Lecture 35. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Lecture 35. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated

Author

Morais, Sabato

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

12 pages on 5 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/p3sn01p40/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3sn01p40

Provenance

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

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx12FF4_15.xml

content

Post Biblical
35

The events which brought upon the throne in quick succession three shortlived Roman emperors, affected, in a measure, the political condition of affairs in Judea. Vespasian, who was about to lay seige against Jeru--salem when he heard the news that Nero had died by his own hands, suspended operations for a time. He ordered his son Titus, to go to Rome and present his homage and that of his army to the new emperor Galba. Titus set off accordingly, but having journeyed as far as Greece, learned that Galba, after a reign of only seven months had been murdered by a party who preferred Otho, and that the latter was elected Ruler. It is not impossible that Titus saw in the unsettled state of things government at home a chance for his father to wear the crown. He quickly returned hastened back to Judea to tell report what had happened at Rome. Mean--while it was reported the news spread abroad that Vitellius, who com--manded the Roman legions in Germany, had fought Otho, overcome all opposition and sat himself upon the throne. The hour had now struck for Vespasian to gratify his cherished ambition.

He was the idol of the army and with his faithful soldiers on his side he felt certain of success. The legions in Judea and Syria pro- saluted -claimed him emperor, and his friends at Rome prepared to support the choice with drawn swords. Vitellius was fought against and killed and he who had won many battles in the East, re--ceived the imperial mantle from the Senate in the West. But Vespasian in beco--ming chief of a vast empire, had not forgotten that his military honor was pledged to the con--quest of that small but indomitable people in a corner of Western Asia. He clothed with his power Titus, and ordered bid him not to pause till the Jews were humbled to the earth. The young general performed the paternal injunction but too well. To our sorrow and shame be it said, our ancestors helped the enemy by their internal quarrels, and dishonesty. conduct. The question was not how to thrust back the foreign heathen by a united resistance but how to make this or that party, which in turn contended for the mastery, gain the day.

The sacred Temple had become a battle field and where the voice of priests was raised to bless Israel, where Levites sang Davidic psalmody, profanity and blood shed shocked the worshippers. Simon son of Giorus jealous of the influence which John of Giskala exercised over a vast large number of the zea--lots, had responded to the call of a faction, that in--vited him to Jerusalem. A third party had arisen under the lead of Eleazar--the man who had declared it a crime to pay foreign tributes. The capital of Judea was in a wofully deplorable state, when the Passover of the year 70 of the vulgar era came near. Titus aided by King Agrippa II and other allies resolved to carry out his father's command order command. The helmeted steel clad legions, marched gathered from Alexandria, from Cesarea, from different places marched under his command with the most rigid discipline. They were made to halted on the historic hill Biblically called "Gibeah of Saul." From thence the turrets of the Temple might be seen at a looming up. distance Jerusalem was not far, and Titus, followed by six hundred fearless soldiers, attempted a feat of bravery.

He went forth to study the surroundings and determine where best to attack. He The gallant general met with no one, till he had drawn nearer, then the gate of a Temple-tower burst open, and a shower of javelins poured upon him. Our people had united to give the son of Vespasian such a reception as he Rome might long remember. How he That Titus fought his way out of that storm of arrows, can only must appear a miracle. Would that our fathers had interpreted that the singular incident as a sign from above of the danger they ran before a man superhumanly delivered! They might then have discovered their fatal errors, and joined forces to battle for country and religion. But they, on the contrary, imagined to have read a good omen. Titus had fled for his life. A happy sign prognostic! They would yet send his legions flying back to Rome covered with confusion. Ill-founded hopes! Passover arrived, and a countless number of Jews multitude from both sides of the Jordan and even from beyond the Euphrates flocked to the holy city, impelled by the memories of the days of national gladness, when, as told said by Isaiah, the festival was ushered in with a joyful heart, and at the

sound of the flue by those who hastened to the moun--tain of the Lord. But now sorrow and wailing awaited the pilgrims, for, as they sided with nay of the three contending parties, so they would they be harassed set upon by the others, and openly or secretly feel the dagger of the sicarii or assassins. Still, though the unity so good and so pleasant for brethren to dwell in,--a unity which, if brought about at first, might have accomplished wonders--was un--happily wanting, nevertheless the conquest that Titus eagerly as--pired to achieve was neither quickly not easily effected. nor easily We may search in vain the pages of history for a parallel to the five days' terrific fight in the month of Iyar or May of the year 70. That alone will stand, while time exists, as a testimony of a valor which nothing could daunt. It The struggle at Bezetha and Acra brings to lightthe daringness not of a few but of hosts of Hebrews that courted death to in the effort to throw dis--order and dread among the closed ranks of their enemies. I find no pleasure in the description of human slaughter, else I could tell vividly show how the unfailing aim of Jewish archers pierced through the ranks and files

