Avodah Zarah, Daf Tet, Part 1
Introduction
In last week s daf we learned that Rome began to rule over Israel 180 years before the destruction of the Temple. Our suyga asks whether this is correct. This will lead the sugya ultimately substantiate the reckoning that we learned last week that for 26 years Rome cooperated with Israel.
מאה ושמנים ותו לא? והתני רבי יוסי ברבי מלכות פרס בפני הבית שלשים וארבע שנה.
מלכות יון בפני הבית מאה ושמונים שנה.
מלכות חשמונאי בפני הבית מאה ושלש.
מלכות בית הורדוס מאה ושלש מכאן ואילך צא וחשוב כמה שנים אחר חורבן הבית
אלמא מאתן ושית הוו ואת אמרת מאה ושמונים הוו?
One hundred and eighty years prior to the destruction (Rome conquered Israel). But was it not earlier? For R. Yose b. Rabbi taught: Persian rule lasted thirty-four years after the building of the Temple, Greece ruled one hundred eighty years during the existence of the Temple, the Hasmonean rule lasted one hundred three years during existence of the Temple, the House of Herod ruled one hundred three years.
From this point and onward, one should go on counting the years from the Destruction of the Temple.
Hence we see that it was two hundred six years, yet you say one hundred eighty years!
R. Yose b. Rabbi counts how many years each kingship ruled. The Persians ruled for 34 years after the Temple was rebuilt. Greece than ruled 180, then Hasmoneans began to rule. They ruled 103 years and then Herod s family ruled for 103 years. If we assume, as the sugya does, that the Roman rule began at the same time that the Greeks were expelled, then the Romans ruled 206 years, not 180!
אלא עשרין ושית שנין קמו בהימנותייהו בהדי ישראל ולא אישתעבדו בהו ואמטו להכי לא קא חשיב להו כשפשטה מלכות הרשעה על ישראל
Rather, for twenty six years the Romans kept faith with Israel and did not enslave them, and therefore those years are not reckoned in the period during which Rome cast her dominion over Israel.
This is how the sugya arrives at the calculation that Rome kept faith with Israel for 26 years and therefore, those years are not reckoned in the calculation of Rome s dominance over Israel.