Daughter of My People: Jesus' Jerusalem destroyed

Chapter Fifteen

Jerusalem and around

A.D. 66

But things are really deteriorating back in Jerusalem. The events going on are so unlike what the Jewish rebels supposed would result from making the beloved city of Jerusalem non-Roman.

For one thing, the pagan people at Caesarea are killing off the Jewish people at Caesarea—and at the same hour when the Jews at Jerusalem massacred the Roman soldiers who were just leaving on that fateful Shabbat.

This, of course, enraged the Jews at Jerusalem, so they took attacks at many villages of the Syrians. Cities were being taken. Success after success after success! Some cities were torn down, others burnt down. There was a slaughter at Sabaste, Askelon, and Gaza by the Jews in their blind zeal for Israel.

Some Syrian cities that survived went and took the Jews in their cities and slew them out of suspicion. More bloody events occurred. Before long, Jews were fighting Jews, and out of greed and hope of plunder and other reasons. City streets were scattered with dead bodies.

It's not safe now. What is occurring? People betray each other to be murdered. Wickedness reigns over the land. As if the devil took control here.

At Scythopolis, a certain Simon bar Saul played the traitor and murdered Jews in the city. When he was caught up by the Jews, he pleaded that he slay himself. So after sympathy and raging and a brutal act of killing his whole family, then this Simon fellow publicly stabbed himself in the guts. Thus died a murderer of his own people.

Meanwhile, King Agrippa II went off to see CestiusGallus, governor of Syria. He went with all his companions—well, not all. He left Noarus in charge of affairs in his kingdom.

But things went wrong because of this man. Seventy innocent men were killed by Noarus (all for the hope of plunder, which he obtained), and he kept breaking the laws of the land. This later resulted in Agrippa having to dismiss him from being "Prosecutor" since the king lacked the courage to kill Noarus.

And the Jewish soldiers went in an attempt to take Macherus, the fortress where, many years ago, Herod Antipas, drunk, ordered the decapitation of John the Baptist. Now the Roman soldiers there were startled, so they left under some conditions.

The Egyptian city of Alexandria has a different story to tell.

But now Agrippa II has to tell Gallus to do something about this open rebellion. Everything is going out of control! If a check isn't left on the rebellion, the Jews could take over as much as they will!

And of course, the Jews are fighting among themselves. No one can fully secure the assumption that he or she is fully secure. One can be betrayed easily.