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Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Jun. 14, 2025
Update	: Jun. 14, 2025
Parts	: 25

Synopsis:




Continuing our discussion from part sixteen, as we enter Book 5 Chapter 11 of Flavius Josephus' "The Wars of the Jews", the siege ramps -- or banks -- which the Romans were building are nearing completion. Meanwhile, due to the ongoing famine that continues to rage inside of Jerusalem, the Jews -- mostly the common people, although a small number of the seditionists as well -- would cautiously venture outside the city walls, in the hope of gathering a bit of food. Titus took advantage of their plight by capturing, torturing and then crucifying them in front of the city wall. On some days five hundred or more Jews were caught in this manner. As Josephus had written in Book 5 Chapter 6, while Titus pitied the Jews due to their obstinance, he was hoping that the sight of so many of their people being crucified would motivate the Jews to surrender.

Sadly, this was not the case. Instead, the seditionists would find the relatives of the Jews who had been crucified, along with others who desired to escape from the city, and show them their crucified relatives. The insurrectionists lied to the people and told them that this would be the fate of any Jews who hoped to find mercy at the hands of the Romans. To make matters worse, Titus began having the hands of many of the Jewish prisoners cut off, and then he sent the prisoners back into the city with the message that there was still a little time left for the seditionists to decease in their madness. He told them that he did not wish to destroy their city, and that it would be better for them to surrender, so as to preserve themselves, their city and the temple. And so we read as follows:

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"The main reason why he [Titus] did not forbid that cruelty was this, that he hoped the Jews might perhaps yield at that sight, out of fear lest they might themselves afterwards be liable to the same cruel treatment. So the soldiers, out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews, nailed those they caught, one after one way, and another after another, to the crosses, by way of jest, when their multitude was so great, that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for the bodies.

But so far were THE SEDITIOUS from repenting at this sad sight, that on the contrary, they made the rest of the multitude believe otherwise; for they brought the relations of those that had deserted upon the wall, with such of the populace as were very eager to go over upon the security offered them, and showed them what miseries those underwent who fled to the Romans; and told them, that those who were caught were supplicants to them, and not such as were taken prisoners. This sight kept many of those within the city who were so eager to desert, till the truth was known; yet did some of them run away immediately as unto certain punishment, esteeming death from their enemies to be a quiet departure, if compared with that by famine.

So Titus commanded that the hands of many of those that were caught should be cut off that they might not be thought deserters, and might be credited on account of the calamity they were under, and sent them in to John and Simon, with this exhortation. That 'they would now at length leave off [their madness,] and not force him to destroy the city, whereby they would have those advantages of repentance, even in their utmost distress, that they would preserve their own lives, and so find a city of their own, and that temple which was their peculiar glory.'"

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After this, Titus went around to the various siege ramps that were being built, and encouraged those who were working on them to hasten their completion, so as to show the Jews that his words would soon be followed by real actions, unless they chose to surrender. But as for the foolish Jews, they were so deceived, that they mocked Titus, and claimed that God still favored them, and would preserve both them and their temple. And thus Josephus writes as follows:

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"He [Titus] then went round about the banks that were cast up, and hastened them, in order to show, that his words should in no longtime be followed by his deeds. In answer to which, THE SEDITIOUS cast reproaches upon Caesar himself, and upon his father also, and cried out with a loud voice, That "they contemned death, and did well in preferring it before slavery; that they would do all the mischief to the Romans they could, while they had breath in them; and that for their own city, since they were, as he said, to be destroyed, they had no concern about it, and that the world itself was a better temple to God than this. That yet this temple would be preserved by him that inhabited therein, whom they still had for their assistant in this war, and did therefore laugh at all his threatenings, which would come to nothing, because the conclusion of the whole depended upon God only." These words were mixed with reproaches, and with them they made a mighty clamour."

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Following this, Josephus describes the ongoing skirmishes which occurred between the Jews and the Romans as four siege ramps were raised just outside the wall of the city. Upon their completion, Titus had the Roman engines of war brought in, which the bolder of the Jews attacked as well, trying to set them on fire. After much back and forth fighting, the Jews were in fact able to set the engines of war on fire, and destroy the four siege ramps as well. This, of course, greatly demoralized the Romans, considering how much work they had put into them. The seditionists eventually retired back inside the city, even more confident that they could defeat the Romans.

