Marcus Agrippa x

Publius Quintilius Varus

The Ptolemaic Greeks:

Cleopatra VII x

Caesarion x

Alexander Helios x

Others

Malichus

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

War of the Jews - Josephus

Parallel Lives - Plutarch

The Civil Wars - Appian

Tractate Shabbat 31a - The Talmud

Tractate Baba Batra 3b - The Talmud

Gittan 9 - Mishna

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Hyrcanus' rule is now dependent on Rome, but what do you do when the rulers keep changing? Not to mention, Aristobulus' son is still out there, and the Parthians look set for a fight. Times are going to be tough in Judea, so its the perfect time for a scholar to immigrate.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Avtalyon

Shemaiah (Shmaya)

Hillel the Elder

Herod the Great

Antipater the Idumean x

Malechus x

Hyrcanus II

Hezekiah the Bandit x

Antigonus II Mattathias x

Phasael x

Alexandra

Mariamne/Miriam

Aristobulus III x

Salome, sister of Herod

Joseph, uncle of Herod x

Joseph, brother of Herod x

Costobarus

The Romans:

Julius Caesar x

Sextus Caesar x

Gaius Cassius Longinus x

Mark Antony

Octavian 

Publius Ventidius (Bassus) x

Gaius Sosius

Quintus Dellius

The Parthians:

Pacorus I x

Barzapharnes ?

Others

Cleopatra VII

Antiochus of Commagene 

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

Tractate Yoma 35b - Babylonian Talmud

Mishna Parah 3:5

The Parallel Lives - Plutarch

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As is Hasmonean tradition, brothers will fight over the crown. The Seleucids reach their end, but the Romans, the allies of Judea, appear at the borders. This should go over well.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Hyrcanus II

Aristobulus II x

Antigonus, son of Aristobulus II

Alexander, son of Aristobulus II x

Antipater the Idumean

The son of Shimon Ben Shetach x

Herod the Great x

Phasael

The Romans:

Pompey the Great x

Marcus Licinius Crassus x

Julius Caesar

Marcus Antonius

Aulus Gabinius

Cassius Longinus

Scaurus

The Greeks:

Antiochus XIII

Ptolemy XII

Cleopatra VII

Other:

Aretas, King of the Nabateans

Tigranes II, King of Armenia

Mithradates VI Eupator

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The Parallel Lives - Plutarch

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Marrying into the royal family is no prize, when your husband kills his own mother, and jails his siblings. Queen Salome lives in a world of deceit, and has to navigate it, alone. Meanwhile the great Seleucid Empire is in its dying days, with the War of the Antiochi ending with a whole bunch of new claimants.

Cast Of Characters

The Jews:

Queen Salome

King Aristobulus x

King Alexander Janneus x

John Hyrcanus' wife and mother to Aristobulus x

Antigonus, Son of John Hyrcanus x

Absalom, son of John Hyrcanus x

Unnamed son of John Hyrcanus

Shimon Ben Shetach ?

Hyrcanus, son of Alexander Janneus

Aristobulus, son of Alexander Janneus

Chelkias x

Ananais

The Greeks:

Antiochus VIII Callinicus x

Antiochus IX Grypus x

Cleopatra III x

Ptolemy IX x

Ptolemy X x

Zoilus, warlord of Dor ?

Heracleon x

Seleucus VI Epiphanes x

Demetrius III Eucares x

Antiochus X Eusebeus x

Philip I Philadelphus x

Cleopatra Selene x

Others:

Theodorus son of Zeno x

King Tigranes II of Armenia

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

Tractate Sotah 22b - Babylonian Talmud

Tractate Sukkot 48b - The Babylonian Talmud

Tractate Berkhot 48a - The Babylonian Talmud

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Freeing a country is one thing...but keeping it is quite another. Simon the Maccabee is now high priest, and with his sons, he's going to have to fight enemies inside and outside his borders. His son John Hyrcanus will expand the borders and expand the people, as Isaac's sons become one family again.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Simon Thassi x

Judah, son of Simon x

Mattityahu, son of Simon x

John Hyrcanus, son of Simon x

John's Queen

Ptolemy ben Ababas, governor of Jericho ?

Shimon Ben Shetach

Salome Ben Shetach

Aristobulus, son of John Hyrcanus

Antigonus, son of John Hyrcanus

Alexander, son of John Hyrcanus

Absalom, son of John Hyrcanus

Eleazar

Yehuda Ben Gedidya

Jonathan the Sadducee

The Seleucids:

Antiochus VI Dionysus x

Diodotus Tryphon x

Antiochus VII Sidetes x

Alexander Zabinas x

Seleucus V Philometer x

Antiochus VIII Callinicus

Antiochus IX Cyzicenus

The Ptolemies:

Ptolemy VIII Physcon x

Cleopatra Thea x

Sources: 

Josephus - Antiquities of the Jews

The First Book of the Maccabees

Babylon Talmud, Kiddushin 66a

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In our second part on the lifetime of Jonathan Apphus, we find out what happens to the Maccabees after the Temple is in their hands. Antiochus IV might be dead, but that doesn't mean the Seleucids are just going to relinquish Judea. Independence will be a long, drawn-out process, and paid for in blood.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Mattitayhu the Hasmonean x

Judah Maccabeus x

Simon Thassi

Jonathan Apphus x

John Gaddi x

Eleazar Avaran x

Sons of Jonathan Apphus x

Alcimus x

The Seleucids:

Antiochus V Eupator x

Lysias x

Demetrius II Nicator

Timarchus

Heracleides

Alexander Balas x

Laodica

Diodotus Tryphon

Antiochus VI Dionysus

Seleucid Generals:

Gerogias

Nicanor x

Bacchides

The Ptolemies:

Ptolemy VI Philometer

Cleopatra Thea

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The Book of the Maccabees Part 1

The Book of the Maccabees Part 2

The Histories - Polybius

Tractate Shabbat - The Talmud

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In part 1 of this chapter, we cover the story behind the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, which starts with a war between the Greeks...and the Romans, and leads to a skirmish between hellenist Jews and...other hellenist Jews, which then leads to Antiochus IV going a little overboard, culminating in a battle between the Maccabees and...Samaritans, and finally, with the recapturing of the Temple at Jerusalem so the Jews could celebrate...Sukkot.

This ain't the story you learnt in Hebrew school.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Mattitayhu the Hasmonean x

Judah Maccabeus

Simon Thassi

Jonathan Apphus

John Gaddi

Eleazar Avaran

High Priests:

Onias III x

Jason

Menelaus x

The Seleucids:

Antiochus the Great x

Antiochus IV Epiphanes x

Seleucus VI Philopater x

Antiochus (son of Seleucus VI) x

Heliodorus x

Antiochus V Eupator

Seleucid Generals:

Gerogias

Seron x

Lysias

The Ptolemies:

Ptolemy VI Philometer

Ptolemy VIII Physcon

The Persians (Parthian):

Phraates I

Mithridates I

Romans:

Gauis Popinus Laenus

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The Book of the Maccabees Part 1

The Book of the Maccabees Part 2

The Histories - Polybius

Tractate Shabbat - The Talmud

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