To the Death

by Peter R. Hall

  John, even though he was suspicious of Simon, gave his permission and opened the Temple doors. Differences set aside they united under a joint command.

  Their first action was to carry hundreds of firebrands to the top of the wall and fling them against the half-finished towers. At the same time, other men concentrated on continuously bombarding the Romans manning the rams. In the confusion created by these attacks, Jewish volunteers sprinted out of the city and attacked the Romans operating the stone throwing artillery. Against this sudden and determined attack, Titus was forced to defend his war machines by bringing up a troop of cavalry supported by several cohorts of archers.

  In an effort to protect the teams operating the rams from the deluge falling from above, he ordered that a protective roof be constructed. In all of this chaos it was the newly deployed Arab archers who were the most effective, laying down a continuous covering fire. But the wall did not yield. In fact it showed no signs of doing so. The Jews, keeping to the city walls, continued to watch the Romans who had returned to their various tasks around their camps. No sooner had order and calm been restored, than the Jews launched another assault.

  A thousand strong, armed with swords, each man also carrying a torch, burst out of the city. Like wolves attacking a stag, they flew across the open ground. Within minutes the partially constructed platforms were blazing. With scarcely a pause, they charged the artillery, flinging fiercely burning torches onto them. The Roman front line infantry that answered the call to arms was routed by advancing Jews.

  Amid the burning artillery a furious battle developed. The Romans were desperate to save their war machines. The Jews, equally determined to destroy them, were joined by more and more Jews charging out of the city to join the battle. Roman trumpeters urgently sounded the call for reinforcements. Mucianus, who had been at one of the other camps, arrived on a lathered horse to take command, its tribune having been mortally wounded. The Roman legionaries, who had a reputation for bravery and success, rallied to their new general in order to face an enemy that was beginning to get the upper hand.

  With burning timber crashing round them and thousands of screaming Jewish warriors flinging themselves against their line, the Tenth Legion surpassed even its reputation for courage under fire. Mucianus, knowing that the scales were tipping against him and that he was now hopelessly outnumbered, was unable to retreat. The Jews having cut him off from the main camp forced the veteran general decided to make a stand. The trumpeters blared his orders and six thousand legionaries responded as one man. The legion started to manoeuvre, revolving and tightening; always facing the enemy, it presented a wall of shields. Within minutes the entire Roman force had formed a square of interlocking shields bristling with long spears, their butts driven into the dry stony earth.

  Over the tops of this barricade twelve thousand eyes, shaded by the iron of their owners’ helmets, viewed the Jews implacably. A challenge the rebels accepted with relish, throwing themselves fearlessly against their enemy, hurling spears as they ran forward sword in hand.

  This compacted mass of struggling men was suddenly split when at last Titus, at the head of his entire cavalry resources, arrived on the scene.

  They charged the swirling mass of men at full gallop. At virtually point blank range they hurled javelins into the densely packed body of Jews who, because of the deafening noise of the battle, had not heard them coming. Three times the circling riders plunged their javelins into their enemy, before drawing their long cavalry swords, sweeping in to harvest an enemy caught between two fires. Now it was the turn of the Jews to seek a way back. Under constant attack from Titus’ cavalry who herded them like sheep, they fought their way to the safety of the city, bitter in defeat, knowing how close they had come to a famous victory. The battered Romans, shaken by the engagement, were forced to acknowledge their opponent with grudging respect.

  A few days later, when they started to repair their artillery and to rebuild the platforms, they did so under the protection of two legions in full armour. As the days passed, the frustrated Jews could only watch as the monstrous towers were completed. Then, under the covering fire of Syrian and Arab archers, they were inexorably inched into position. Up to this point the Jews had stood up to everything the Romans had thrown at them. Courageously they had successfully taken the fight to them, but from the outset the introduction of the towers caused them great problems. The highest stories overlooked the wall, and the Romans on them were out of range of the Jewish spear throwers. This enabled the Romans, firing downwards, to hit the rebels with a veritable blizzard of stones, arrows and javelins that swept the Jews from that section of the wall where the rams were beginning to take effect.

