Description

By (author) Jacobson, David

Short /annotation:

Agrippa II is the first comprehensive biography of the last descendant of Herod the Great to rule as a client king of Rome. Agrippa was the last king to assume responsibility for the management of the Temple in Jerusalem, and he ultimately saw its destruction in the Judaean-Roman War.

This study documents his life from a childhood spent at the Imperial court in Rome and rise to the position of client king of Rome under Claudius and Nero. It examines his role in the War during which he sided with Rome, and offers fresh insights into his failure to intervene to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem and its Sanctuary, as well as reviewing Agrippa’s encounter with nascent Christianity through his famous interview with the Apostle Paul. Also addressed is the vexed question of the obscurity into which Agrippa II has fallen, in sharp contrast with his sister Berenice, whose intimate relationship with Titus, the heir to the Roman throne, has fired the imagination of writers through the ages. This study also includes appendices surveying the coins issued in the name of Agrippa II and the inscriptions from his reign.

This volume will appeal to anyone studying Judaean-Roman relations and the Judaean-Roman War, as well as those working more broadly on Roman client kingship, and Rome’s eastern provinces. It covers topics that continue to attract general interest as well as stirring current scholarly debate.

Maps 1 and 2 available in colour at /9781138331815

Table of contents:

List of Figures; List of Maps; Preface; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Key Dates; Stemma chart; Chapter 1. Introduction; Chapter 2. The Reliability of Josephus As a Historical Source for Agrippa II; Chapter 3. Agrippa’s Early Years; Chapter 4. Agrippa II in His Patrimony; Chapter 5. Agrippa’s Address to the Population of Jerusalem; Chapter 6. Agrippa II in the Opening Phase of the Judaean-Roman War; Chapter 7. From the Campaigns of Vespasian and Titus to the Conclusion of the War; Chapter 8. Agrippa’s Activities in the Aftermath of the War; Chapter 9. Conclusions; Appendix A1. Inscriptions Relating to the Reign of Agrippa II (David F. Graf); Appendix A2. The Coinage of Agrippa II; Bibliography; Index

Review quote:

“Neglected in relation to his forefathers such as Herod, Antipas or his father Agrippa I, neglected even in relation to his own sister Berenice who maintained an idyll with Titus the destroyer of the temple of Jerusalem, Agrippa II has never been the subject of any biography. This error is now corrected thanks to this little book very familiar with the news of research on a large number of topics concerning Roman Judea … We now better understand the extent of our ignorance about the last of the Herodians and it is certain that this work will now be essential for the examination of the dynasty.” – Michael Girardin, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2020

“…outstanding study … Jacobson excellently threads the reader through the onomastic complexities of the Herodian dynasty, which can be baffling to all (a partial stemma is included) … Included in the biographical narrative of Agrippa II is a solid account of the Roman-Jewish war. Even though this topic has been previously studied in detail, the author”s clear and concise rendition (86-120) is one of the most valuable now availab