First Jewish-Roman War

The First Jewish Roman War (66-73 CE), or Great Jewish Revolt, was the beginning of a series of conflicts that took place in Judaea between 66-135 CE.
After two Legions were overwhelmed, Vespasian was sent with four Legions to suppress the Revolt during which the Second Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 CE.

The War started in 66 CE, when a Revolt against Taxation resulted in the Garrison being overwhelmed and King Agrippa II and the Roman Provincial Government expelled.

Nero sent the Governor of Syria, Cestius Gallus, who took the Legio XII Fulminata to Judaea to restore order. He realised he was outnumbered and returned to Syria, but on its return the Legion was ambushed and defeated at the Battle of Beth Horon, where an estimated 6,000 soldiers were killed.
67 CE Vespasian and his son Titus were then ordered to quell the revolt with 4 Legions, totaling approximately 60,000 Soldiers.

Vespasian took the Legio X Fretensis, the Legio V Macedonica, the Legio XV Apollinaris and the reconstituted Legio XII Fulminata.
Vespasian used Caesarea Maritima as his Operational Base.
In 67 CE Josephus described the Siege of Jotapata (Yodfat), by three Legions, which was conquered after 47 days and 40,000 of its inhabitants slain. During the siege, the Romans used hot oil on the defenders.
By 68 CE He had conquered each town in the north separately, and proceeded to capture the towns along the coastline. Meanwhile the Rebels concentrated in Jerusalem where a civil war was being fought between the Zealots and the Sicarii.
69 CE Vespasian left Judaea in the Year of the Four Emperors to become the fourth Roman Emperor, leaving his son Titus to fight the War.

In 70 CE, the Siege of Jerusalem was conducted by Titus and took seven months. Inside Jerusalem, anybody attempting to flee was crucified, resulting in up to 500 crucifixions each day. According to Tacitus, the population inside Jerusalem had reached 600,000 people. Eventually the Zealots and the Sicarii stopped fighting each other, and united against the Romans.
Finally, after three of the Walls had been breached, the City was defeated and then burnt.
Amongst other buildings, was the Destruction of the second Temple of Jerusalem built by Herod, with only the Wailing Wall remaining today.

In 71 CE Titus returned to Rome.
The Arch of Titus in Rome, built to celebrate this victory, shows the soldiers carrying the treasure from the Temple of Jerusalem which was used to pay for the Colosseum in Rome.
It is thought that prisoners from this War were used to help construct the Colosseum and the Canal of Titus in Syria.

In 71 CE, the new Governor Bassus, set out to successfully destroy all resistance in the south.
In 72 CE, his successor, Silva, besieged the last bastion of resistance, the mountain top Fortress of Masada. He used the Legio X Fretensis and its Auxiliaries, totaling 10,000 soldiers. He built fortifications around the Fortress to prevent any rescue or escape, and proceeded to build a Ramp up the side of the mountain.
In 73 CE, the Wall was finally breached, but out of the 967 defenders, only 7 had not committed suicide.
The Ramp and fortress ruins can still be seen today.

The First Jewish Roman War or Great Jewish Revolt (66-73 CE) led to two more wars.
The Second Jewish Roman War, more often referred to as the Kitos War (115-117 CE).
The Third Jewish Roman War, often referred to as Bar Kokhba's Revolt (132-5 CE)

Originally all male Jews between the ages of 14 to 62 years old had to pay an annual Tax of one half shekel to the Temple of Jerusalem.
After the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, Vespasian made the Tax payable by all practicing Jews towards the construction of the Temple of Jupiter in Rome.
After 96 CE, Nerva excused the Christians from paying the Tax, as up to then, the Romans did not distinguish between Jews and Christians.
This was the beginning of Rome recognising Christianity as a separate Religion.

Josephus The Wars of the Jews (published in 75 CE)
- He is the main source for the description of this War.
- Josephus was a commander in the Judean Army at Galilee, who was captured after the six week Siege of Jotapata, by the Legio XV Apollinaris He then agreed to negotiate with the Judeans, acting for the Roman Commander Titus. After the War, he went to Rome where he was given Roman Citizenship and a pension. He became a Historian, and his Patrons were Vespasian and his son Titus.

Jerusalem