  The biggest of the rams, nicknamed Satan by the Jews, eventually opened up a vertical fissure that was widening with every blow. The Jewish defenders, exhausted by constant fighting and little sleep, decided that as there were two more walls further back they would retreat. Instead of defending the gap opened up by the ram, they gave way to the Roman infantry, who plunged through the opening and fought their way to the gates that the rebels had abandoned. With the gates captured, the way was clear for Titus’ forces to storm into the northern suburbs that Cestius had destroyed.

  Titus quickly consolidated his gain, establishing his army between the two walls as far as the Kidron Valley. With his archers manning the walls they had taken, the engineers set about turning the recaptured artillery round to face the second wall to which the Jews had retreated. Titus, calling up reserves, was then able to relieve the troops who had made the breakthrough and send out soldiers to probe the enemy’s strength who, having fallen back, set up a determined defence of the second wall.

  With John’s men fighting from the Antonia and the northern colonnade of the temple, Simon’s brigade occupied the approach near the tomb of John the High Priest. Importantly, he was defending the ground as far as the gate through which water was taken into the Hippicus Tower. The Jews, having retreated to the second wall, now counter attacked, mounting a series of sorties to fight the Romans at close quarters. This hand to hand combat in the confined area between the two walls was brutal and bloody, with neither side able to get the upper hand. The Jews, fiercely attacking in strength throughout the day, left nothing untried in an attempt to defeat their enemy. Only nightfall brought a halt to their efforts. Then, at first light, the battle restarted.

  During the night Titus had replaced his front line troops with fresh fighters; a distinct advantage over the Jews who did not have his depth of reserves. Having done so, he now went on the offensive, pushing relentlessly against a tiring opponent. In the coming nights his artillery targeted the Jews with firebombs. As these flaming missiles burst against the walls or landed on the ground immediately behind where the Jews were trying to rest, they had the desired effect. The Jewish defenders got no sleep. Four days later the exhausted Jews abandoned the second wall and Titus entered the area known as the New City.

  In an effort to bring the fighting to an end, Titus gave orders that prisoners were not to be killed and the troops were not to pillage the houses. Under a flag of truce he offered to meet the rebel army outside the city to discuss terms. Either way the Temple, the city and its civilians would suffer no further harm. The citizens who longed for peace wanted to accept this offer, but the rebels refused it. Threatening the civilians with execution, they resumed the fight. The renewed conflict took the Romans into a warren of narrow streets that the Jews knew intimately. This knowledge enabled them to outflank the Romans. Fearing they would be trapped, the Romans tried to withdraw but were held up. The Jews, fighting like mad men, relentlessly attacked their enemy from every side, coming at them in sudden rushes from side alleys and then attacking them head on in desperate hand to hand fighting.

  As the Roman legionaries started to die in increasing numbers, the Jews escalated the pressure - but not without a price. Their reckless courage cost them lives in equal measure.

  Forced back to the second
wall, the Romans were trapped. They had not widened the earlier breaches, and with the Jews virtually locked against them, they dared not turn to scramble through these narrow gaps.

  Titus saved the day, bringing up archers that he placed on the rooftops and at the ends of the street. Here he made a stand with one of the centurians, Gaius Iovis, who once again proved himself. Together they held the line with Titus directing volleys of arrows against the rebels; a constant barrage that pinned the Jews down. Under this covering fire, the last of the legionaries finally got clear.

  The rebels’ success at driving the Romans out of the city convinced them that when the Romans mounted another attack they would defeat them again.

  The Roman counter attack, when it came, was with overwhelming force that was met bravely by the Jews, who resisted the Romans for three bloody days that saw thousands die on both sides. On the fourth day, Titus threw everything he had at the enemy and crushed the last vestiges of resistance.

