During 63 BCE Palestine came under Roman control. From then onwards military conflicts against Rome arose from time to time. Approximately at the time of Jesus's birth, Jewish revolts broke out against Rome. In 6 CE, when Judaea and Samaria came under direct Roman administration and a census was conducted for tax purposes, Judas the Galilean and his followers protested to Rome against the paying of such taxes by taking up arms. Caligula's intention to have a statue of himself erected in the temple held the potential for revolt. It would seem that during the fifties and sixties of the first century CE, under the Roman procurators Felix, Festus, Albinus and Florus, resistance to Roman government intensified as a result of unjust administration. The high priests contributed to the deteriorating situation by competing for wealth and power. The high priest Ananus even had some of his opponents executed. One of them was James, the brother of Jesus, the leader of the Christian community in Jerusalem.

A number of incidents preceded and, in the end, led to the war between the Romans and Jews. In 66 CE Florus took 17 talents of gold from the temple treasury, which caused a riot among the people. It ended in a battle, in which the people gained control of the temple mount, destroyed the bridge to the Roman fortress Antonia and besieged the Roman garrison. Attempts by the chief priests to gain control of Jerusalem were not successful. In a number of battles the city came under the control of the rebels, while the high priest Annanias and the Roman garrison were murdered. In the end, confrontation with Rome became unavoidable and real war broke out. The first phase of the war was led on the Roman side, by Gallus, legate of Syria. This task was then passed on to Vespasian, who marched against the Jews with about sixty thousand soldiers. In due course, Galilee, Perea and Judaea were occupied. The inhabitants of Jerusalem offered resistance for quite some time. The siege of Jerusalem was, moreover, delayed by the death of the emperor Nero and strife over his successor. In July to August 70 CE Titus, son of Vespasian, captured the fortress Antonia, destroyed the temple and slaughtered the defenders.