List of massacres in Roman Judea


The following is a list of massacres that have occurred in Roman Judea prior to the establishment of the Roman province of Syria Palæstina.
NameDateLocationResponsible PartyDeathsNotes
Siege of Jerusalem 63 BCJerusalemPompey the Great12,000Jews were massacred by invading Romans; event marked the end of Jewish independence
Siege of Jerusalem 37 BCJerusalemHerod the Great and RomansUnknownRoman troops pillaged and killed all in their path; Herod exterminated the Hasmonean line
Massacre of the Innocents6-4 BCBethlehemHerod the GreatUnknown, estimated thousands of JewsBiblical account of infanticide and gendocide
Massacre during the Samaritan Revolt 36 ADMount GerizimPontius Pilate and RomansUnknown number of SamaritansThe Samaritans rebelled against the Romans in AD 36. A fanatic assembled them at Mount Gerizim, promising to reveal the sacred vessels which they had been taught were buried there by Moses, and the rebels were ruthlessly massacred by order of Pontius Pilate.
Massacre during the First Jewish-Roman War66 ADJudaea ProvinceRomansUnknown numberJews were massacred by Romans throughout the war; 97,000 enslaved; first of three major Jewish revolts against Romans; resulted in destruction of the Holy Temple. A devastating depopulation of the Jewish population as the massacre wiped out a large percentage of their population.
Massacre during the First Jewish-Roman War66 ADJudaea ProvinceJewish rebels250,000 - 1,100,000Massacre of Roman garrisons at Masada, Cypros, and Jerusalem.
Massacre during the First Jewish-Roman War67 ADMount GerizimRoman troops11,600 Samaritans and JewsThis rout constituted a disaster for the Samaritan community.
Kitos War115-117 ADJudaea Province and elsewhereRomans and Jewish rebels440,000+ Large scale massacres of both Jews and Romans
Bar Kokhba revolt132-136 ADJudaea ProvinceRomans580,000 JewsDecisive Roman victory. Romans enslaved and masacred many Jews of Judaea. Jewish religious and political authority was suppressed and banned Jews from Jerusalem. Renamed and merged Judaea into the Syria Palaestina province.