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71–140 AD: Suppression, Division, and Survival
71–85 AD — After Jerusalem’s Destruction
- 70 AD: Jerusalem and the Second Temple destroyed by Rome. Survivors scattered or enslaved.
- Scrolls were hidden in caves such as Qumran, Wadi Murabba’at, and Nahal Hever to preserve them from destruction.
- Heavy taxation imposed under the Fiscus Judaicus on all Jews and Torah-keepers.
- Other sects arose in this chaos: Simonians, Elkesaites, and groups influenced by mysticism and Gnostic ideas.
- Not all Jews were destroyed — many lived safely in other lands such as Edessa, Babylon, and beyond the Roman reach.
85–95 AD — Birkat HaMinim Introduced
- Rabbinic leaders at Yavneh, under Gamliel II, introduced the Birkat HaMinim curse into synagogue prayers.
- Its purpose was to expose and expel dissenting groups — especially Torah-keepers who did not align with rabbinic control.
- “Let there be no hope for the minim… blot them out of the book of life.”
- This marked a division within Jewish communities, using prayer as a political weapon rather than faithfulness to Yhwh.
95–110 AD — Roman Pressure Increases
- Roman governors monitored Jewish assemblies closely after repeated revolts.
- Executions and punishments were enforced on those accused of disloyalty to the empire.
- Scrolls and oral traditions were preserved quietly despite persecution.
- Evidence of underground communities shows resistance to both Roman and rabbinic control.
- Jewish populations outside Judea, including Edessa and Mesopotamia, continued to live under less pressure and preserved traditions.
110–130 AD — Communities Under Strain
- Hebrew groups such as the Ebionites continued using Hebrew scrolls and rejected Hellenized additions.
- Some sects like the Elkesaites blended Torah practices with mystical traditions.
- Assemblies under Rome’s influence advanced their philosophies, but these were not rooted in the original Hebrew faith.
- Faithful groups rejected both rabbinic curses and Roman suppression, preserving Yhwh’s Word in secret.
132–136 AD — Bar Kokhba Revolt
- Rabbinic leaders declared Bar Kokhba messiah during the revolt against Rome.
- Hadrian crushed the rebellion: Torah outlawed, Sabbath banned, circumcision forbidden, scrolls burned, Jews banned from Jerusalem.
- The city was renamed Aelia Capitolina and a temple to Jupiter was built on the ruins of the sanctuary.
- Survivors were killed, enslaved, or scattered — but fragments of scrolls and traditions endured.
By 140 AD — Rome Controls the Narrative
- Rome consolidated control over Judea and silenced uprisings.
- Rabbinic Judaism solidified its structures in exile.
- Philosophical schools under Roman culture attempted to reinterpret Hebrew traditions, but had no roots in Yhwh’s Word.
- Authentic Hebrew scrolls and traditions survived only in scattered communities and hidden caches, including Edessa and beyond Rome’s control.
Final Truth
- The Birkat HaMinim was a rabbinic creation, not from Yhwh, used to divide and control communities.
- Faithful Hebrews resisted Roman suppression and rabbinic corruption.
- From 70–140 AD the Hebrew faith was pressured and hidden but not destroyed — preserved in caves, scrolls, and safe communities outside Roman power.
Historical Sources
- Josephus, Jewish War (Books VI–VII) — eyewitness to the siege and aftermath.
- Roman Historians — Tacitus, Cassius Dio on Judean revolts and Hadrian’s policies.
- Talmud, Berakhot 28b — records the Birkat HaMinim curse and its purpose.
- Archaeological Evidence — Dead Sea Scrolls, Wadi Murabba’at, and other Judean Desert caves.