  To regain control of the second wall, he set about demolishing it at the northern end. To ensure he wouldn’t be pushed back again, he garrisoned the towers on the portion of the wall that he allowed to stand. Titus knew, however, that taking the third wall was going to be exceptionally difficult. After he had thought about it, he offered the rebels a ceasefire, so that they could discuss amongst themselves terms of surrender.

  Mucianus suggested to Titus that this temporary cessation of hostilities could be turned to their advantage. It was an opportunity, he said, to display the full might and power of Rome in a peaceful way. At the same time, what he had in mind would provide an enormous morale booster to the army. With the plan explained, Titus roared with laughter and clapped him on the shoulder telling him to get on with it.

  Mucianus gave orders that there would be a full inspection of the army by its commanding general, to include the awarding of citations and battle honours, immediately followed by a pay parade. All of this was to take place in full view of the enemy.

  A week later, Jewish spectators would be packed the full length of the old wall and the north side of the Temple. People would crowd rooftops. Every window would hold watching eyes. Every vantage point in the city would be packed with spectators to witness a sight that would take several days to unfold.

  First the Pioneer Corps built a reviewing platform, shaded with a giant awning. In the middle of this was placed a golden throne flanked by two silver thrones, whose appearance was as much as a surprise to Titus as it was to the Jews. As Mucianus observed later “Don’t ask sir. The engineers have their ways and means.” They then levelled the ground for two miles in every direction to parade ground standards. At discreet intervals latrines were dug and screened. Stables were established. Prefabricated buildings were brought on site to hold stores of food and provide temporary shelter. Water was piped in. Each side of the reviewing platform was flanked by the pavilions of the heads of the supporting auxiliaries. Chief among these was that of King Agrippa and Queen Berenice, who flew her own standard.

  To discourage any interference with these preparations, two hundred pieces of artillery were positioned ready for instant use. These were supported by an Arab force of two thousand auxiliary horse archers who kept up a constant patrol of the whole area. An elite wing of Roman cavalry, decked out in all its finery, made its presence known with showy charges, swords flashing in the sunlight. When all was ready, column by column, thirty thousand legionaries in full battle armour marched out; five legions, each with its own eagle and battle standards, drums beating. The crimson capes of its mounted officers, flowing across the haunches of their mounts, passed in front of Titus flanked by Mucianus and King Agrippa.

  It took two hours for this glittering spectacle of gleaming armour and weapons to pass before Titus who, with his second-in- command Mucianus and King Agrippa, scorning the seats provided, stood to take the salute. It was a sight that awed the citizens of Jerusalem and caused the rebels to tighten their lips. Over the next four days, in accordance with custom, tables were set up and chests of gold and silver coins were brought out. In turn the men came forward and in full view of the watching Jews, each man had the money due to him counted - his to take away or have banked for him by the Optios who supervised the proceedings.

  On day five, as the rebels had not responded to his offer of peace, Titus began building more platforms, planning to invade the Upper City by assaulting the Antonia. Josephus, who had received word that the rebels had imprisoned his parents and his brother, was determined to make one last appeal to them. Raised up on a partially completed platform he proclaimed “If you do not accept the peace the Romans offer you, you will die. Not because you turn your back on Caesar, but on God. Yes God. We, the children of Abraham, God’s chosen people, have only one purpose in life - to honour and obey His Holy Law. To do unto others, as you would be done by, for thereby hangs the whole of the law. What have you done? Not to the Romans but your fellow Jews. There is no crime so vile it has been left undone. You are ruled over by the scum of nations; blasphemers who have spilt the blood of the innocent on the sacred altar, who have fouled this hallowed spot beyond redemption, beyond salvation. This Holy place, respected by the Romans out of regard for our customs and laws, you have turned into a place unfit for the keeping of pigs. It is not the Romans you should fear but the God of your fathers who even now, you wretched depraved people, will not abandon you.

  Lay down your weapons and ask God not the Romans for mercy.

