In 6 AD, the Roman province of Judaea shifted its capital from Jerusalem to Caesarea Maritima. This administrative change marked the beginning of direct Roman rule over the region following the deposition of Herod Archelaus. The general population began to be taxed by Rome during this period. Jewish leaders retained broad discretion over affairs within Judaism despite the new oversight. The kingdom of Herod the Great had been split into a tetrarchy in 4 BCE before gradually being absorbed into Roman provinces. Neighboring Syria annexed Iturea and Trachonitis while expanding its own borders. The original province inherited territory from Herodian client states but eventually encompassed much larger areas than those early dominions. Historian Hayim Hillel Ben-Sasson described Caesarea as the administrative capital of the region starting in that year.
The Renaming Of Judaea
Emperor Hadrian changed the name of the province from Judaea to Syria Palaestina after the Bar Kokhba revolt ended in 135 CE. A military diploma from 139 CE already used the new designation while coins issued before the revolt still referred to Judaea. Classicist Louis Feldman wrote that the aim was to obliterate the Jewish character of the land using the name of the nearest tribe. Historian Ze'ev Safrai stated the renaming motivated an effort to wipe out all memory of the bond between Jews and the land. Werner Eck called it a deliberate and exceptional act of punishment inflicted on the Jews for losing their name. David Jacobson suggested the change might have been practical to reflect the larger area encompassed by the province. Herodotus had used the term Palestine five centuries earlier when discussing parts of the Achaemenid Empire. The full quote from Herodotus mentioned Phoenicia, Cyprus, and that part of Syria which is called Palestine.