Pataphysician

The reasons for dating the Isis temple destruction to 19 CE are not very reliable. It completely depends on Tacitus's brief mention of a suppression of the Egyptian and Jewish cults (he actually doesn't mention the temple at all). I would find Josephus more reliable on this subject than a one sentence, and a seemingly inaccurate one at that, from Tacitus that would seem to set these events to 19 CE.

Tacitus makes it out that both cults received the same punishment, being conscripted and sent to Sardinia, or being completely kicked out of the country unless they gave up their religion. It seems entirely unrealistic that this happened to both cults, especially the Egyptian. Also, my reading of Tacitus, is that he is merely relating that an act calling for strict punishment by banishment anyone involved in corrupting woman considered of knightly class or higher was passed in 19 CE, and then he goes on to relate famous cases involving that act, which included the suppression of Egyptian and Judean cults.

So Josephus, who has a more compelling reason for interest in this story and gives us vastly more detail, is more likely to be accurate concerning it.

Toto

The date of 19 CE may not be reliable, but Josephus dates the incident to Tiberius, which would place it before 37 CE. There is still enough time for Caligula to rebuild the temple so it can be in place for Josephus' reference to it in War.

Or Josephus might not be reliable at all.

andrewcriddle

The story probably fits the early and middle parts of Tiberius' reign better than the final years when he had left the city of Rome for good and was permanently on Capri.

Andrew Criddle

Clivedurdle

But might the xian forgers have thought Jesus was killed around 19AD?

Might it have been the same editing group who date Jesus birth differently in different gospels?

Maybe the quality control of the forging was a bit lax?

Fred Fred, give me a name of someone famous in Palestine about 20 AD.

Pilate? Yea, that'll do.

Almost as precise as wikipedia!

Pataphysician

Josephus is reliable on this, the archeology supports a new Isis temple built by Caligula, and we know it was restored by Domitian after it was destroyed in the 80 CE fire. Also a 71 CE coin of Vespasian depicts it as well.

Pataphysician

Saturninus is the second most common Roman cognomen after Felix, if I told you about Americans named John who ran for President in the 2008 primaries with different wives, would you think it was one John with two wives, or the historian had screwed up? No, because John is a common name and polygamy is illegal and looked down upon by Americans, the same thing applies to Romans, they would never have multiple legal wives at the same time.

Obviously there are two different Saturninus's

There are several known prominent Saturninus's from this period

Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus the elder

Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus the younger (son of the elder)

Lucius Volusius Saturninus the elder

Lucius Volusius Saturninus the younger (son of the elder)

Quintus Volusius Saturninus