The Kitos War (Hebrew: פולמוס של קיטוס, romanized: polmus shel Kitos) was a Jewish uprising in the province of Judaea during the late 110s CE. Ancient Jewish sources date it to fifty-two years after Vespasian's war (66–73 CE) and sixteen years before the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 CE).
The Kitos War occurred amid the broader Diaspora revolt of 115–117 CE, which saw Jewish uprisings across the Roman East, including Egypt, Libya, Cyprus, and Mesopotamia. Following the suppression of the revolt in Mesopotamia, the Roman general Lusius Quietus (also known as Kitos) was appointed consul and governor of Judaea by Emperor Trajan. Late Syriac sources suggest that Jews from Egypt and Libya relocated to Judaea and were defeated by Roman forces. However, the reliability of these sources is debated, and modern scholarship remains cautious due to the lack of confirmation from Dio and Eusebius, the main sources for the Diaspora revolt.
Lusius Quietus laid siege to Lydda, where the rebel Jews had gathered under the leadership of Julian and Pappus. Lydda was next taken, and many of the rebellious Jews were executed. The "slain of Lydda" are often mentioned in words of reverential praise in the Talmud.[1] The rebel leaders Pappus and Julian were among those who the Romans executed that year.[2]
The situation in Judea remained tense for the Romans, who were obliged under Hadrian to move the Legio VI Ferrata permanently into Caesarea Maritima in Judea. Fifteen years later, the Bar Kokhba revolt erupted, marking the last major Jewish attempt to regain independence in Judaea.