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I ran across this by accident and was curious what anyone else knows of it. I had never heard of this before.

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I am a stranger in a wicked and adulterous land. I look forward to returning home one day.

We have in history a number of instances where the Roman rulers persecuted the house of David, i.e. the Jews. Caligula tried to erect a statue of a god in the temple (however this was not accomplished) ca. 41 A.D. Claudius expelled all the Jews from Rome, ca. 53 A.D. Later Vespasian attacked Jerusalem in order to put down a Jewish revolt during which Jewish persons lost their lives. His son Titus carried out the actual destruction of the temple. Trajan and Hadrian both had problems with the Jewish people which led to bloodshed.

True, but this was a concerted effort to specifically kill off the Davidic lineage outside of other efforts against the Jews. That is what caught my attention.

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I am a stranger in a wicked and adulterous land. I look forward to returning home one day.

I remembered your question when I came across some information in Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History. In chapter 12 on page 99 of my edition Eusebius writes "It was also said that Vespasian, after the capture of Jerusalem, commanded all of the family of David to be sought, that no one might be left among the Jews who was of the royal stock, and that in consequence another very violent persecution was raised against the Jews." Now Eusebius does not cite his source and I found nothing about this in the Roman history of the emperors by Suetonius (ca. 130 A.D.) and I found nothing in Michael Grant's "The Roman Emperors"; but I did find that it was Vespasian's practice to seek out the leaders and the families of cities he had conquered and kill them. However, you may want to look through Josephus for additional information if you have a copy, if not I have one and I can look it up.

I think the Eusebius quote is the evidence.
Barbara Levine Vespasian seems to have a discussion of this, but I cannot access the appropriate pages.

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Avid Reader

“Lord, in my zeal for love of truth, let me not forget the truth about love.” - Thomas Aquinas
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I looked through Josephus and F.F. Bruce's "New Testament History" besides other sources such as Grant and Suetonius and Wikpedia but I found no other sources that mentioned this event. However, Josephus does document that thousands of Jews were killed in this revolt that Vespasian put down.

I found another reference in Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History about the extermination of the family of David but this is about Domitian [reign 89-96 A.D.]. In chapter 19, page 102 he writes "But when the same Domitian had issued his orders, that the descendants of David should be slain according to an ancient tradition..." He does not sight his reference but it could be possible. Yesterday, I was reading the "Illustrated Atlas of Jewish Civilization 4000 Years of History," by Josephine Bacon and on page 47 she writes that Titus had killed about 25% of the population of Judah and enslaved 10% of the population. She writes "...reducing the Jews to almost a minority in their own land."

Therefore based on the writings of Josephus and others we can know for sure that there was a great carnage of Jewish lives and possible the descendants of David could very well have been part of this event.

Has anyone posited the idea that the term "family of David" referred to the Jews as a whole?

Just an idea...

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MikeC1956
Asst Admin

know that your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23b NET

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This was specifically to kill off the royal lineage. Here is the excerpt again.


Eusebius Book III, CHAPTER XII.

"He also relates that Vespasian after the capture of Jerusalem gave orders that all that belonged to the lineage of David should be sought out, in order that none of the royal race might be left among the Jews; and in consequence of this a most terrible persecution again hung over the Jews."

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I am a stranger in a wicked and adulterous land. I look forward to returning home one day.