Lecture 33. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Lecture 33. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated

Author

Morais, Sabato

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

10 pages on 4 sheets

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Language(s)

English

Source

Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Sabato Morais Collection, Box 12, Folder 4

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p39k46b9g/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p39k46b9g

Provenance

Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx12FF4_13.xml

content

Post Biblical
33

In giving at longer or shorter intervals an abridged account of what happened among our people after the events told in the book of Nehemiah--with which Bible history closes--I have had one object principally in view. I would enable those whom I am bound to instruct, to form an idea of the causes which were long largely latently at work to bring about the overthrow of our poli--tical nationality. As I believe in prophecy, and as I saw its finger point unerringly to the fatal consequences of our fathers' de--sertion from duty, I would show the origin of unequalled sufferings and of a world wide spread dispersion. For the fond--ness of copying heathen practices which called forth the burning denunciations of our leaders during the existence of the first sanctuary; that mania passion mania for imitating gentilism which so saddened our faithful guides during the second sanctuary, but which the good illustrious Mattathias the of Asmonean Modin changed for a time into a renewed love for Mosaic laws, that passion evil passion, I say woke again and ran riot under the wicked Herod. Nothing Jewish was sacred with that destroyer of the Asmonean family, and vile hireling of pagan Rome, who sat on a Jewish throne. And as he had defied religion, and had dared even to make and unmake high priests to seve serve his purposes,

so the conflicting parties that unhappily arose in later years, used the same foul means to reach their unrighteous ends. The man who was to minister in the holy of holies should must further their nefarious schemes. His fitness for the solemn office was not studied. Lots were cast to choose him, and the least qualified he proved himself, the more was he liked most because the more readily he could readily become a toll in the hands of those who had clothed him with the ephod and the mitre. The Mishnah hints at the low pitch to which the station once held by Aaron had been reduced, when it writes that on the eve of the day of atonement the high priest who was not familiar with the Bible had a person appointed to read it for him. But worse than that is related by in Josephus. A certain Phan--nias who had never known the first requisites of a priest, but who engaged in tilling the ground ,was taken from the plough and mockingly placed before the altar, to the profound grief of all who ye respected yet the worship of God. But while I have thought it necessary th to vindicate the dealings of the Lord with Israel, and to prove the predictions of our Moses and the prophets true;

while I would never cover up public offenses, but on the contrary I would always expose them in their naked uggliness for to the abhorrence of the virtuous, still I should have been false to history and have wronged my people not to have by not having had I failed to direct the attention of my hearers to deeds of unsurpassed valor; to a bravery which made the fall disruption breaking up of our na--tionality not a record of disgrace, but the grandest sublimest of all epic poems. I specially desired that they young might feel a noble pride on remembering that the blood coursing in through their veins is the blood of heros. For the systematic persecution of ages may have humbled to the dust some of the descendants of the fearless defenders of home and country, but the study of the past ought to be even to such a lever of self-exaltation convince all that manliness is the heritage of Hebrews. Jotapata has a historic name which electrifies our beings, and I have set it forth as an illustration of self-denying greatness, but other cities in ancient Judea possess chronicles which undying fame has written down traced in golden letters. Let me speak of Gamala in famous Galilee. An odd city was that Gamala. Situated on a steep rock, sloping down at on each and side, and

having in the middle a rough ridge, like the hump of a camel, from which the city, derived its name appellation, (Gamla), it seemed to dare the approach say to the enemy: "I dare you" of an enemy The Jews had built dug ditches around, to cut off approach, and mines under the ground. The inhabitants of that weird spot, made hardy by their surroundings, were looked upon as undaunted mountaineers. From their midst had gone forth the intrepid Judah the Gaulanite, who proclaimed it a sin it a sin that to pay taxes to a foreign enemy. was a sin Agrippa II--a creature of the Romans--had tried in vain to bring again under his power sway that uncom--promising city. which It had revolted against his power, and its revolutionary revolutionary and whose example he dreaded, because of was a threat to menace menace to his own territories lying which lay close to by it. Vespasian brought to bear against it to bear on Gamala all that military science could project. The best legions best skif skilfully mar--shalled were ordered to level at at against it engines of des--truction. King Agrippa emboldened by the assist--ance of Rome, ventured out upon an eminence to exhort the dwellers of Gamala not to attempt a useless resistance, but to submit to superior forces, as others had yielded. The speaker received as the wages of his advice, a stone hurled by an archer from a high wall,

