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Also read the description of the Jewish Rebellion by Josephus ...
And, no ... not the Josephus from "History of the World, Part 1" ...
Posted on 01/04/2019 1:43:21 AM PST by vannrox
The Romans generally tolerated other religions, allowing and even welcoming Egyptian gods into their pantheon. Though they viewed the monotheistic Jews as being odd, they left more or less free to practice their own religion. The great Jewish revolt was not a religious war, but a war against Roman imperialism and unfair taxation. In the 60’s CE a financial crisis forced Rome to raise the taxes throughout the empire.
The Jews in Jerusalem resisted the extra taxes heavily and fighting broke out after Roman forces looted a temple and killed as many as 6,000 citizens. This massacre prompted a region-wide revolt and the roman garrison of 30,000 was ambushed as they tried to retreat from the area. Several thousand Romans were killed and their weapons and armor were used by the Jewish militia forces.
With the garrison defeated the Emperor Nero sent in accomplished general Vespasian to handle the rebellion. Vespasian had a great deal of success as he focused out securing many of the smaller cities and forts in the region before focusing on Jerusalem. Vespasian had to return to Rome to ultimately be proclaimed the next Emperor and left his son, Titus, to finish the war. Titus began the siege of Jerusalem in 66 CE.
Titus surrounded the city and even with it surrounded he allowed travelers to enter the city. This was to strain the supplies of the city in the event of a lengthy siege. Jerusalem was a heavily fortified city with several sets of walls built in harmony with the many hills and steep valleys of the area. The source for the war, Josephus, describes the three walls of Jerusalem as being as magnificently constructed as the temples they protected. Broad walls were protected by towers 40 feet and higher and the natural valleys made many approaches uphill.
Despite the fortifications of the city, Titus decided to attack the city in February of 66 CE, his decision affirmed after one of the negotiators was wounded by a missile. Several siege engines worked to launch stones at the fortifications and rams approached to breach the walls. The defenders sent forth many assault parties to dismantle the siege weapons and had enough success that the breach was postponed for several months.
When the Romans finally breached the first wall of the city, they gained access to the most recent expansion of the city and were faced with the two other walls and the Antonia fortress which stood at the end of the second wall and protected the great temple of Herod. The Romans were again stalled by the stout walls, they had breached the second wall within days, but that only led to an inner neighborhood confined by the third wall and the fortress. Bitter street fighting pushed the Romans back through their breach of the second wall and though the Jews fought desperately at the breach, Roman siege engines were able to widen the breach and take the inner neighborhood.
Though the Romans had the first two walls breached and portions of the city captured they remaining city was well defended and supplied. To solve the problem of new supplies getting into the city Titus built a siege wall that looped around the valley outside the unbreached third wall and through the Roman held sections of the city, thereby fully containing the city. Titus personally did rounds of the wall during the construction to ensure its completeness and raise the men’s morale. This did put a strain on the defenders, but they had able rainwater cisterns to hold out their defense.
Titus then sent forces on the outside facing sections of the first wall and against the inner Antonia fortress. The Romans concentrated a huge assault against the fortress with stones thrown from siege weapons and battering rams, but the defenders caused a great deal of damage on the Romans by throwing rocks and missiles down from the tower. A few sections were damaged in the fortress but very little was accomplished. The assault on the old outer wall also failed.
Seeing that it may not be taken by force, Titus sent men to take it in a nighttime sneak attack. It was initially successful but once the alarm was sounded the fortress defenders put up a fight that lasted through the night and well into the next day. The Romans had gotten a piece of the fortress and they steadily pressed forward to take the whole thing. The fortress fell in late July.
The fortress was attached to the walls around the great temple and a fierce fight raged at this junction. Titus had expressed a desire to preserve the temple, likely with thoughts of turning it into a Roman pantheon of sorts as it was a magnificent building. Unfortunately for Titus’ plans a soldier threw a torch onto the temple and started a frenzied fire that quickly consumed the temple.
The Jews were forced to withdraw due to the fire but they were able to bait the Romans into over-pursuing them and spread the fire quickly into the advancing Romans. Many perished in the rapidly spreading fire and the remaining Roman advanced force was cut off from reinforcements and, with their backs to the fire, were slaughtered by the Jews.
The fortress was attached to the walls around the great temple and a fierce fight raged at this junction. Titus had expressed a desire to preserve the temple, likely with thoughts of turning it into a Roman pantheon of sorts as it was a magnificent building. Unfortunately for Titus’ plans a soldier threw a torch onto the temple and started a frenzied fire that quickly consumed the temple.
The Jews were forced to withdraw due to the fire but they were able to bait the Romans into over-pursuing them and spread the fire quickly into the advancing Romans. Many perished in the rapidly spreading fire and the remaining Roman advanced force was cut off from reinforcements and, with their backs to the fire, were slaughtered by the Jews.
It’s a very interesting read. I think.
What’s with the “CE” bull$hit?
I thought that stuff was stopped years ago.
Good article, though as I was reading at the very very end I realize the last two paragraphs had been copied and pasted twice in vannrox article.
Very interesting.
History academics are now primarily politically correct liberals who won’t let it go. Politically correct with incorrect historical theories is the new norm.
>>>What’s with the “CE” bull$hit? I thought that stuff was stopped years ago.
It’s an article about the Jewish uprising. As far as the Jews are concerned, we are still BC, as they are still awaiting the Messiah/Christ.
They should also have listened when he said
“For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” Luke 23:31
I doubt a million.
I did some extensive research about 10 years ago and was astounded at what I found, it was exactly 14,000 days later to Friday August 10th 70 AD if you count from Sunday April 13th, 32 AD (17th day of Nisan) if you back up another 400 days its a Saturday and whats happening approx at that time is extremely interesting and explains why he started talking in Parables from that moment forward,
14400 days = 360 x 40
Just my conjecture of course
17th day of Nisan is also the calendar day when Noah came out of the Ark,
In the 60’s CE AD a financial crisis forced Rome to raise the taxes throughout the empire.
Titus began the siege of Jerusalem in 66 CE AD 66.
Despite the fortifications of the city, Titus decided to attack the city in February of 66 CE AD 66...
FIFY
But this CE stuff only started recently. Up until around the beginning of this century, I never saw CE/BCE in any Jewish writings. I believe this is part of a movement to thoroughly de-Christianize our entire culture.
It was AD70 not this CE/BCE nonsense.
Interesting. Even though I like to emphasize the symbolic meaning of numbers in Revelation, I find it also interesting that sometimes numbers have more then one purpose/meaning in them as in the one you just spelled out in your calculations.
Also read the description of the Jewish Rebellion by Josephus ...
And, no ... not the Josephus from "History of the World, Part 1" ...
Still, I can't help but admire the Roman Military Machine. They were fighting an enemy that was determined to resist to the last man. The Romans just methodically ground them down.
Very cool!
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