As I mentioned in part thirteen of this series, Titus then took counsel with his commanders in order to determine what their next step should be. This is the opening scene as we enter Book 5 Chapter 12 of "The Wars of the Jews". Some of Titus' commanders were of the opinion that the entire Roman army should make an assault against the city in the belief that the Jews wouldn't be able to overcome such overwhelming forces. Others believed that they should rebuild the siege ramps. And yet other commanders advised that they simply lay still and let the famine take its toll. Thus Josephus writes as follows:

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"And now did Titus consult with his commanders what was to be done. Those that were of the warmest tempers, thought he should bring the whole army against the city and storm the wall; for that hitherto no more than a part of their army had fought with the Jews, but that in case the entire army was to come at once, they would not be able to sustain their attacks, but would be overwhelmed by their darts. But of those that were for a more cautious management, some were for raising their banks again, and others advised to let the banks alone, but to lie still before the city, to guard against the coming out of the Jews, and so to leave the enemy to the famine, and this without direct fighting with them; for that despair was not to be conquered, especially as to those who are desirous to die by the sword, while a more terrible misery than that is reserved for them."

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After considering the various options which his commanders had proposed to him, and evaluating each of their merits, Titus decided that the most practical approach to beat the Jews would be to build a siege wall around Jerusalem. Among his various arguments, Titus pondered the fact that if the siege took too long, it would rob the Romans of their glory. And so, his commanders agreed to his proposal, and work was begun to raise a wall around the city. As I noted in part thirteen, known as a circumvallation wall, this wall would eventually be approximately five miles in length, or forty furlongs according to Josephus. What is amazing is that the Romans worked with such fervor to build the wall, that they completed it in only three days, whereas normally, it would have taken them months to do so.

As Titus explained to his commanders, constructing the wall would guarantee that no one would be able to enter or exit Jerusalem, unless they were allowed to do so by the Romans. Furthermore, neither could anything else pass either way, such as food, water, military supplies, etc. Thus, Josephus describes the Roman plan in the follow excerpt:

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"However. Titus did not think it fit for so great an army to lie entirely idle, and that yet it was in vain to fight with those that would be destroyed one by another; he also showed them how impracticable it was to cast up any more banks, for want of materials, and to guard against the Jews coming out still more impracticable; as also, that to encompass the whole city round with his army, was not very easy, by reason of its magnitude, and the difficulty of the situation, and on other accounts dangerous, upon the sallies the Jews might make out of the city. For although they might guard the known passages out of the place, yet would they, when they found themselves under the greatest distress, contrive secret passages out, as being well acquainted with all such places; and if any provisions were carried in by stealth, the siege would thereby be longer delayed. He also owned, that he was afraid that the length of time thus to be spent, would diminish the glory of his success; for though it be true, that length of time will perfect everything, yet that to do what we do in a little time is still necessary to the gaining reputation. That therefore his opinion was, that if they aimed at quickness joined with security, they must build a wall round about the whole city, which w\as, he thought, the only way to prevent the Jews from coming out any way, and then they would either entirely despair of saving the city, and so would surrender it up to him. or be still the more easily conquered when the famine had farther weakened them. For that besides this wall, he would not lie entirely at rest afterward, but would take care then to have banks raised again, when those that would oppose them were become weaker. But that if any one should think such a work to be too great, and not to be finished without much difficulty, he ought to consider that it is not fit for Romans to undertake any small work; and that none but God himself could with ease accomplish any great thing whatsoever.

These arguments prevailed with the commanders. So Titus gave orders that the army should be distributed to their several shares of this work; and indeed there now came upon the soldiers a certain divine fury, so that they did not only part the whole wall that was to be built among them, nor did only one legion strive with another, but the lesser divisions of the army did the same; insomuch, that each soldier was ambitious to please his decurion, each decurion. his centurion, each centurion his tribune, and the ambition of the tribunes was to please their superior commanders, while Caesar himself took notice of, and rewarded the like contention in those commanders; for he went round about the works many times every day, and took a view of what was done."

