Lukuas was one of the leaders of Jewish rebels in Libya during the

Diaspora Revolt The term "Diaspora Revolt" (115–117 CE; , or ; ), also known as the Trajanic Revolt and sometimes as the Second Jewish–Roman War, refers to a series of uprisings that occurred in Jewish diaspora communities across the eastern provinces of ...

of 115–117 CE. The narrative of the revolt under Lukuas is told by

Eusebius of Caesarea Eusebius of Caesarea (30 May AD 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilius, was a historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian polemicist from the Roman province of Syria Palaestina. In about AD 314 he became the bishop of Caesarea Maritima. ...

, Michael Syrus,

Bar Hebraeus Gregory Bar Hebraeus (, b. 1226 - d. 30 July 1286), known by his Syriac ancestral surname as Barebraya or Barebroyo, in Arabic sources by his kunya Abu'l-Faraj, and his Latinized name Abulpharagius in the Latin West, was a Maphrian (region ...

and

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history of ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

, with the latter giving him a quite different Greek name of "Andreas". Very little is known regarding his life and political career beyond these passing references.

ascribes him the title of "King", leading many later scholars to believe he attempted to assume the title of "King of the Jews" during his political career, but actually there is scarcely any real evidence of a religious connection to that ascribed title.

Kitos War

In 115 large scale Jewish revolts, known as the Diaspora Revolt, erupted across the eastern parts of Roman Empire. In

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between the 16th and 25th meridians east, including the Kufra District. The coastal region, als ...

, the Jewish rebels were led by one Lukuas (or Andreas/Andrew), who called himself "king" (according to Eusebius of Caesarea). His group destroyed many temples, including those to

Hecate Hecate ( ; ) is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, or snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. She is variously associat ...

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

, and

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

, as well as the civil structures that were symbols of Rome, including the

Caesareum Ancient Roman temples were among the most important buildings in Roman culture, and some of the richest buildings in Roman architecture, though only a few survive in any sort of complete state. Today they remain "the most obvious symbol of Ro ...

, the

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

, and the

public baths Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...

. Lukuas then moved towards

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, entered and set fire to the city. Alexandria had been abandoned by the Roman troops in Egypt under the leadership of governor

Marcus Rutilius Lupus Marcus Rutilius Lupus was a Roman '' eques'' who was active during the reign of emperor Trajan. He was appointed to a series of imperial offices, the most important of which was ''praefectus'' or governor of Roman Egypt. It was while he was governo ...

. The pagan temples and the tomb of

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

were destroyed. Trajan sent new troops under the ''praefectus praetorio'' Quintus Marcius Turbo, but Egypt and Cyrenaica were pacified only in autumn 117. In the aftermath, Lukuas fled to

Roman Judea Judaea was a Roman province from 6 to 135 CE, which at its height encompassed the regions of Judea, Idumea, Peraea, Samaria, and Galilee, as well as parts of the coastal plain of the southern Levant. At its height, it encompassed much ...

Marcius Turbo Quintus Marcius Turbo was prefect of the Praetorian Guard and a close friend and military advisor to both emperor Trajan and Hadrian during the early 2nd century. Early life Not much is known about the early life of Turbo. There are few records ...

pursued him and sentenced to death the brothers Julian and Pappus, who had been key leaders in the rebellion.

Lusius Quietus Lusius Quietus (, ; , ) was a Roman Berber general and 11th legate of Judaea from 117. He was the principal commander against the Jewish rebellion known as the Kitos War (''Kitos'' is a later corruption of ''Quietus''). He was notably one of t ...

, the conqueror of the Jews of Mesopotamia, was now in command of the Roman army in Judea, and laid siege to

Lydda Lod (, ), also known as Lydda () and Lidd (, or ), is a city southeast of Tel Aviv and northwest of Jerusalem in the Central District of Israel. It is situated between the lower Shephelah on the east and the coastal plain on the west. The ci ...

, where the rebel Jews had gathered under the leadership of Julian and Pappus. The distress became so great that the patriarch Rabban

Gamaliel II Rabban Gamaliel II (also spelled Gamliel; ; before –) was a rabbi from the second generation of tannaim. He was the first person to lead the Sanhedrin as '' nasi'' after the fall of the Second Temple in 70 CE. He was the son of Shimon ben G ...

, who was shut up there and died soon afterwards, permitted fasting even on Ḥanukkah. Other rabbis condemned this measure. Lydda fell soon after and many of the Jews were executed; the "slain of Lydda" are often mentioned in words of reverential praise in the

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

. Pappus and Julian were among those executed by the Romans in the same year.Ta'anit 18b; Yer. Ta'anit 66b

Notes

References

* Eusebius, ''History of the church'' 4.2.1-5

External links

Lukuas (115 CE)
on livius.org 2nd-century Jews Hellenistic Jews Jewish messiah claimants Jewish rebels Self-proclaimed monarchy Jewish–Roman wars {{Jewish-hist-stub

Kitos War

See also

Notes

References

External links