Cyrenaica under the Ptolemies had become the…

Cyrenaica under the Ptolemies had become the home of a large Jewish community, whose numbers were substantially increased by tens of thousands of Jews deported there after the failure of the rebellion against Roman rule in Palestine and the destruction of Jerusalem in CE 70.

Some of the refugees made their way into the desert, where they became nomads and nurtured their fierce hatred of Rome.

They have converted to Judaism many of the Berbers with whom they mingle, and in some cases whole tribes re identified as Jewish.

In 115 the Jews raise a major revolt in Cyrenaica that quickly spreads through Egypt back to Palestine.

The uprising is put down by 118, but only after Jewish insurgents have laid waste to Cyrenaica and sacked the city of Cyrene.

Contemporary observers count the loss of life during those years at more than two hundred thousand, and at least a century will be required to restore Cyrenaica to the order and prosperity that had meanwhile prevailed in Tripolitania.