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Josephus next describes the tragic and dreadful scene as the famine worsened and continued to take its deadly toll on the inhabitants of the city. What Josephus writes below reminds me of what I shared with you in part sixteen regarding how the women ate their own children due to the famine which struck Jerusalem following Nebuchadnezzar's final invasion of the city in 587 BC. My friends, similar to the excerpt I shared with you in part sixteen, the following excerpt from Book 5 Chapter 12 is shocking. However, even more revolting and disgusting is the sick attitude of the insurrectionists -- meaning the Zealots, Sicarii, robbers and other thugs -- as they went about mercilessly robbing the dying and dead of their possessions. What depravity!:

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"So all hope of escaping was now cut off from the Jews, together with their liberty of going out of the city. Then did the famine widen its progress, and devoured the people by whole houses and families, the upper rooms were full of women and children that were dying by famine, and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged; the children also and the young men wandered about, the marketplaces like shadows, all swelled with the famine, and fell down dead, wheresoever their misery seized them. As for burying them, those that were sick themselves were not able to do it, and those that were hearty and well, were deterred from doing it by the great multitude of those dead bodies, and by the uncertainty there was how soon they should die themselves; for many died as they were burying others, and many went to their coffins before that fatal hour was come. Nor was there any lamentations made under these calamities, nor were heard any mournful complaints; but the famine confounded all natural passions; for those who were just going to die looked upon those that were gone to their rest before them with dry eyes and open mouths. A deep silence also, and a kind of deadly night had seized upon the city; while yet THE ROBBERS were still more terrible than these miseries were themselves; for they brake open those houses which were no other than graves of dead bodies, and plundered them of what they had, and carrying off the coverings of their bodies, went out laughing, and tried the points of their swords in their dead bodies, and in order to prove what metal they were made of, they thrust some of those through that still lay alive upon the ground; but for those that entreated them to lend them their right hand, and their sword to dispatch them, they were too proud to grant their requests, and left them to be consumed by the famine. Now every one of these died with their eyes fixed upon the temple, and left THE SEDITIOUS alive behind them. Now THE SEDITIOUS at first gave orders that the dead should be buried out of the public treasury, as not enduring the stench of their dead bodies. But afterwards, when they could not do that, they had them cast down from the walls into the valleys beneath."

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According to Josephus, upon seeing the valleys full of the dead bodies which the seditionists had thrown down from the city, and smelling the putrefying stench of the same, Titus raised his hands to heaven, and told God that this terrible tragedy was not his doing, but that the blame belonged to the Jews themselves. After this, Titus determined to rebuild the four siege ramps even better than before, even though it would be more difficult to accomplish this time, because the Romans had already used up all of the trees which had grown in the immediate vicinity of the city.

Josephus mentions that Titus encouraged his soldiers to work as quickly as possible to rebuild the siege ramps, because he wanted to get the siege over with as soon as possible, in the hope of saving what Jews still remained within the city. He also notes that in order to antagonize the starving Jews even further, some of the Romans would stand near the wall of the city and taunt them by showing them their abundance of food. Josephus writes thusly:

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"However, when Titus, in going his round along these valleys, saw them full of dead bodies, and the thick putrefaction running about them, he gave a groan, and, spreading out his hands to heaven, called God to witness that this was not his doing; and such was the sad case of the city itself. But the Romans were very joyful; since none of the seditious could now make sallies out of the city, because they were themselves disconsolate, and the famine already touched them also. These Romans besides had great plenty of corn and other necessaries out of Syria, and out of the neighbouring provinces; many of which would stand near to the wall of the city, and show the people what great quantities of provisions they had, and so make the enemy more sensible of their famine, by the great plenty even to satiety, which they had themselves. However, when THE SEDITIOUS STILL SHOWED NO INCLINATIONS OF YIELDING, Titus, out of his commiseration of the people that remained, and out of his earnest desire of rescuing what was still left out of these miseries, began to raise his banks again, although materials for them were hard to be come at; for all the trees that were about the city had been already cut down for the making of the former banks. Yet did the soldiers bring with them other materials from the distance of ninety furlongs, and thereby raised banks in four parts, much greater than the former, though this was done only at the tower of Antonia. So Caesar went his rounds through the legions, and hastened on the works, and showed THE ROBBERS that they were now in his hands."

