Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)
Part of the First Jewish–Roman War / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Siege of Jerusalem of 70 CE was the decisive event of the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), in which the Roman army led by future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, the center of Jewish rebel resistance in the Roman province of Judaea. Following a five-month siege, the Romans destroyed the city and the Second Jewish Temple.[1][2][3]
Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE) | ||||||||||
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Part of the First Jewish–Roman War | ||||||||||
Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by Francesco Hayez. Oil on canvas, 1867. | ||||||||||
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Belligerents | ||||||||||
Roman Empire |
Remnants of the Judean provisional government
| Zealots | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | ||||||||||
Titus Julius Alexander | Simon bar Giora |
John of Giscala (POW) Eleazar ben Simon † | ||||||||
Strength | ||||||||||
70,000 | 15,000–20,000 | 10,000 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | ||||||||||
Unknown | 15,000–20,000 | 10,000 |
In April 70 CE, three days before Passover, the Roman army started besieging Jerusalem.[4][5] The city had been taken over by several rebel factions following a period of massive unrest and the collapse of a short-lived provisional government. Within three weeks, the Roman army broke the first two walls of the city, but a stubborn rebel standoff prevented them from penetrating the thickest and third wall.[4][6] According to Josephus, a contemporary historian and the main source for the war, the city was ravaged by murder, famine, and cannibalism.[7]
On Tisha B'Av, 70 CE (August 30),[8] Roman forces overwhelmed the defenders and set fire to the Temple.[9] Resistance continued for another month, but eventually the upper and lower parts of the city were taken as well, and the city was burned to the ground. Titus spared only the three towers of the Herodian citadel as a testimony to the city's former might.[10][11] The siege had a major toll on human life, with many people being killed and enslaved, and large parts of the city destroyed. This victory gave the Flavian dynasty legitimacy to claim control over the empire. A triumph was held in Rome to celebrate the victory over the Jews, with two triumphal arches erected to commemorate it, including the Arch of Titus, which still stands today. The treasures looted from the Temple were put on display.[7]
The destruction of Jerusalem marked a major turning point in Jewish history.[7][12][13] The loss of the mother-city and Second Temple necessitated a reshaping of Jewish culture to ensure its survival. With sacrificial worship no longer possible, Jewish practices shifted to prayer, Torah study, and synagogue gatherings. According to Rabbinic tradition, Yohanan ben Zakkai escaped Jerusalem during the siege and secured Roman permission to establish a study center in Yavneh,[13][14][15] This event was foundational in the development of Rabbinic Judaism, which emerged from Pharisaic traditions and eventually became the mainstream form of Judaism.[2][7][16] Jewish sects such as the Sadducees and Essenes faded into obscurity,[17] while surviving followers of Jesus of Nazareth continued to spread his teachings, leading to the rise of Christianity as a new, separate religion.[7] After the war, Legio X Fretensis established a military camp on Jerusalem's ruins.[18][19] the city was later re-founded as the Roman colony of Aelia Capitolina. Foreign cults were introduced and Jews were forbidden entry.[20][21][22] This is often seen as a catalyst for the Bar Kokhba revolt.[23][24]