"The Fall of Jerusalem" Book Review

(Written by Ben)

Recently for a school assignment, I read “The Fall of Jerusalem” by Josephus. This is a non-fiction book that tells the story of the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The book is written from the perspective of a man named Josephus. Josephus was originally a rebel until he was captured by the Romans and made a Roman negotiator.

The Battle:

Between the years 66 A.D. and 70 A.D. there was a Hebrew rebellion against their occupiers, the Romans. The obvious smell of rebellion had been clear to the Romans for quite some time. However, they did not know when this outbreak would occur, and indeed grossly underestimated the military might of the Jews, their passion, and their willingness to die for their cause. When the outbreak occurred, the Jews managed to chase the Romans from the city of Jerusalem. However, reinforcement troops were sent by Emperor Vespasian under the command of General Titus. They were given a clear objective: “Accept offered surrender, but if there is none, then take the city by whatever means necessary.” Emperor Titus took 35 legions (70,000 soldiers) and stormed the city that had an estimated 10,000 rebels. Both armies had some advantages; the Romans had strength in numbers, were better trained, and had more highly technological equipment to assist their cause. On the other hand the rebels were in a walled city. The Romans used a style of warfare known as “siege warfare,” a technique that involved surrounding a city so that no one can make it out alive, and then starving your adversaries out.

The lesson

The book has given me some incredible insight into the struggles of the Jewish people. It always perplexed me why at Jewish weddings, a very joyful event; the groom will smash a wine glass with his foot. This is so that even in times of joy, the Jews will never forget the grief their ancestors experienced and the providence of God in preserving their people.

There was some general knowledge I learned from reading this book. I always knew that siege warfare was a very brutal process; however this book has given me great insight into the horrors of this technique of warfare. I have much respect for the fact that the portrayal of these horrors were indeed written by a man who witnessed them.

I also learned many good spiritual lessons from this book. One thing I learned is that unless we are living in harmony with the Lord, we cannot expect his blessings on us. In this book, the Jews were trying to win this battle on their own strength. They had rejected God (by crucifying His Son) and yet expected his blessings on their day of trial. One of my favorite parts of the book was a speech made by the author to his rebellious colleagues. He pleaded with them to see the error of their ways and the futility of their cause. He gave them a summarized history of the Jewish people, a history of their rebellion against God. He explained that they were trying to win this battle alone, without God, on their own strength. He stated that even now that the siege had begun, if they surrendered, the Romans would take the city without plunder or torture. But if the Romans had to take the city by storm, the torture and plunder would nearly wipe out their people. His plan of surrender would have spared the temple, and saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews; but Josephus was instead mocked and ignored.

I admired the character of Josephus in this book. Some would consider him a traitor to the Jewish people for switching sides. But in reality, Josephus was captured by the enemy and given a choice between death and being a negotiator. He chose to take the position that would give him an opportunity to help save his people from extermination. He stood by his convictions that any godless endeavor was futile and would not succeed. History has proven him right.

On the other hand, one man that I did not really care for was General Titus. He did not command the burning of the temple, but when he saw it happening, he did very little to stop it. He also was merciless to God’s people, commanding the killing of hundreds of thousands of Jews.

I really enjoyed the story plot and its message. It was a thrilling yet sobering account. I can’t say that it ended the way I would have liked, but it did end the way I would have expected. The city was ransacked, the temple was plundered and burned, and millions of Jews were slaughtered. However, the temple burning in a small way excites me because it was a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and opened the door for even more Biblical prophecies to be fulfilled! I would certainly recommend this book to a friend for its thrilling story and sobering message.