Kings of the Jews: The Origins of the Jewish Nation

War with Rome

KINGS OF THE JEWS 209 WAR WITH ROME 66–70 By the summer of 66, war in Judaea appeared inevitable. Opinion among the Jews was sharply divided. Most of them probably favored fighting for independence from Rome if it could be achieved without great bloodshed. But religiously motivated Zealots insisted on freedom from foreign rule and oppression no matter how it was achieved and whatever the price. Other fervent nationalists demanded the same. Jews who believed continuing Roman rule was the best possible option under the circumstances had been politically emasculated by developments . Bitterness had been deepening in intensity for years, fueled by the brutal and corrupt actions of the most recent Roman procurators. Now the Zealot and nationalist revolutionaries were driving the pace of events. Pharisee leaders, the religious figures most influential among the people, sympathized with the Zealots , but were averse to violence. In their resulting confusion, they lost the influence they might have wielded. If there was a single act that sparked the war, it was committed by Eleazar, captain of the Temple guard in Jerusalem. A fiery young man of privileged status, Eleazar was the son of former High Priest Ananias to whom he probably owed his position. With the support of others enraged by the cruelty and venality of Procurator Gessius Florus, he brushed aside the disapproval of the senior priesthood and cancelled the usual daily Temple sacrifices on behalf of Emperor Nero. That was more than a snub to the Romans. It was a public disclaimer of subservience to them and virtually invited reprisal. A band of Zealots, led by Menahem, son of Judas, had already overwhelmed the Roman garrison at the Masada fortress overlooking the Dead Sea to the south. The Romans would have considered the Masada event an isolated episode by a band of fanatics who would soon be dealt with without great difficulty. But Eleazar’s impudence at the Temple could not be so lightly dismissed. Nor could the support it received at a public assembly of the people of Jerusalem who had gathered afterward to assess the situation. Their prevailing mood was furious defiance of Roman tyranny. Fearing further turbulence would lead to catastrophe, leading Jerusalem moderates rushed messages to Procurator Florus in Caesaria, the Roman administrative capital, and to King Agrippa, the official guardian of the Temple. They urged THE IMPACT OF THE ROMANS 210 them to take action before Jerusalem tumbled into a whirlwind of unrest and disorder . Hoping the situation would deteriorate still more to justify his harsh, blundering administration, Florus did nothing. But fearing the worst, Agrippa sent a troop of two thousand cavalrymen, who quickly secured much of the holy city. However, the Zealots, led by Eleazar ben Simon (a man also of distinguished priestly family), were not easily intimidated. They seized the Temple and its adjoining district. Bolstered by an influx of armed Zealot recruits, Eleazar’s followers then forced the withdrawal of Agrippa’s horsemen, along with a contingent of Roman troops, to Herod’s fortified palace on the fringe of the city. In little more than a week, most of Jerusalem had come under the control of the Zealots, who proceeded to take drastic action to consolidate their authority. They set fire to the municipal archives which contained records of debts, mostly owed by the poor to the rich. They also torched King Agrippa’s Jerusalem palace and the home of former High Priest Ananias, father of the rebellious captain of the Temple guard. He was accused of having used his office to enrich himself at the expense of lesser priests. Together with other prominent figures, he went into hiding to escape the wrath of the extremists. Eleazar ben Simon now turned his attention to Jerusalem’s Antonia fortress. Situated next to the Temple, the fortress had been built by Herod and named in honor of his friend and patron Mark Antony. Long garrisoned by Roman soldiers , it had been the most distinctive symbol of Rome’s supremacy in Jerusalem. Its capture was the greatest challenge yet to Judaea’s imperial rulers. There was more to come. As people in the holy city grew increasingly anxious about the possible consequences of the extraordinary events through which they were living, the insurgents there received additional reinforcements. Menahem and his Zealot followers arrived from the Masada fortress they had captured. Claiming leadership of the rebellion, Menahem launched a reign of terror. He had Ananias dragged from his hiding place and executed. Others who suffered...