Gessius Florus

The last Roman governor of Judea (from 65-66) under whose misrule led directly to the First Jesus Revolt.

Josephus had nothing good to say about Albinus (the procurator whom Florus succeeded) but, in comparision to Florus, "the Jews took Albinus to have been their benefactor," a man so greedy and corrupt that no man was too poor to extort and no bribe too great to turn down for shame. Things came to a breaking point when he raided the Temple treasury and provoked a riot. Treating the riot as rebellion, he had a number of the leading citizens, indiscrimately selected, arrested and crucified, and left part of the town to the plunder of his soldiers. Soon the entire country was in uproar. The priest, in protest, decided to stop offering the daily sacrifice for the emperor's welfare; this was taken as the 'official' sign of rebellion, which was not squashed until the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, and the final surrender of Masada in 74.

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