and filled them with corpses, how Jewish shrewdness outwitted strategic skill, how Jewish intrepidity set engines of war on fire, how the general in chief--Titus himself--was forced to measure arms with Jewish combatants, who would have struck at his life. But I forbear; not however without asking such as deny our people courage, to read the events of the year 70 of the vulgar ear, and say whether the deeds of our ancestors at the seige of Jerusalem deserve the title of heroism. But matchless boldness could not overcome famine, and its horrid attendant-pestilence. The Talmud men-tions three rich men, Nakdimon, Calva Sabua, and Zizith Kesath, who vowed to supply Jerusalem with suffi--cient provision to last over twenty years, but unfortu--nate internal wranglings, which caused destruction of food, inimical fires that consumed it, and an im--mense population superadded to the ordinarily large number that devoured it, put it within reach of Rome to complete in a few months what might have defied cost her power a score of fatiguing years. Soon the besieged were reduced to put gnaw the very leather of their sandals, the fastenings

of their shields--so desperate was the hunger. The scenes pictured in the book of Kings at the seige of Samaria were reenacted with still greater horrors. more intense severity. Nor was there an Elisah to foretell predict a forthcoming salvation. A Jewish mother--once wealthy--crazed by starvation roasted her infant. The soldiers attracted by the smell demanded a portion of the meal. They fled horrified when told of what flesh that repast had been prepared. Then, again, the rite of burial, always so sacred among Jews could no longer be performed, when the seige became more pressing. The dead were heaped together in within the houses, or left buildings breeding poisonous vapors, or were left to decompose in the streets. Yet, the thought of laying down the arms was indignantly chased away. Titus bid Josephus more than once try his eloquence to persuade his countrymen into a surrender. Our historian raised on a height from which he could be heard, but which could not be easily reached by the listeners, harangued the people. His well rounded periods and his erd erudite arguments, received as an answer response a round of curses and a volley of stones. His coreligionists could not forgive one who boasted of a lineal descent form the Maccabees his enjoying Roman favors, while the besieged suffered untold agonies.

One by one they saw the walls of Jerusalem yield to the battering rams of the foe, and bury beneath the rain the choicest and most gallant of their war--riors. Thinned in their ranks, famished and sick, still they still disputed every inch of ground, and reddened it with the blood of the assailants. But now the summer of the year 70 had set in; thirst tormented our soldiers, and the seige fast-ened upon them with a violent pressure. They All that could fight had rallied in the fortress Antonia,--so called by Herod in honor of his friend Marc Antony--a stronghold which communicated with the Temple through an underground passage. So long as the holy edifice remained, the heart of the national heart beat hope--fully. Many an unfulfilled prediction was uttered to cheer the defenders of that fortress. It was a key to the sanctuary of Israel's God, the stranger could not come to its possession so it was believed. But after five days of a desperate resistance, the fortress Anotonia was stormed, and levelled razed to the ground. It was then the seventeenth of Tammuz, the beginning of the three

saddest weeks in our annals. The worship of at the Temple ceased. On the morrow, before the dawn had flung aside the veil of night, the Romans fell upon the Jewish sentinels. A panic ensued, but soon our people was up to fight drive back the assailants. The latter grew furious by reason of at the unexpected repulse, and their general became im--patient in his eagerness to crush under the iron heel of Rome, a country which had so long dared her redoutable armies. Where the fortress Antonia had stood lifted its turrets, Titus raised embankments from which to level his engines against the Temple. The Jews unsuccessful in their attempt to dislodge the enemy, set on fire with their own hands a portico in the Temple, which connected with the spot where the fortress Antonia had stood. They thought thus to harass the Romans, but these in revenge set fire on another portico. Then the Jews filled an enclosure with combusti--bles, and pretending to flee away lured into it the Romans, who many of whom perished in the flames which suddenly burst forth.

In vain had the battering rams beaten against the Western Wall of the Temple, in vain had the engines tried to undermine the foundations of the Northern gates. The Jews would hurl back the missiles, hurl down the soldiers in their escalades, they would even seize the Roman Eagle from the standard bearers and flaunt it defiantly. Titus cut to the quick by a resistance that baffled all his military skill, ordered that the gates of the Temple be set on fire. No sooner had the blazing torches been applied, than the silver plates heated up, the wood kindled, the whole exterior of the Sanctuary flamed up as a vulcans. The Jews saw the awful circle of fire closing around them, but did not move. They stood paralyzed by the terrific sight, not a hand was stretched forth to quench that conflagration. Through the whole night and the next day it raged and went on consuming. Titus at length ordered that it be extinguished, and that through the gates now reeking, a path be opened for the

advance of his legions.
I shall not continue this day a description already too harrowing to Jewish hearts. In my next lecture, I shall depict the final burning of the house of our God, the heroism of its defenders, and the utter desolation of Judea widowed of her Lord the shekinah bereft of her children.

Identifier

p3sn01p40

identifier

SMBx12FF4_15