and which broke his shattered broke the speaker's his right arm. Vespasian having who arrived at the expiration of seven months during which Agrippa had been beseiging Gamala, found the belleaguered much considerably weakened, but yet not cowed and inti--midated. The inhabitants numbered only nine thou--sands persons, and there were among them aged men, wo--men and children, who necessarily exhausted a large portion of the provision. This circumstance occasioned deep concern. Recognizing the impossibility to stand bear the brunt of the military war machines of the Romans, and anxious to bring the seige to an end and prevent starvation, the defenders of Gamala retired from behind the walls, and took their stand where they might fight back the invading army with a steady aim. For the city had narrow and winding streets, its houses rose one above the other on the declivity of the rugged hills, and which, seen at a distance, appeared as if sus hanging in the air. In those ill-shaped and perplexing streets, and on the tops of the hills where those oddly queerly built houses stood, the Jews awaited. The walls fell from which they had withdrawn soon gave away fell at the shocks of the battering rams, and the Roman cohorts rushed on into the city with wild shouts of triumph. into the city They met Judean swords

swords, sharp and pointed. They turned to the mount--ains, Judean lances from above forced thrust them down into ravines the valley. They ran into houses, but the upper ones gave way by the weight of the steel clad Roman soldiers, and those underneath came tumbling with a crash, and buried hun--dreds in their ruins. The people of Gamala took up the stones of their broken dwellings. to beat Like an avalanche they came to overwhelm their assailants, entangled in streets lanes and gorges from which they could not find an issue. Vespasian himself, who from a distant height had been an eye witness of what happened, was profoundly affected. and Instinctively, and without being perceived, came he drew nigh to mingle in the combat. He was exposed to imminent danger, for Javelins whizzed on all sides. The Roman general was exposed to imminent danger. To screen himself protect his life form the missiles hurled by the Galileans, he ordered his few followers to keep close to him and with their shields form a screen round their heads against the storm of stones and lances. At length, the fury of that storm tempest of darts abated, and the Romans retreated. Terrible was the loss they sustained was terrible, but not less terrible was their vengeance.

For Soon food became very scarce and water failed at Gamala. The feeble and the helpless moaned, and those the men able to bear with the sorest privations, prepared to meet death and while measuring arms with the heathens rather than sink from hunger and thirst. One morning day towards the end of September of the year 67 before the at early dawn, three Roman soldiers with levers in hand crept unseen under a tower, and while Roman legions diverted the attention of the Jews by a pretended feigned attack, those soldiers loosened five struck away five huge stones form that tower and fled away quickly fled. Then the enemy by its maneuvers attracted enticed the besieged to the weakened spot. The tower rolled down, with its brave gallant defenders. Titus who gave the assault, opened himself a passage into the city and sez siezed a commanding by the aid of his cavalry seized a position which made him master of the situation. Cautioned by a former defeat, he sur--rounded Gamala with consummate prudence. The Galileans rushed to arms. Many A host of them hastened to take refuge in a fortress on a summit of a rock, where their wives and children had gathered. A whirlwind blowing in their faces, prevented their javelins from being levelled at the Romans. Made frantic by despair those unhappy men took laid hold of the creatures they loved most and threw

them into the valley ravines below that the foe might not add insult to injury. Resistance became impossible, still, struck but so likewise many but so also was submissive. Many unsheathed their swords to strike down the advancing Romans and then cast themselves headlong into precipices. Many sought death into caves, where starvation consumed awaited them. All that could be found alive were massaredcred by Titus and his father Vespasian. They future emperors at the eternal city would thus revenge the losses which a small despised city of small in size and of few inhabitants had inflicted upon the redoutable army sent by Rome to conquer unsub- freedom-missive loving Judea. Gamala, like Jotapata, remained a monument of Latin vengeance. But the deserted hills which environed it, told of the heroism of the five thousands who had mounted their rugged crags to hurl back the steel clad veterans of the proud empire. Joseph Salvador whose florid style suports gives a high color historical description a high colour, thus concludes his narrative of the trials and daring of Gamala. "Woe to nations whose hearts are not touched by the resistance and fall of Gamala.

Generous deeds do not belong to the spot alone in which they were enacted; ages do not lessen their grandeur. In the memory of posterity, the noble brave noble dead resurrect resuscitate. NOt without cause has glory, gained by [?] bravery, been called 'immortal'".

Identifier

p39k46b9g

identifier

SMBx12FF4_13