Diaspora Revolt

Diaspora Revolt or Trajanic Revolt Second Jewish–Roman war
Part of the Jewish–Roman wars
Provinces of the Roman Empire involved in the Diaspora Revolt (117 CE)
Date 115–117 CE Location Eastern Mediterranean, Roman Empire Result Roman victory Ethnic cleansing of Jews in Egypt, Cyrenaica and Cyprus Territorial changes Status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Roman Empire Local populations	Jews of Egypt, Libya, Cyprus, Mesopotamia and Judaea
Commanders and leaders
Trajan Marcius Turbo Lusius Quietus	Lukuas (Andreas) Julianus [1] Pappus [1] Artemio

The term "Diaspora Revolt" (115–117 CE;^[2] Hebrew: מרד הגלויות, romanized: mered ha-galuyot, or מרד התפוצות mered ha-tfutzot "rebellion of the diaspora"; Latin: Tumultus Iudaicus^[3]), also known as the Trajanic Revolt^[4] and sometimes as the Second Jewish–Roman War,^[a][5] refers to a series of uprisings that occurred in Jewish diaspora communities across the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire during Emperor Trajan's reign. These revolts occurred while Trajan was engaged in his Parthian campaign in Mesopotamia,^[6] which provided a favorable opportunity.^[7] The ancient sources do not specify the exact motivations, but they were likely influenced by the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, long-standing tensions between Jews and Greeks, the Fiscus Judaicus tax, messianic expectations, and hopes for a return to Judaea.^[6][8]

The uprisings unfolded almost simultaneously across various provinces of the Roman East. In Egypt, Libya and Cyprus, Jewish actions were primarily directed against local populations rather than the Roman authorities,^[9] with accounts from historians like Cassius Dio, as well as epigraphical evidence, documenting extreme violence, including mass killings and the destruction of temples.^[10] In contrast, the rebellion in Mesopotamia seems to have been part of a broader resistance against Roman expansion into Parthian-ruled territories.^[9]

Marcius Turbo, one of Trajan's top generals, was dispatched with both land and naval forces to suppress the uprisings in Egypt and Libya. Literary sources suggest that the Jewish population in these regions faced severe reprisals and devastation.^[11] Meanwhile, General Lusius Quietus quelled the revolts in Mesopotamia and was subsequently appointed governor of Judaea. It was during this time that the lesser-known and less-understood Kitos War unfolded, involving Jewish unrest in Judaea.^[12] The uprisings were likely suppressed before autumn 117, possibly as early as summer, just prior to Trajan's death;^[11] however, some unrest may have persisted into the winter of 117–118.^[13]

The Diaspora Revolt appears to have resulted in the devastation or annihilation of Jewish communities in Egypt, Libya, and other regions.^[14][15] There was significant damage to buildings, temples, and roads, especially in Cyrene and other parts of Cyrenaica.^[16][17][3] A festival celebrating the victory over the Jews continued to be observed eighty years later in the Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus.^[11] Fifteen years after these uprisings, the Bar Kokhba revolt erupted, marking the last major Jewish attempt to regain independence in Judaea. After its failure, the Jewish population in Judaea was significantly reduced, and the community's center shifted to Galilee.^[18] In the Diaspora, the largest Jewish communities were concentrated in Parthian Mesopotamia and Roman-ruled Asia Minor and Italy.^[14]

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