St Justin Martyr
wrote as a kind of aside:
Quote:
[The Scriptures are] also in the possession of all Jews throughout the world; but they, though they read, do not understand what is said, but count us foes and enemies; and, like yourselves, they kill and punish us whenever they have the power, as you can well believe. For in the Jewish war which lately raged, Barchochebas, the leader of the revolt of the Jews, gave orders that Christians alone should be led to cruel punishments, unless they would deny Jesus Christ and utter blasphemy.
Barchochebas is Simon Bar Kohkba, and this account is also recorded by Eusebius.
Here's some evidence from 388, referring to several incidents during the reign of Julian the Apostate (361 to 363)...off the top of my head.
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/340940.htmQuote:
...Certainly, if I were pleading according to the law of nations, I could tell how many of the Church's basilicas the Jews burnt in the time of the Emperor Julian: two at Damascus, one of which is scarcely now repaired, and this at the cost of the Church, not of the Synagogue; the other basilica still is a rough mass of shapeless ruins. Basilicas were burnt at Gaza, Ascalon, Berytus, and in almost every place in those parts, and no one demanded punishment. And at Alexandria a basilica was burnt by pagans and Jews, which surpassed all the rest.
There were several Jewish revolts against the Byzantine empire in the 600s, some of which were no doubt due to Byzantine persecution of Jews.
There was a violent event conducted by Persians, reinforced by Jewish forces led by Nehemiah ben Hushiel and Benjamin of Tiberias, in Jerusalem in 614. This is recorded by
Antiochus Strategos and has been backed up by archaeological evidence.
Quote:
Thereupon the vile Jews, enemies of the truth and haters of Christ, when they perceived that the Christians were given over into the hands of the enemy, rejoiced exceedingly, because they detested the Christians ; and they conceived an evil plan in keeping with their vileness about the people. For in the eyes of the Persians their importance was great, because they were the betrayers of the Christians. And in this season then the Jews approached the edge of the reservoir and called out to the children of God, while they were shut up therein, and said to them : 'If ye would escape from death, become Jews and deny Christ; and then ye shall step up from your place and join us. We will ransom you with our money, and ye shall be benefited by us.' But their plot and desire were not fulfilled, their labours proved to be in vain ; because the children of Holy Church chose death for Christ's sake rather than to live in godless-ness : and they reckoned it better for their flesh to be punished, rather than their souls ruined, so that their portion were not with the Jews. And when the unclean Jews saw the steadfast uprightness of the Christians and their immovable faith, then they were agitated with lively ire, like evil beasts, and thereupon imagined another plot. As of old they bought the Lord from the Jews with silver, so they purchased Christians out of the reservoir ; for they gave the Persians silver, and they bought a Christian and slew him like a sheep. The Christians however rejoiced because they were being slain for Christ's sake and shed their blood for His blood, and took on themselves death in return for His death. . .
When the people were carried into Persia, and the Jews were left in Jerusalem, they began with their own hands to demolish and burn such of the holy churches as were left standing. . . .
We know from letters of the man appointed over the city that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Gologtha, the churches at Sion and the Chapel of the Ascension were damaged.
The army went through Palestine and destroyed monasteries, scattering or killing the monks.
As part of this war, an army of perhaps 20,000 Jewish men took a march toward Tyre, invited by the Jewish population in the city. The aim was to take the city on the night of Pascha or Easter. The inhabitants of the city learned of the army and took many Jews in Tyre hostage. The army beseiged the city and destroyed the churches around the city. This resulted in the slaughter of thousands of the Jewish prisoners in reprisal, which resulted in the lifting of the siege.
Ironically, the Persians switched sides in 617 and aligned against the Jews, and eventually the land was recaptured, and a persecution of the Jews was executed in reprisal.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4356-chosroes-khosru-ii-parwizThe whole thing is a perfect witness against the senselessness and stupidity of it all.
