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Message:: [QUOTE="David Atherton, post: 3409727, member: 82616"]I follow closely Josephus scholar Steve Mason's interpretation of the triumph in his A History of the Jewish War A.D. 66-74 (pp. 25-26). Given War’s detailed history of Judaea as a long-held Roman territory inBooks 1 and 2, the next part of the triumph is particularly interesting. Whatwill Vespasian and Titus do for the mounds of foreign plunder that aresupposed to front the procession? Josephus is duly impressed by the displayproduced, but this is not because he recognizes it from Judaea. He cannot say:“Oh look: the silver plate from the high priest’s residence,” or “See the goldfrom Sepphoris and jewels from Tiberias!” Instead he turns vague and repetitive,declaring how “amazing and expensive” and “rare” the exhibited stuff is(7.133–37, 140). But what is it?His covering statement is that the Flavians put on display “the vastness of theRoman imperium” (7.133). Heading the parade were “silver, gold, and elephant[i.e., ivory], fashioned in every kind of way” (7.135), “woven carpets in therarest purple . . . and vividly accurate representations, embroidered in theBabylonian technique” (7.134). Then came precious translucent stones, someset in gold crowns (7.135). This language suggests broadly eastern themes.“Accurate representation” of either human or animal life was certainly not aJudaean trait, because it was taken to violate one of their most distinctivelaws ‒ a point he has made repeatedly. Are these Judaean spoils at all, then?There is no good reason to think so. He has mentioned one Babylonian-stylecurtain in Jerusalem, hanging before the temple sanctuary (5.212–14), as a oneoffwonder, but many such curtains are on display here. The diaphanous stonesare particularly intriguing (7.135). Ancient authors use that expression (λίθοιδιαφανεῖς) for pearls or topaz, which they associate not with landlockedJudaea but with the Red Sea and points east.The gold crowns evoke the luxury of eastern potentates, or perhaps Romanlargesse, not the scenes of Flavian prowess in rural Galilee or Peraea or thecapital Jerusalem. Josephus has mentioned gold crowns five times, but mostlywhen describing gifts of Roman provenance. The only Judaeans who mightown such crowns, the Herodian royals, were already close friends of theFlavians and allies in the war. If their jewels were on display, it would havebeen a friendly loan for the occasion. Josephus does not even suggest that the jewel-encrusted specimens come from Jerusalem. Anyway, it seems that nomonarchs were harmed in their appropriation.Also catching is his repeated reference to “elephant” (ἐλέφας 7.136, 141,151), not the derivative for “ivory,” which he uses for the ivory chairs (above)but the whole beast for the part. This again suggests general eastern-exoticrealms rather than elephant-free Judaea. He encourages the surmise that theparade organizers scavenged whatever they could to dazzle Rome’s populace,who were neither art critics nor historians.Next come “statues of their Gods, amazing in size and of formidable craft,not one of them lacking an expensive covering of some kind” (7.136),accompanied by “animals of many kinds,” lavishly decked out and accompaniedby attendants in rich costume. “Their Gods” invites a satirical reflection. Thesupposedly divine beings are carefully fashioned and richly accessorized (οὐπαρέργως πεποιημένα . . . ῆς ὕλης τῆς πολυτελοῦς). The honour bestowedon these pint-size productions contradicts everything that War’s reader knowsabout what really happened at the Judaean God’s omnipotent orchestration.The animals are a puzzle. Josephus does not explain whether they aresupposed to represent rare and exciting wildlife from Judaea or locallyrecruited victims of the usual kind for the coming sacrifices (7.155). “Manykinds” might suggest the former, but Judaea lacked exotic beasts to competewith those that Romans could see in frequent entertainments: elephants,giraffes, hippos, bears, crocodiles, and so on. On the restored Arch of Titus,high up beneath the architrave that has largely survived on the east face, is asmall frieze depicting this part of the procession. It includes many animals,although not many kinds, not even the traditional Roman trio of boar, ram,and bull. They all seem to be bulls or oxen headed for sacrifice, withdecorative banners draped over them. Their attendants are half-naked andwield axes. Every part of this looks to be from Rome. Josephus’ emphasis ison the dress-up (κοσμέω) involved, especially that of the attendants in theirexpensive purple laced with gold ‒ a Roman contrivance for the occasion andnot from Judaea. [/QUOTE]

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