Queen Berenice, a Jewish queen of the 1st century, witnessed the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, socialized most important people of her day - Philo the Philosopher, Paul the Apostle, Josephus the Historian and became Flavius Titus’ lover.

Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Methodology  1 Chronology  2 Silencing  3 Disparagement 2 Berenice’s Foremothers: A Long Line of Hasmonean and Herodian Queens  1 Simon the Hasmonean’s Nameless Wife, Berenice’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandmother (ca. 180 BCE–135 BCE)  2 John Hyrcanus I’s Nameless Wife, Berenice’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandmother (ca. 155 BCE–104 BCE)  3 Salina Alexandra, Judah Aristobulus I’s Widow, Berenice’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Aunt (ca. 140 BCE–ca. 90 BCE)  4 Queen Shelamzion-Alexandra, Berenice’s Great-Great-Great- Great-Grandmother (140 BCE–67 BCE)  5 Aristobulus II’s Wife, Berenice’s Great-Great-Great-Grandmother (ca. 90–ca. 50 BCE)  6 Alexandra, Berenice’s Great-Great-Grandmother (ca. 70 BCE– 26 BCE)  7 Miriam the Hasmonean, Berenice’s Paternal Great-Grandmother (53–29 BCE)  8 Salome, Herod’s Sister, Berenice’s Maternal Great-Grandmother (ca. 60 BCE–12 CE)  9 Berenice, Aristobulus IV’s Wife, Berenice’s Grandmother (ca. 33 BCE–23 CE)  10 Herodias, Berenice’s Paternal Aunt (ca. 10 BCE–ca. 50 CE)  11 Cypros, Berenice’s Mother (ca. 10–ca. 50 CE) 3 Berenice’s Early Years  1 Judea 28–42 CE  2 Alexandria 42–44 CE  3 Chalcis 3.1.1  Herod of Chalcis 3.1.2  Agrippa I’s Death 3.1.3  Mother Berenice 3.1.4  Herod of Chalcis’ Death 3.2.1  Queen of Chalcis 3.2.2  Brother and Sister (on Killer-Wives and Homosexuality)  4 Caesarea-Philippi/Cilicia/Jerusalem (54 CE–66 CE) 4.1.1  Herodian Women Divorcing Their Husbands 4.1.2  Foreign Dignitaries Converting to Judaism for the Sake of a Herodian Marriage 4.1.3  Jealousy 4.1.4  Incest 4 The War with Rome 66–73 CE  1 Jerusalem 66 CE 1.1.1  Excursus: Berenice and Judaism  2 Caesarea-Philippi 66–70 CE 5 Berenice in Rome  1 The Roman Way of Telling the Story of the Berenice-Titus Romance 1.2.1  Catamites and Eunuchs 1.2.2  “Cleopatra Minor” 1.2.3  Invitus invitam 1.2.4  Excursus: Rome’s Cleopatra  2 Other Information about Berenice in Rome 6 Berenice’s End: Reception History and Fiction  1 Berenice of Sardinia  2 The French School  3 The Jewish Interpretation  4 But She Came Back to (or Stayed in) Rome  5 A Final Speculation 7 Julia Crispina, Berenice’s (Female) Descendant Two Conclusions  1 The Men in Her Life  2 The First Century Appendix  Berenice’s Timeline Bibliography Index