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As we begin Book 5 Chapter 13, Josephus turns his attention again to Simon bar Giora. As you will recall, he was the ruthless leader of one of the two remaining factions within the city, who not only controlled the people, but who also resisted surrendering to Titus. Josephus then describes how Simon and his thugs went on a killing spree and killed some of the priests, and some of the noblemen who were held in high regard by the people. This included a high priest by the name of Matthias -- along with his three sons -- who in fact had convinced the people to let Simon and his band of thugs into the city in the first place, in the hope that they'd be able to subdue John of Giscala and the Zealots.

Josephus describes other barbarities which were committed by the Zealots, including how a conspiracy was discovered in which a man named Judas -- along with ten other men -- were hoping to make peace with Titus. The conspiracy was relayed to Simon, resulting in all eleven men being slain, and then their mangled bodies being thrown over the wall to Titus and the Romans. At one point, Josephus himself was injured by a stone, and the rumor spread within the city that he was now dead, which caused the people great consternation being as at this point, he remained their only hope at making peace with the Romans. However, Josephus soon recovered, and then returned to the wall and again exhorted the Jerusalemites to surrender to Titus. Of course, this greatly troubled the seditionists.

As Josephus continues to describe the barbarities that were committed by both the insurrectionists, and by some of the Romans themselves when it was discovered that some of the Jewish deserters had gold hidden in their bellies, he again reminds his readers that despite every attempt which had been made to try to preserve the lives of some of the Jews, God himself had brought it to naught, because He was intent on their destruction. Thus, Josephus writes as follows:

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"But in reality it was God who condemned the whole nation, and turned every course that was taken for their preservation to their destruction."

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In previous parts of this series, I have mentioned how the Zealots and other violent men who were under Simon and John had defiled and polluted the temple through their violence and constant killing. You may also recall that these thugs had removed the real priests, and set up priests of their own. Josephus next mentions that when John of Giscala was no longer able to find any people to plunder, he began to melt down the sacred utensils which were used in the temple services and to also distribute some of them to the people. Thus he writes as follows:

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"But as for John, when he could no longer plunder the people, he betook himself to sacrilege, and melted down many of the sacred utensils, which had been given to the temple, as also many of those vessels which were necessary for such as ministered about holy things, the caldrons, the dishes, and the tables; nay, he did not abstain from those pouring vessels that were sent them by Augustus and his wife; for the Roman emperors did ever both honour and adorn this temple; whereas this man, who was a Jew, seized upon what was the donations of foreigners, and said to those that were with him, that it was proper for them to use divine things, while they were fighting for the divinity without fear, and that such whose warfare is for the temple, should live of the temple: on which account he emptied the vessels of that sacred wine and oil, which the priests kept to be poured on the burnt-offerings, and which lay in the inner court of the temple, and distributed it among the multitude, who in their anointing themselves, and drinking, used [each of them] above an hin of them."

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Josephus likewise relates that by this time, Titus had been informed by different deserters who had managed to escape from the city, that more than 600,000 dead bodies had already been carried out of Jerusalem's gates, and that many more had been heaped up in large houses within the city itself. As we move into Book 6 Chapter 1, Josephus describes how the entire area surrounding Jerusalem stretching out as far as eleven miles -- or ninety furlongs -- was now unrecognizable, being as all of the trees had been cut down in order to build the Romans' towers, siege ramps, and engines of war -- meaning battering rams and catapults.

Furthermore, Josephus writes that "a pestilential stench" arose from the piles of dead bodies which were heaped up outside of the city wall, and that the seditionists had to march over top of them, whenever they made sallies against the Romans. So hardened of heart were they, that this did not even bother them. Thus, Josephus writes as follows:

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"Thus did the miseries of Jerusalem grow worse and worse every day, and THE SEDITIOUS were still more irritated by the calamities they were under, even while the famine preyed upon themselves, after it had preyed upon the people, and indeed the multitude of carcases that lay in heaps one upon another, was an horrible sight, and produced a pestilential stench, which was an hinderance to those that would make sallies out of the city, and fight the enemy; but as those were to go in battle array, who had been already used to ten thousand murders, and must tread upon those dead bodies as they marched along, so were not they terrified, nor did they pity men as they marched over them;"

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Moving deeper into Book 6 Chapter 1, we learn that the siege ramps have finally been completed, and that the Romans have fortified them even stronger than before, out of fear that the Jewish insurrectionists might attempt to destroy them as they had done before. Yet the Romans have begun to lose their resolve, because it seems that no matter how many calamities and miseries befall the Jews, they just keep on fighting, and refuse to surrender. At the same time, Josephus explains that when Simon and the seditionists went out with torches in the hope of setting fire to the engines of war, it was not with the same unity or boldness that they had before. In the end, they were forced to retreat without having accomplished their goal.

