SHEYIBANEH BEIT HAMIKDASH...
A series of articles on Beit HaMikdash-related topics
by Catriel Sugarman

The Sota - Suspected Adulteress (3)

The Power of Mesirat Nefesh
The eminent historian Michael Avi Yona wrote, "The Roman decision to save Greek culture in the East was deeply rooted in the influence Greek culture had gained in Rome from the 3rd cent. onward. Once in power in the East, the Romans restrained all the elements which had fought Greek culture… As the power of Rome was infinitely superior to the declining Hellenistic monarchies, most of the opponents of Greek culture gave up the struggle… Only the Jews continued the apparently hopeless struggle… Consequently they were exposed to the full pressure of Roman power and of the Roman army… the Jewish resistance against Graeco-Roman culture did not weaken.It became stronger year after year" (The Jews under Roman and Byzantine Rule, p.7). After good Queen Shlomtzion Alexandra's death, her two worthless sons, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II fought a bloody civil war and then, unbelievably, invited the Roman general Pompey to "adjudicate" between them. Pompey, accompanied by his iron legions, did not need much urging. When the partisans of Hyrcanus treasonably opened the gates of Jerusalem to the Romans (63BCE, over 130 years before the Churban), Aristobulus' stalwarts fortified themselves on Har HaBayit.

Josephus writes, "Pompey brought mechanical engines and battering rams from Tyre and …battered the Temple with stones …the priests were not at all hindered from their sacred ministrations by their fear during the siege, but did still twice a day… offered sacrifices on the altar; nor did they omit these sacrifices, if any melancholy incident happened because the stones that were thrown among them. (Upon entering the Mikdash) …the enemy then fell upon them (the Kohanim) and cut the throats of those who were in the Temple. Yet those who offered the sacrifices could not be compelled to run away, neither by the fear they were in for their own lives, nor by the number that were already killed, thinking it better to suffer whatever came upon them …than to omit anything that their laws required of them. …But now all was full of slaughter …and no small enormities were committed about the Temple itself… Pompey went into it, and not a few of those who were with him also, and saw all that which it was unlawful for any other men to see but only the High Priests... Thus we lost our liberty and became subject to the Romans… (Antiquities XIV:4). And even after the sack of Jerusalem and the Mikdash, thousands more Jews died in subsequent battles and even more in Roman reprisals. But finally, to actually "crown" their man (Herod) "king", the Romans had to storm Jerusalem yet again.

After a five month siege, the walls were breached, "and upon the pouring in of the (Roman) army, there was slaughter of vast multitudes everywhere by reason of the rage the Romans were in because of the length of the siege (the Jews) were cut to pieces in great multitudes, as they were crowded together in narrow streets, and in the houses, or were running away to the Temple; nor was there any mercy showed either to infants, or to the aged, or to the weaker sex… nobody (no Roman) could be persuaded to withhold his right hand from slaughter… they killed people of all ages like madmen" (Wars I: 18). But at least it was a useful introduction to the "benefits" of Roman civilization and to the savagery of the Roman legionnaires.

Many years later, professing belief in his own divinity, the Roman Emperor Gaius Caligula (40CE) ordered that his statue should be placed in the Beit HaMikdash as it had been in sanctuaries throughout the Roman Empire. ("…in the process of time (Gaius) went beyond the bounds of human nature in his conceit of himself, and by the reason of the vastness of his dominions made himself a god…" - Josephus, Wars Bk. 18:8) Petronius, the Roman legatus of Syria was ordered to mobilize his army and "make war upon the Jews" if necessary to enforce the imperial edict. Josephus writes, "He got together as great a number of reinforcements as he possibly could, and took with him two legions of the Roman army" and landed at Ptolemais (Acre). But Jewish opposition was absolute, "If you are entirely resolved to bring this statue and erect it… first kill us and then do what you have resolved; for while we are alive we cannot permit things that are forbidden to us…" Petronius justified himself, "If indeed I were myself Emperor and were at liberty to follow my own inclination… your words would be justly spoken to me… but now Caesar has sent me, and I am under the necessity of being subservient to his decrees…" Not cowed by the presence of tens of thousands of Roman legionnaires with drawn swords, the Jews replied, "Since, therefore, you are so disposed, O Petronius, that you will not disobey Gaius's letters, neither will we transgress the commandments of our law… if we should submit to you, we should be reproached for our cowardice…" Petronius retired to Tiberius and there encountered "many tens of thousands" of Jews peacefully demonstrating. Taken aback, Petronius demanded of them, "Will you make war with Caesar, without considering his great preparations for war and your own weakness?" But the Jews made it clear that they would not raise their hand against a soldier. "'We will not by any means make war on him (and the Roman army) but still we will die before we see our laws transgressed'. Then they threw themselves upon their faces, and stretched out their throats and said that they were ready to be killed; and this they did for forty days… In the meantime they left off the tilling of their ground (even though) the season required it…"

Shaken at this incredible display of moral courage by many tens of thousands of unarmed, non-violent men, women and children, Petronius announced that he would put his life on the line and request the Emperor to withdraw his decree. With supreme nobility of spirit which burst forth despite his natural fear of disobeying his superior, Petronius said, "I do not think it just to have such a regard for my own safety and honor, as to refuse to sacrifice them for your preservation, who are so many in number, and try to preserve the regard which is due to your law; which has come down to you from your forefathers… nor, with the assistance and power of G-d, will I …suffer your Temple to fall into contempt by means of the imperial authority." The "Sarvan Pekuda" Petronius continued, "I will, therefore send to Gaius, and let him know what your resolutions are, and will assist your suit as far as I am able, that you might not be exposed to suffering on account of your honest designs… and may G-d be your assistant… But if Gaius be irritated, and turn the violence of his rage upon me, I will rather undergo all that danger and affliction that may come upon my body and my soul, than see so many of you perish while you are acting in such an excellent manner…" The Emperor's reply to Petronius was an order to commit suicide. But Gaius' demented behavior in Rome itself had made him many enemies and his pernicious regime was abruptly terminated before the insane order reached Petronius. The honorable Petronius lived and entered history and because of the power of moral force, the Mesirat Nefesh of Am Yisrael and Besi'ata Dishmaya, the Beit Hamikdash was saved from desecration. <END>

Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrims Prospective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service