Question

read the passage below and answer the question.

\caesar augustus... proclaims: since the nation of the jews and hyrcanus, their high priest, have been found grateful to the people of the romans, not only in the present but also in the past... it seems good to me and to my advisory council... that the jews shall use their own customs in accordance with their ancestral law, just as they used to use them in the time of hyrcanus, the high priest of their highest god; and that their sacred offerings shall be inviolable and shall be sent to jerusalem and shall be paid to the financial officials of jerusalem\

from the edict of augustus on jewish rights, 1 bce

which of the following best explains why the agreement made in this passage was made?

choose 1 answer:

a rome offered legal protections for jewish religious and cultural practices to maintain good relations

b the development of christianity in the roman empire forced rome to be more religiously tolerant

c the jewish-roman wars forced rome to offer jews more religious freedom in order to prevent violence

d the conquest of jerusalem by roman forces led to rome imposing strict control over jerusalem

Explanation:

• Option A: The passage says Jews were grateful to Romans, and Rome allowed them to follow their customs. This shows Rome wanted good relations by protecting Jewish practices.
• Option B: Christianity developed later; 1 BCE is too early for this to be a factor.
• Option C: Jewish - Roman wars happened after 1 BCE, so this can't be the reason.
• Option D: The passage is about allowing Jewish customs, not imposing strict control.

Answer:

A. Rome offered legal protections for Jewish religious and cultural practices to maintain good relations