Outstanding exhibit. The Met is to be congratulated. Just one correction:
"It’s [artifacts of Judaea] dominated by a magnificent bronze portrait of the emperor Hadrian, who not only tried to force his emperor-as-god cult on the monotheistic people, but also suppressed the Jewish revolt for independence from Rome."
The problem with Hadrian re the Jews was not "tried to force his emperor-as-god cult on the monotheistic people" but that he tried to 1. re-build Jerusalem (destroyed to a great extent in 70 CE) as the pagan city of Aelia Capitolina (named after Publius Aelius Hadrianus -Hadrian himself). The plan was for the usual pagan city trappings including pagan temples. 2. forbade circumcision considering it equivalent to castration. His rule in 117 CE actually began fairly positively. But soon took a downward turn leading to the Bar-Kochba Revolt 132-136 CE. The Roman repression was particularly violent and cruel.
Sorry that I will unfortunately miss the exhibit, although I am of course familiar with the Hadrian piece.
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