The year 116 CE marked the beginning of a conflict that would reshape the Jewish landscape of the Roman Empire. Tensions between Jewish populations and their Greek and Roman rulers had been mounting throughout the first century. These tensions erupted into violence following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. The Roman military garrison in Judaea was quickly overrun by rebels during the First Jewish, Roman War. Initial hostilities resulted from religious friction but escalated with anti-taxation protests and attacks on Roman citizens. Cestius Gallus, the legate of Syria, brought the Syrian army to restore order. His legion was ambushed and defeated at the Battle of Beth Horon. This defeat shocked Roman leadership and led to a massive counter-offensive under General Vespasian and his son Titus. They assembled four legions to crush the rebellion. The revolt ended when legions under Titus besieged and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE. However, the destruction of the temple did not end Jewish resistance. In 115 CE, a wave of large-scale uprisings known as the Diaspora Revolt erupted across several provinces. Emperor Trajan was waging a campaign against the Parthian Empire further east. The revolts appear to have been influenced by long-standing ethnic tensions and revolutionary ideas spread by insurgents from Judaea. Additional factors included the humiliating Jewish Tax imposed by Rome and widespread messianic expectations of divine redemption.
The Diaspora Revolt Theater
In Libya, Jewish forces launched attacks against Greek and Roman populations under the leadership of either Andreas or Lukuas. These names may refer to the same individual. In Egypt, the uprising reportedly began with clashes between Jewish communities and their Greek neighbors. Lukuas and his followers arrived from Cyrenaica and plundered the countryside. They overcame local resistance before Greeks, supported by Egyptian peasants and Romans, retaliated. The retaliation resulted in the massacre of Jews in Alexandria. On Cyprus, Jewish rebels under Artemion's leadership devastated the island and the city of Salamis. The Roman response was severe. Marcius Turbo, initially deployed against the Parthians, was redirected to suppress the revolts in Egypt and Libya. His campaigns were marked by extreme brutality. This led to the near-extermination of Jewish populations in Cyrenaica, Cyprus, and Egypt. By late 117 CE, the revolts had been largely quelled. Some disturbances in Egypt may have continued into early 118 CE. Archaeological evidence indicates severe destruction, particularly in Cyrene, which required reconstruction under Hadrian. Jewish communities in these affected regions suffered immense losses. The scale of violence suggests a coordinated effort to eliminate Jewish presence in key provinces.