Timeline First Jewish–Roman War

1 timeline

1.1 outbreak of rebellion
1.2 gallus campaign , judean free government
1.3 vespasian s galilee campaign
1.4 judean regrouping , civil war
1.5 judea campaign , new emperor
1.6 fall of jerusalem
1.7 last strongholds

timeline

outbreak of rebellion

according josephus, violence began @ caesarea in 66 provoked greeks of merchant house sacrificing birds in front of local synagogue. roman garrison did not intervene , long-standing hellenistic , jewish religious tensions took downward spiral. in reaction, 1 of jewish temple clerks eliezar ben hanania ceased prayers , sacrifices roman emperor @ temple. protests on taxation joined list of grievances , random attacks on roman citizens , perceived traitors occurred in jerusalem. jewish temple breached roman troops @ order of roman governor gessius florus, having seventeen talents removed treasury of temple, claiming money emperor. in response action, city fell unrest , of jewish population began openly mock florus passing basket around collect money if florus poor. florus reacted unrest sending soldiers jerusalem next day raid city , arrest number of city leaders, later whipped , crucified, despite many of them being roman citizens. shortly, outraged judean nationalist factions took arms , roman military garrison of jerusalem overrun rebels. fearing worst, pro-roman king herod agrippa ii , sister berenice fled jerusalem galilee. judean militias later moved upon roman citizens of judaea , pro-roman officials, cleansing country of roman symbols. among other events, sicarii rebel faction surprised roman garrison of masada , took on fortress.

according fourth-century church fathers eusebius , epiphanius, jerusalem s jewish christians fled pella before beginning of war.

gallus campaign , judean free government

as result of unrest in judaea, cestius gallus, legate of syria, assembled syrian legion xii fulminata reinforced units of iii gallica, iiii scythica, , vi ferrata, plus auxiliaries , allies - total of approximately 30,000-36,000 troops, in order restore order in neighbouring province. syrian legion captured narbata , took sepphoris, surrendered no fight. judean rebels, withdrew sepphoris, took refuge @ atzmon hill, defeated following short siege. gallus later reached acre in western galilee, , marched on caesarea , jaffa, massacred 8,400 people. continuing military campaign, gallus took lydda , afek (antipatris) , engaged jerusalemite rebels in geva, lost 500 roman troops judean rebels led simon bar giora, reinforced ally volunteers adiabene.

the syrian legion invested jerusalem, uncertain reasons , despite initial gains withdrew towards coast, ambushed , defeated judean rebels @ battle of beth horon, result shocked roman empire leadership. defeat of romans in beth horon considered 1 of worst military defeats of roman empire rebel province throughout history. 6,000 roman troops killed , many more wounded in battle, legio xii fulminata losing aquila, gallus abandoned troops in disarray fleeing syria. victorious judean militias included sadducee , pharisee factions, major role played peasantry led simon bar giora, eleazar ben simon sicarii.

victorious judean troops took initiative , attempted expand control hellenistic city of ashkelon, assembled army commanded niger perean, yohanan issean , shila babylonian , laid siege of city. despite pillage of ashkelon countryside campaign turned disastrous judeans, failing take city , losing 8,000 militia men small roman garrison had held city. many jewish residents of ashkelon butchered greco-syrian , roman neighbours in aftermath. failure take ashkelon changed tactics of rebel judean forces open engagement fortified warfare.

following defeat of gallus in beth horon, people s assembly called under spiritual guidance of simeon ben gamliel , judean free government formed in jerusalem. former high priest ananus ben ananus appointed 1 of government heads , began reinforcing city, other prominent figures such joseph ben gurion , joshua ben gamla taking leading roles; yosef ben matityahu appointed commander in galilee , golan, while joseph ben shimon appointed commander of jericho, yohanan issean commander of jaffa, lydda, ammeus-nikopolis , tamna area , elazar ben hananiya joint commander in edom joshua ben zafia, niger perean (the war hero during gallus campaign) under command.

