HADRIAN IN SYRIA AND THE EAST
The chapter discusses Hadrian’s interactions with Syria and the East, from his military service in the mid-90s through the Tax Law of Palmyra of 137. A rough chronological organization is followed. Particular attention is paid to his journey in 129–130, with Sabina and the imperial court, that brought him to Antioch, Syria; Gerasa, Arabia; Palmyra outside Rome’s limits; and Jerusalem and Gaza, Judaea. In addition to Hadrian’s military undertakings that included the difficult suppression of the Bar Kokhba War (132–135/136), the chapter emphasizes the importance of his judicial, financial, and administrative civil activities in the provinces, which are alluded to on Hadrianic “provincial” coins struck in Rome. The Tel Shalem finds suggest how much more there is to learn about this important era in Syria and the East.
