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Battle of Beth Horon (66)

 

 
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The Battle of Beth Horon was a battle fought in 66
66

Year 66 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar....
 CE between Roman and Jewish forces and was one of the decisive battles in the First Jewish-Roman War
First Jewish-Roman War

The first Jewish-Roman War , sometimes called The Great Revolt , was the first of three Jewish-Roman wars by the Jews of Iudaea Province against the Roman Empire ....
. It convinced the Romans of the need to counter the public humiliation by a full and thorough punishment of the rebels. It was the first major Jewish victory in war as Jewish forces under Elazar ben Yair defeated much better equipped forces under Cestius Gallus
Cestius Gallus

Gaius Cestius Gallus was the son of a consul in ancient Rome and himself a suffect consul in 42.He was Legatus of Syria from 63 or 65. He marched into Judea in 66 in an attempt to restore calm at the outset of the Great Jewish Revolt....
. It is estimated that the Jews were outnumbered and few were equipped with shields.






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The Battle of Beth Horon was a battle fought in 66
66

Year 66 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar....
 CE between Roman and Jewish forces and was one of the decisive battles in the First Jewish-Roman War
First Jewish-Roman War

The first Jewish-Roman War , sometimes called The Great Revolt , was the first of three Jewish-Roman wars by the Jews of Iudaea Province against the Roman Empire ....
. It convinced the Romans of the need to counter the public humiliation by a full and thorough punishment of the rebels. It was the first major Jewish victory in war as Jewish forces under Elazar ben Yair defeated much better equipped forces under Cestius Gallus
Cestius Gallus

Gaius Cestius Gallus was the son of a consul in ancient Rome and himself a suffect consul in 42.He was Legatus of Syria from 63 or 65. He marched into Judea in 66 in an attempt to restore calm at the outset of the Great Jewish Revolt....
. It is estimated that the Jews were outnumbered and few were equipped with shields. However, with the use of burning arrows and mass infantry charges, the Jews managed to destroy an entire Roman legion and Emperor Nero was forced to send in reinforcements.

Background

Roman
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
 influence in Judea
Judea

Judea or Jud?a is the name given to the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel , an area now divided between Israel and the West Bank ....
 first began around 63 B.C., when the Roman general Pompey
Pompey

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'p?mpi/, Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir , was a distinguished military and political leader of the late Roman Republic....
 arrived in the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
, conquered it, and proceeded to install a governor of the area. Throughout the next century, Judea was ruled by a series of Roman governors and rulers, which eventually led up to the reign of King Herod
Herod the Great

Herod , also known as Herod I or Herod the Great , was a Roman Empire client state of Israel. Herod is known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and other parts of the ancient world, including the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple....
. Herod, with views that conflicted with the Jewish beliefs
Judaism

Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts....
, as well as his brutal actions towards them (including the so-called Massacre of the Innocents
Massacre of the Innocents

File:Giotto-innocents.jpgThe Massacre of the Innocents is an episode of mass infanticide by the King of Iudaea Province, Herod the Great, that appears in the Gospel of Matthew ....
) helped increase a dislike of the Romans from the Jewish people. During Herod's time in power, the number of bandit gangs increased by a large number. While withdrawing he was defeated at Beth-horon and lost 1 Legion (XII Fulminata) about 5,300 infantry and 480 cavalry, at the hands of Eleazar ben Yair. During his retreat to the coast he was closely pursued and harassed until and being forced to battle near Beth Horon, and only succeeded in making good his escape to Antioch by sacrificing the greater part of his army and a large amount of war material.