later, in jerusalem, attempt menahem ben yehuda, leader of sicarii, take control of city failed. executed , remaining sicarii ejected city stronghold masada, taken roman garrison. headquartered in masada, sicarii notably terrorized nearby judean villages such ein gedi. simon bar giora, charismatic, radical peasantry leader, expelled jerusalem new government. faction of ousted bar giora took refuge in masada , stayed there until winter of 67-8.

vespasian s galilee campaign

emperor nero appointed general vespasian, instead of gallus crush rebellion. vespasian, along legions x fretensis , v macedonica, landed @ ptolemais in april 67. there joined son titus, arrived alexandria @ head of legio xv apollinaris, armies of various local allies including of king agrippa ii. fielding more 60,000 soldiers, vespasian began operations subjugating galilee. judean rebels in galilee divided 2 camps, forces loyal central government in jerusalem commanded josephus , representing wealthy , priesthood classes, whereas local zealot militias largely packed poor fishermen, farmers , refugees roman syria. many towns associated jewish elite gave without fight - including sepphoris , tiberias, although others had taken force. of these, josephus provides detailed accounts of sieges of yodfat , gamla; gischala, stronghold of zealots, taken force, zealot leaders abandoned in midst of siege, heading bulk of force jerusalem.

by year 68, jewish resistance in north had been crushed, , vespasian made caesarea maritima headquarters , methodically proceeded cleanse coastline of country, avoiding direct confrontation rebels @ jerusalem. based on questionable numbers josephus, has been estimated roman vanquishing of galilee resulted in 100,000 jews killed or sold slavery.

judean regrouping , civil war


a coin issued rebels in 68, note paleo-hebrew alphabet. obverse: shekel, israel. year 3. reverse: jerusalem holy

after conquest of galilee, roman general vespasian established headquarters @ caesarea maritima , camped there until spring 68, preparing campaign in judean , samarian highlands. jews, driven out of galilee rebuilt joppa (jaffa), had been destroyed earlier cestius gallus. surrounded , cut off romans, rebuilt city walls, , used light flotilla demoralize commerce , interrupt grain supply rome alexandria.

in jewish war josephus wrote:

they built great many piratical ships, , turned pirates upon seas near syria, , phoenicia, , egypt, , made seas unnavigable men.

zealot leaders of collapsed northern revolt, headed john of giscala, managed escape galilee jerusalem bulk of forces. packed militants of many factions, including remains of loyal forces of judean free government , significant zealot militia headed eleazar ben simon, , largely cut off roman forces, jerusalem descended anarchy, radical zealots taking control of large parts of fortified city. brutal civil war erupted, zealots , fanatical sicarii executing advocating surrender.

following false message judean free government made pact roman army, delivered zealots idumeans, major force of 20,000 armed idumeans arrived jerusalem. allowed in zealots , idumeans entering jerusalem , fighting side of zealots, heads of judean free government ananus ben ananus , joseph ben gurion killed severe civilian casualties in notorious zealot temple siege, josephus reported 12,000 dead. news of jerusalem carnage, simon bar giora left masada , began pillaging idumea loyal troops, setting headquarters in na an; met little resistance , joined forces idumean leaders including jacob ben susa.

judea campaign , new emperor

roman milestone mentioning destruction of highways during revolt

with success of galilee campaign, vaspasian made caesarea maritima headquarters , after several months began systematic campaign subdue various rebel-held strongholds in judea proper. recaptured afeq, lydda , javneh in spring 68, retaking jaffa. later continued idumea , perea , judean , samarian highlands bar giora s faction causing major concern romans. roman army took gophna, akrabta, bet-el, ephraim , hebron july 69.

while war in judea in progress, great events occurring in rome. in middle of 68, emperor nero s increasingly erratic behavior lost him support position. roman senate, praetorian guard , several prominent army commanders conspired removal. when senate declared nero enemy of people, fled rome , committed suicide of secretary. newly installed emperor, former governor of spain galba, murdered after few months otho, rival, triggering civil war came known year of 4 emperors. in 69, though uninvolved, popular vespasian hailed emperor legions under command. decided, upon gaining further widespread support, leave son titus finish war in judea, while returned rome claim throne usurper vitellius, had deposed otho.

