Abstract
This chapter explores the relationship between four Roman emperors and eschatology in Roman, Jewish and Christian thought. It investigates how the twin ideologies of Rome as an eternal empire and the return to the golden age relate to the Jewish and Christian belief that God's eternal kingdom will come after the final defeat of Rome. Latin texts, including Cicero, Vergil, Seneca and Octavia demonstrate the development of Roman ideas about the eternity of their empire, while texts written by “outsiders” such as Josephus, the Sibylline Oracles and the Dead Sea Scrolls provide alternative points of view. Coins and documentary materials from the Jewish Wars fought under Nero and Vespasian (c.66–70 ce), and Hadrian (c.132–135 ce) demonstrate the different calibrations of time in Jerusalem and Rome. During the final war, the possible role of Simon Bar Kokhba as an eschatological figure is also addressed.
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