2 BC

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3 notes:

Bill Heroman said...

Major Sources for this year include Suetonius 2.26, 2.65 & 3.11 and Cassius Dio 55:9.10 – 55:10.16. Details about Quirinius, Aretas, Antipas & Philip are scattered thru various other ancient sources.

Dating events around Quirinius & Aretas this year is based largely on the work of Levick & Bowersock (see notes to 3 BC).

Archelaus’ 2nd thru 9th years of rule are barely mentioned in Josephus’ Antiquities (17:340-1).

Finally, the story of Jesus staying in Nazareth for Passover is based on Luke 2:41 and Matthew 3:22. The timing works perfectly, since Jesus turned 12 in the year that Archelaus was deposed. (See the Year Books for 6 & 7 AD.)

5/25/2007 7:38 PM
Bill Heroman said...

Look for more reference notes in the printed version of Year by Year, Volume One:

Jesus in the Empire of Caesar Augustus, 9 BC to 14 AD

Available (hopefully) by October, 2007!

. . .

(Pray for me, y'all!)

:)

5/25/2007 7:41 PM
Bill Heroman said...

Here are the footnotes to the Manuscript version of 2 BC.

Sorry, the reference numbers aren't in the text... yet.
------------------

*****
1 By Summer, it had been 2 years since the Courtyard Walls and Cloisters burned completely down. Repairs are still going to take 30 more years.

*****
2 Bethsaida was only named “Julias” for barely a year. But Philip’s efforts from the year before were still added to the history books.

*****
3 The brothers also organized gladiatorial games this spring, celebrating the new Forum and Mars’ Temple.

*****
4 Remember, Gaius & Lucius were actually Augustus’ grandsons, Julia’s sons by Marcus Agrippa (d.12 BC). But Caesar adopted them as his heirs in __ BC. This year, Gaius turned 18 and Lucius turned 15.

*****
5 As noted last year, Julia was enjoying her freedom more and more since Tiberius moved to Rhoads in 6 BC.

*****
6 Everyone knew there was still a chance Tiberius could become Emperor someday. Gaius & Lucius were young and had yet to prove themselves. So these wise, wealthy Romans hedged their bets.

*****
7 This year, Quirinius ended his term as Roman Governor of Galatia around July 1st, turned over authority to his replacement, and left the Province by August, heading for Rome.

*****
8 In __ years, Tiberius (as Emperor) will pay special honors to Quirinius, after his death. It wasn’t clear, from those honors, just what Quirinius did to earn such appreciation from the Emperor. But keep watching!

*****
9 Livia was always looking to advance her son Tiberius’ career, and Quirinius seemed eager to be loyal to Tiberius. Furthermore, in the near future, Livia’s favor and influence are going to get Quirinius betrothed to a young wife from a noble bloodline. (See 4 AD.)

*****
10 The “minor triumph” also called an “ovation” was less of an honor than a full Triumphal parade, but it wasn’t really such a grand victory. There were two reasons Quirinius got the Ovation. One was the difficulty of the war’s location, and the other was Augustus’ eagerness to show off his new facilities and employ his new rules for military celebrations (See Dio 45:10:3).

*****
11 Pandataria sits roughly 30 miles off the coast of Campania, nearly 100 miles south of Rome, as the crow flies.

*****
12 See background passages in the Year Book to 9 BC. Philip’s Tetrarchy is the old Kingdom of Zenodorus, which Augustus gave to Herod after Nabatea “bought the rights” to inherit it. They never forgave the offense. In fact, Aretas still held secret hopes of taking back that land, someday. Still, the Nabatean stood by this treaty. This is the last time Aretas’ desires will even be an issue, until just after Phliip dies, in 33/34 AD.

*****
13 Varus had been right to judge Philip so highly. Philip (who turned 18 just this year) is going to go on from here to have a long, peaceful, uneventful reign over his regions. The fact that he did so well is partly because he learned, early on, how to get along with the Nabateans, whose country spanned his own southern border.

6/09/2007 4:22 AM

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