with departure of vespasian, had opposed open siege upon jerusalem, fearing lose many troops against fortified city, titus advanced roman legions upon capital of rebellious province. conquering town after town, titus advanced on hill country, while outcry of brutal suppression created immense wave of judean refugees, seeking shelter in fortified jerusalem. judean rebels avoided direct confrontation roman troops, multiple factions interested in own control , survival, rather roman defeat. weakened brutal civil war within city, zealot factions still field significant number of troops oppose immediate roman conquest of capital. infighting among zealots john tricked , assassinated eleazar , began despotic rule on city. simon bar giora, commanding major force of 15,000 troops, invited jerusalem remaining free government leaders stand against zealot faction of john, , took control on of city. bitter infighting between factions of bar-giora , john followed through year 69.

fall of jerusalem

the siege of jerusalem, fortified capital city of province, turned stalemate. unable breach city s defenses, roman armies established permanent camp outside city, digging trench around circumference of walls , building wall high city walls around jerusalem. caught in trench, attempting flee city captured, crucified, , placed in lines on top of dirt wall facing jerusalem. 2 zealot leaders, john of gischala , simon bar giora, ceased hostilities , joined forces defend city when romans began construct ramparts siege. attempting escape city crucified, many 5 hundred crucifixions occurring in day.

during infighting inside city walls, stockpiled supply of dry food intentionally burned zealots induce defenders fight against siege, instead of negotiating peace; result many city dwellers , soldiers died of starvation during siege. tacitus, historian of time, notes besieged in jerusalem amounted no fewer 6 hundred thousand, men , women alike , every age engaged in armed resistance, pick weapon did, both sexes showed equal determination, preferring death life involved expulsion country. josephus puts number of besieged @ near 1 million.

the treasures of jerusalem taken romans (detail arch of titus).

following seven-month siege, titus flavius, vespasian s son, used collapse of several of city walls breach jerusalem. summer of 70, romans had breached walls of jerusalem, ransacking , burning entire city. romans began attacking weakest spot: third wall. built shortly before siege did not have time invested in protection. succeeded towards end of may , shortly afterwards broke through more important second wall. during final stages of roman attack, zealots under john of giscala still held temple, while sicarii, led simon bar giora, held upper city. second temple (the renovated herod s temple), 1 of last fortified bastions of rebellion, destroyed on tisha b av (29 or 30 july 70).

all 3 walls of jerusalem destroyed temple , citadels; city put torch, survivors taken slavery; of overturned stones , place of impact can still seen. john of giscala surrendered @ agrippa ii s fortress of jotapata , sentenced life imprisonment. famous arch of titus in rome depicts roman legionaries carrying temple of jerusalem s treasuries, including menorah, during titus triumphal procession in rome. fall of jerusalem, insurrection still continued in isolated locations in judea, lasting long 73.

last strongholds


remnants of 1 of several legionary camps @ masada in israel, outside circumvallation wall @ bottom of image.

during spring of 71, titus set sail rome. new military governor appointed rome, lucilius bassus, assigned task undertake mopping-up operations in judea. used x fretensis besiege , capture few remaining fortresses still resisted. bassus took herodium, , crossed jordan capture fortress of machaerus on shore of dead sea , continued forest of jardus on northern shore of dead sea pursue 3,000 judean rebels under leadership of judah ben ari, whom swiftly defeated. because of illness, bassus did not live complete mission. lucius flavius silva replaced him, , moved against last judean stronghold, masada, in autumn of 72. used legio x, auxiliary troops, , thousands of jewish prisoners, total of 10,000 soldiers. after orders surrender rejected, silva established several base camps , circumvallated fortress. according josephus, when romans broke through walls of citadel in 73, discovered 960 of 967 defenders had committed suicide.