Battle of Beth Horon (66)
Battle of Beth Horon | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the First Jewish–Roman War | |||||||
Beit Horon | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Roman Empire |
Judaea Province | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Cestius Gallus |
Simon bar Giora Eleazar ben Simon Joshua ben Zafia Niger the Perean | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Legio XII Fulminata Vexilations from III Gallica, IIII Scythica and VI Ferrata Several cohorts of auxiliaries | Judean militias | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
20,000 troops | Tens of thousands | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
6,000 troops killed, XII Fulminata lost aquila | Unknown |
The Battle of Beth Horon was a military engagement fought in 66 CE between the Roman army and Jewish rebels in the early phase of the
Background
Roman influence in Judea
Rebellion within Judaea province
In 66 CE, long-standing Greek and Jewish religious tensions worsened after Jewish worshippers witnessed Greek civilians sacrificing birds in front of a local
.Intervention of the Syrian Legion
With an aim of crushing the rebels and restoring order,
The battle
Withdrawing towards the coast from Jerusalem, the Romans were closely pursued by rebel scouts. As they neared the pass of Beth Horon, they were ambushed and came under attack from massed missile fire and arrows. They were then suddenly rushed by a large force of rebel Judean infantry. The Romans could not get into formation within the narrow confines of the pass and lost cohesion under the fierce assault. The equivalent of an entire legion was destroyed, with 6,000 troops killed, many wounded, and the rest fleeing in disarray. Gallus succeeded in escaping with a fraction of his troops to Antioch by sacrificing the greater part of his army and a large amount of materiel.
Aftermath
After the battle, the Jewish rebels went through the Roman dead stripping them of their armor, helmets, equipment, and weapons. Soon after his return, Gallus died (before the spring of 67 CE), and was succeeded in the governorship by
This major Roman defeat encouraged many more volunteers and towns in Judea to throw their lot in with the rebellion. The Judean victory led to the establishment of the
A full-scale war was then inevitable. The shock of the defeat convinced the Romans of the need to fully commit to crushing the rebellion regardless of the effort it would require.[14] Emperor Nero and the senate then appointed Vespasian, the future Emperor, to bring the Roman army to Judea and crush the rebellion with a force of four Legions.
Literature
In Manda Scott's historical novel, Rome: The Eagle of the Twelfth, the author describes the Battle of Beth Horon and the destruction of the XII legion.[15]
References
- ^ "The Battle of Beth Horon". www.szdaily.com. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ Josephus, Flavius; Verard, Antoine (1492). "66 CE: Cestius, in retreat, leads his army to Beth-Horon (12 miles NW of Jerusalem), where they are set upon by anti-Roman Jewish rebels". New York Public Library. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ "Great Revolt (66-70 A.D.) - HistoriaRex.com". historiarex.com. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ Jasiński, Jakub. "Jewish war (66 - 73 CE) « IMPERIUM ROMANUM". Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ Marshall, Andrew (2020-10-24). "What was the First Jewish-Roman War (66-73 CE)?". Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ Sanford, Ward (2022-05-18). "When the Jews Defeated the Romans: The Battle of Beth Horon". Cry For Jerusalem. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ "Invisible Armies". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ "Simeon Bar Giora". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ Westera, Rick. "Historical Atlas of Eastern Mediterranean (January 68 AD): Zealot Temple Siege". Omniatlas. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
- ^ "The Wars of the Jews by Flavius Josephus". www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved Jan 21, 2023.
- ^ Josephus, War of the Jews
- ISBN 9781139020718. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ Goldsworthy, Adrian (2000). Roman Warfare. London: Cassell & Co.
- ^ Rome and Jerusalem; the Clash of Ancient Civilizations. Martin Goodman 2007. p 14
- ^ "The Eagle of the Twelfth (Rome, book 3) by M C Scott". www.fantasticfiction.com.
Bibliography
- Davis, Paul K. (2001). 100 Decisive Battles. Oxford University Press. ISBN 1-57607-075-1.
External links
Media related to Battle of Beth Horon (66) at Wikimedia Commons