Roman–Jewish Treaty

During the early 2nd century BCE, Rome's power and influence in the Eastern Mediterranean region was growing, while that of the Hellenistic Greek successor states formed from the conquests of Alexander the Great was declining. Rome had defeated the Greek Syrians of the Seleucid Empire in the Roman–Seleucid War of 192–189 BCE and imposed terms at the Treaty of Apamea that required the Seleucid Empire to pay Rome an indemnity, as well as send important nobles to Rome as hostages. Rome defeated Antigonid Macedonia in the Third Macedonian War of 171–168 BCE, placing the Greek heartland under Roman influence. Rome then interfered in the Sixth Syrian War between the Seleucids and Ptolemaic Egypt, forcing Seleucid King Antiochus IV to choose between stopping his invasion of Egypt or facing war with Rome. The Roman intervention resulted in the war ending and Antiochus forced to hand back Cyprus to the Ptolemaic Kingdom. This incident was perceived as a humiliation of Antiochus and a sign to those discontent with the leadership of the Seleucid Empire that they might have a powerful ally in Rome.

The treaty was negotiated during the Maccabean Revolt, an attempt by Judeans first to stop Seleucid decrees against the practice of traditional Judaism, and later to acquire autonomy for the region. After winning a number of victories and capturing Jerusalem in 164 BCE, Judas Maccabeus sent two emissaries, Eupolemus son of John son of Accos and Jason son of Eleazar, to establish a treaty of friendship with the Roman Senate.

In 1 Maccabees, the treaty is preceded by several paragraphs of introduction which praise the Romans for their great strength and their unique system of government. The clauses of the treaty require each party to aid the other if it is attacked, and to refrain from helping the enemies of the other party. The treaty also contains an assurance by the Romans that they have told the Seleucid King Demetrius I not to attack the Jews.

And this is a copy of the letter that they wrote in reply, on bronze tablets, and sent to Jerusalem to remain with them there as a memorial of peace and alliance:

May all go well with the Romans and with the nation of the Jews at sea and on land for ever, and may sword and enemy be far from them. If war comes first to Rome or to any of their allies in all their dominion, the nation of the Jews shall act as their allies wholeheartedly, as the occasion may indicate to them. To the enemy that makes war they shall not give or supply grain, arms, money, or ships, just as Rome has decided; and they shall keep their obligations without receiving any return. In the same way, if war comes first to the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall willingly act as their allies, as the occasion may indicate to them. And to their enemies there shall not be given grain, arms, money, or ships, just as Rome has decided; and they shall keep these obligations and do so without deceit. Thus on these terms the Romans make a treaty with the Jewish people. If after these terms are in effect both parties shall determine to add or delete anything, they shall do so at their discretion, and any addition or deletion that they may make shall be valid.

Concerning the wrongs that King Demetrius is doing to them, we have written to him as follows, "Why have you made your yoke heavy on our friends and allies the Jews? If now they appeal again for help against you, we will defend their rights and fight you on sea and on land."

— 1 Maccabees 8:22-32[2]

The historian Josephus's Jewish Antiquities also includes an account of the treaty. Josephus almost certainly had a copy of 1 Maccabees that he used as a source, and Josephus largely paraphrases the account in 1 Maccabees without adding anything new.

The first mention of friendship between the Romans and the Jews in Graeco-Roman sources is to be found in Justinus' summary of a 44-volume work no longer extant called the Liber Historiarum Philippicarum et totius mundi origines et terrae situs by Pompeius Trogus, written during the Augustan Principate. In it, he writes: A Demetrio cum desciuissent, amicitia Romanorum petita primi omnium ex orientalibus libertatem acceperunt. [36.3.9] Justinus writes, "On revolting from Demetrius, and soliciting the friendship of the Romans, they were the first of all the eastern people that regained their liberty". Other ancient writers corroborate that the diplomatic relations at this time were in the form of amicitia. Among these may be included Josephus (B.J. 1.38), Justinus (36.3.9), Eusebius (Ol. 155/1, p. 126 Schoene) and Jerome (Chron. p. 141, b, 1.23 ff. Helm). On the basis of these passages, Herzfeld in 1863 determined that the Jews entered into a treaty of friendship with the Romans.

Mirabilia Urbis Romae, a popular medieval guidebook to Rome for the use of Christian pilgrims, mentions that the Greek church of San Basilio should be visited solely on account of a bronze tablet that had once been affixed to its wall. The Mirabilia in chapter 24 reports: in muro S. Basilio fuit magna tabula aenea, ubi fuit scripta amicitia in loco bono et notabili, quae fuit inter Romanos et Iudaeos tempore Iudae Machabaei. Attached to the wall of [the church of] San Basilio was a large bronze tablet where there was written, in a suitable and conspicuous place, friendship between the Romans and the Jews in the time of Judas Maccabaeus.[3]

The Israeli scholar Dov Gera notes the similarity in form between the Roman-Jewish treaty and other comparable agreements, arguing that it really was signed.

• The full text of The Antiquities of the Jews/Book XII at Wikisource, Chapter 10