The Roman Empire and the Jews

Roman imperial rule was class based. The upper classes of the greek city states realized that roman rule would usefully strengthen their own domination over the lower classes in their cities. In antiquity, there was one, and only one, approved national temple,. Its cult was exclusive, amounting eventually to jewish monotheism away alone by public readings of scripture. All these elements combined to give jews an exceptionally strong sense of national identity. Did it become nationalism at times when it was threatened by outside powers and inflamed? Such a threat and inflammation certainly occurred. But other factors can perfectly well coexist with an inflamed national consciousness, which is propelling, but not all who