First Jewish-Roman War
The Romans crushed a Jewish rebellion between 66-73 CE with shocking brutality. They destroyed the Second Temple, the center of Jewish religious life, and killed or enslaved around a million Jews. Survivors were scattered across the Roman Empire, beginning the long period called the Diaspora (meaning “scattering”). Without their temple or homeland, Jews had to completely reinvent their religious practices, creating synagogue worship and putting greater emphasis on home rituals that could be practiced anywhere.
