Chapter 14 
The Fall of Jerusalem 
Josephus, Eyewitness Account 
    Josephus was one of the leaders of the Jews in the revolt against the Romans. He was eventually captured 
by the Romans and put in prison. When he was captured, he met Vespasian, the Roman general in charge of 
the war against the Jews. At that time, Josephus predicted that Vespasian would become emperor. Dio 
describes a number of portents which foreshadowed the rise of Vespasian to power.  These portents needed 
interpretation; but not so the saying of a Jew named Josephus: he, having earlier been captured by Vespasian 
and imprisoned, laughed and said: `You may imprison me now, but a year from now, when you have become 
emperor, you will release me.'  
1027
 Josephus himself gives an account of this prediction (but he does not 
mention a one year  time frame).
1028
 When Vespasian became emperor, he remembered the prediction of 
Josephus and had him released.
1029
 Josephus became a Roman citizen and for the rest of his life had the favor 
of the emperor Vespasian, as well as his sons Titus and Domitian (subsequent emperors of Rome). 
    Josephus was an eyewitness to the war between the Jews and the Romans, the war which ended with the 
destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. Josephus even went to Jerusalem, to speak to the Jews on 
behalf of the Romans, during the siege, after he had been released from prison. His eyewitness account 
provides strong evidence, which cannot be ignored in any chronology of the fall of Jerusalem. 
The Timeline of Events 
    Most of what Josephus tells us about this war is found in his work The Wars of the Jews. A few comments are 
found at the end of his work, The Antiquities of the Jews. The war began in Nero's 12th year, which was the 
second year of the reign of Florus over Judea.  Now this war began in the second year of the government of 
Florus, and the twelfth year of the reign of Nero. 
1030
 In his work  The Wars of the Jews, Josephus give a more 
precise account of the start of this war. He places the start of the war in the spring of Nero's 12th year:   at 
the same time began the war, in the twelfth year of the reign of Nero in the month of Artemissus [Iyar]. 
1031
In this revised chronology, the 12th year of Nero was the year 
A.D.
 51. 
    Josephus then details a number of events in this conflict, often citing the month, or month and day, when an 
event occurred. He mentions the  month of Lous [Ab]
1032
 (in the summer), the subsequent month of Gorpieus 
[Elul],
1033
 and the Feast of Tabernacles during the month of Hyperbereteus [Tishri]
1034
 (in the fall). These 
months must be contained within the 12th year of Nero's reign, for he mentions a subsequent event, a battle, 
which happened  on the eighth day of the month of Dius [Marhesvan], in the twelfth year of the reign of 
Nero. 
1035
 The month of Marhesvan (or Heshvan) is in the late fall. 
    Josephus then describes his own actions in preparing the Jews of Galilee for an all out war with the 
Romans.
1036
 These lengthy preparations must have occurred during the winter of Nero's 12th to 13th years, 
A.D.
 51/52. Spring is the time when kings go to war, so winter is the time when they prepare for war. Book 2 
of The Wars of the Jews ends with these preparations for war. Book 3 begins with Nero sending Vespasian to 
fight the war against the Jews, which therefore occurred in the spring of Nero's 13th year, 
A.D.
 52. As the 
events of Book 3 progress, Josephus mentions the month of Artemisius [Iyar],
1037
 and the month of Desius 
[Sivan].
1038
 These dates are followed by the date for the capture of the city of Jotapata,  in the thirteenth year 
of the reign of Nero, on the first day of the month of Panemus [Tamuz]. 
1039
 Thus Jotapata fell in the summer 
of 
A.D.
 52. Book 3 then ends with the mention of the month of Gorpiaeus [Elul].
1040
 Thus Book 3 ends in the 
late summer of Nero's 13th year, 
A.D.
 52. 
    Book 4 states in its title,  CONTAINING THE INTERVAL OF ABOUT ONE YEAR. 
1041
 Yet the 
timeline contained therein is clearly more than two years. Book 3 ends in late summer of 
A.D.
 52, so Book 4 
must begin in the fall of 
A.D.
 52. Book 4 contains the death of Nero
1042
 (June 
A.D.
 53), the death of Galba 
seven months later
1043
 (Jan. 
A.D.
 54), the death of Otho three months later
1044
 (April, 
A.D.
 54), the declaration 
of Vespasian as emperor by his troops, but before he obtained the throne
1045
 (summer 
A.D.
 54), and the 
215






footer




 

 

 

 

 Home | About Us | Network | Services | Support | FAQ | Control Panel | Order Online | Sitemap | Contact

catholic web hosting

 

Our partners: PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor Best Web Hosting Java Web Hosting Inexpensive Web Hosting  Jsp Web Hosting

Cheapest Web Hosting Jsp Hosting Cheap Hosting

Visionwebhosting.net Business web hosting division of Web Design Plus. All rights reserved