With the siege ramps completed, the Romans brought in their battering rams and began pounding the wall near the tower of Antonia. Josephus notes that this particular wall was weak, and that the foundations of the tower itself were rotten. So after great effort, and while resisting the darts and stones which the Jews were throwing at them, the Romans were able to remove four of the foundation stones. With the battering rams still pounding the wall, and stones removed, the wall finally collapsed during the night. This was the third and final innermost wall of the city. Thus, Josephus writes in the following manner:

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"So, when the Jews were retreated, the Romans brought their engines, although they had all the while stones thrown at them from the tower of Antonia, and were assaulted by fire and sword, and by all sorts of darts, which necessity afforded the Jews to make use of, for although these had great dependence on their own wall, and a contempt of the Roman engines, yet did they endeavour to hinder the Romans from bringing them. Now these Romans struggled hard, on the contrary, to bring them, as deeming that this zeal of the Jews was in order to avoid any impression to be made on the tower of Antonia, because its wall was but weak, and its foundations rotten. However, that tower did not yield to the blows given it from the engines; yet did the Romans bear the impressions made by their enemies' darts which were perpetually cast at them, and did not give way to any of those dangers that came upon them from above, and so they brought their engines to bear. But then, as they were beneath the other, and were sadly wounded by the stones thrown down upon them, some of them threw their shields over their bodies, and partly with their hands, and partly with their bodies, and partly with crows, they undermined its foundations, and with great pains they removed four of its stones. Then night came upon both sides, and put an end to this struggle for the present; however, that night the wall was so shaken by the battering rams in that place where John had used his stratagem before, and had undermined their banks, that the ground then gave way, and the wall fell down suddenly."

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While part of the third and innermost wall had now collapsed, the Romans realized that John and his thugs had hastily built yet another wall behind it, although it did not appear to be nearly as strong as the actual city wall which had fallen. As for Titus, realizing that his men were hesitant to approach the new wall, he exhorted them with a long, flowery speech in which he played against their pride, and reminded them of the glorious rewards which those who die in battle receive in the afterlife. While his army became afraid upon learning of the danger they faced, a certain Syrian solder named Sabinus did the exact opposite and volunteered to be the first to to try to take the wall.

Sabinus was joined by eleven other soldiers, and despite the onslaught from the Jews on the wall, they made it to the top. While the Jews were initially driven back, they eventually were able to kill Sabinus, and the Roman endeavor to breach the wall failed. However, two days later, during the night, a band of Romans managed to quietly gain access to the top of the wall, where they slew the Jewish guards. Thus, they gained control of the wall. Relying upon a fear tactic, the Roman trumpeter blew his trumpet, which convinced the Jews that there were many more Romans upon the wall than there actually were. As a result, the remaining Jewish guards fled.

Titus and some of his select men soon joined the Romans who had breached the wall, and as the Jewish seditionists made a retreat towards the temple, a great battle ensued between Titus and the Romans, and the army of the seditionists which was comprised of both John of Giscala's men, and Simon bar Giora's men. Both sides understood the importance of taking the temple itself. And so, Josephus writes as follows:

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"But as soon as Caesar heard the signal, he ordered the army to put on their armour immediately, and came thither with his commanders, and first of all ascended, as did the chosen men that were with him. And as the Jews were flying away to the temple, they fell into that mine which John had dug under the Roman banks. Then did the seditious of both the bodies of the Jewish army, as well that belonging to John, as that belonging to Simon, drive them away; and indeed were no way wanting as to the highest degree of force and alacrity: for they esteemed themselves entirely ruined if once the Romans got into the temple, as did the Romans look upon the same thing as the beginning of their entire conquest. So a terrible battle was fought at the entrance of the temple, while the Romans were forcing their way, in order to get possession of that temple, and the Jews were driving them back to the tower of Antonia;"

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Please go to part eighteen for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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