A magisterial history of the titanic struggle between the Roman and Jewish worlds that led to the destruction of Jerusalem.

Martin Goodman—equally renowned in Jewish and in Roman studies—examines this conflict, its causes, and its consequences with unprecedented authority and thoroughness. He delineates the incompatibility between the cultural, political, and religious beliefs and practices of the two peoples and explains how Rome's interests were served by a policy of brutality against the Jews. At the same time, Christians began to distance themselves from their origins, becoming increasingly hostile toward Jews as Christian influence spread within the empire. This is the authoritative work of how these two great civilizations collided and how the reverberations are felt to this day.

“Magnificent. . . . A fascinating and extremely rich history. . . . An engrossing double portrait that shows how much our own civilization owes to both Jerusalem and Rome.” —The New York Sun“Innovative. . . . A complicated bit of history brilliantly told.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch“Well-written, detailed and meticulous. . . . Provides an intricate examination of life in the first century.” —The Dallas Morning News“A triumph. Goodman's scrupulous care with his sources, his eye for telling detail and his easy prose style combine to produce a work that will reward any reader.” —Jerusalem Post