  For the Almighty has left this place for ever.

  Was this not foretold?

  You were warned, but would not listen.

  Deaf to the prophets He sent you.

  The prophecy of the destruction of the Holy City and His Temple was foretold before your grandfathers were born.

  And now the time has come, when the living will envy the dead and only the truly repentant will find salvation”.

  A moment of silence followed this appeal. It was if a judgement was in the balance. Finally, it was broken by an atavistic howl and the sibilant hiss of stones showering down. Knocked to the ground, Josephus was saved by the cohort standing by, who rushed to shelter him with their shields.

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  With tears running down his cheeks, Josephus ended his appeal. Unmoved, the rebels hurled jeers and catcalls at the despondent figure trudging slowly back to the Roman lines. Those citizens who had managed to find a place on the wall were horrified at the outcome. As they spread the news of what they regarded as a disastrous outcome, panic set in. With no hope of a peace settlement, more people were determined to flee the city and throw themselves on the mercy of the Romans. Property was sold for what it would fetch. The most treasured of valuable possessions went the same way. The only currency that held its value was gold coin.

  The hundreds of criminal gangs operating in the city muscled in wherever they could, to take advantage of this desperate situation. The lucky ones who were allowed to leave the city, having paid the rebels a substantial bribe, were not allowed to take anything with them. To foil them, they swallowed gold coins with every member of the family helping to cheat the robbers, planning their recovery once they were safely out of the city.

  When these refugees reached the Roman lines, Titus ordered that after questioning they were to be allowed to go where they wished. A few, daunted by the prospect of trekking in to the desert with no possessions, except those which could be recovered from their bowels, returned to Jerusalem.

  As the months stretched into years, people began to lose their reason as the famine grew worse. Criminal gangs roamed the city in search of food, breaking into houses and ransacking them. The terrified occupants, too weak to resist, were tortured to reveal what they did not have. The lengths these gangs would go to in forcing people to give them food beggared belief. Victims were judged by their appearance. If they were fat, obviously they had access to secret stores of food. If they were wasted, they were not worth bothering with. Those who still had gold exchanged it for a single
measure of corn. That valued each grain as being worth its weight of that precious metal. Having traded in secret, they ate in secret. In fear of discovery, no table was laid. Partially baked bread was grabbed from the oven and hastily gobbled, in fear of it being snatched from their mouths.

  The rebels who had commandeered the city’s remaining stores of food, refused to share them with the general population, arguing that they needed them to keep their soldiers fighting fit.

  The armed gangsters roaming the city stayed well clear of the rebels. These depraved savages would stop at nothing to satisfy their needs. They killed the old for a crust. No mercy was shown to the young. Infants were casually swung against a wall, heads cracked like egg shells on unyielding stone. Worse still, this barbarous tribe harboured psychopaths who killed and maimed to satisfy nameless appetites. Monsters any normal society would either have put down or kept chained. Rape and murder were commonplace.

  These outcasts lived on a staple diet of rats - huge beasts as big as cats, fat and sleek from feeding on the thousands of corpses rotting in the streets.

  As the ordinary citizens suffered at the hands of criminal scum, men of wealth were rounded up by Simon and John to face trumped up charges of treason. Paid informers denounced them, claiming they were planning to flee the city.

  Taken to cellars, these men usually disclosed where they had hidden their wealth. If the sight and sounds of their loved ones having the instruments of torture applied didn’t do the trick, they themselves were subjected to them. Having secured what they wanted from these unfortunates, the rebels killed them and their families, and flung their bodies into the street. Like hyenas, they ripped the carcass of the Holy City to pieces.

  No city in the past or in the future would be visited by such bestiality. No generation would give birth to such evil. The depraved behaviour of the Jewish rebel leaders meant they would stand at the bar of history, revealed to the world as the worst of humanity - fundamentalists, fanatics, terrorists and ruthless warlords who destroyed the Holy City, the Temple and the Nation of Israel.