Judaea - Palaestina

Roman influence in the near eastern provinces of Judaea and Syria Palaestina first came to major fruition with the conquests of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great). In 64 BC, the Jews had maintained nearly 2 centuries of independent rule from various eastern nations, but internal struggles and succession issues after the death of King Alexander Jannaeus threatened the stability. His sons, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, as well as other political and religious factions, all vied for the Judean crown, and they eventually sought mediation from the great Roman conqueror Pompey...