Daughter of My People: Jesus' Jerusalem destroyed

Chapter Ten

Antioch – Jamnia

A.D. 66

Meanwhile, at Antioch, the governor of the province of Syria, Cestius Gallus, who had been in this position three years now, has received some news. Three letters arrived concerning Jerusalem. Two are from Jerusalem and one from Caesarea.

Cestius Gallus guesses that the one from Caesarea is from Florus, the Prosecutor of Judea. He reads all these letters. Gallus decides to have an open mind about how to deal with the problems in Jerusalem.

So he goes down to the barracks in Antioch and he summons his captains. They came. He asks them to listen closely as he reads to them the first account of what's going on—Florus' letter. It accused the Jews of rebellion against Rome, spoke of the problems, and blamed it all on the Jews.

Then he reads the second account of what's going on, most likely the one from Bernice, King Agrippa II's sister. This letter said that all these problems are because of Florus, who is trying to pick a fight with the Jews. She also wrote about how he illegally whipped and crucified some Roman citizens.

Now that he has read both versions of what is happening lately, Gallus asks his captains about what actions should be taken. They speak of their opinions about how they respond. Both accounts can't be true at the same time. Only one could be right—or neither, in that case.

Some of them suggest that Cestius Gallus should go there with his army. If there really is a revolt, then they shall deal with that. If Florus is not playing by the rules set down by Rome, then they shall settle what is happening better off than Florus ever could.

Cestius Gallus considers this idea, but he concludes that it could be problematic. So his final decision is to send a trusted friend there and return with an authentic account of what is truly happening between Florus and the Jews. He sends for one of his tribunes,[26] Neopolitanus. He gives him the appointed errand. So he sets off for Jerusalem, a journey of like two weeks, generally.

+

King Agrippa II meets up with Neopolitanus at the town of Jamnia, northwest of Jerusalem about 20 miles or so. Agrippa asks the tribune who he is, and Neopolitanus explains this, and that he was sent from Cestius Gallus to find out what is happening in Jerusalem. He speaks also about the reports given by both Florus and Bernice, if indeed Gallus told him of this.

Agrippa had been at Alexandria, welcoming Egypt's new leader, and Agrippa was thus unaware of what was happening in Jerusalem. And when the emissary mentions Bernice, then the King recalls that he left his sister there. Now he really needs to go there.

[26] A tribune is an officer in charge of a Roman legion, which normally consists of 6,000 soldiers.