JEWISH MOMENTS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

Roman Power on the Temple Mount: The Tenth Legion

After 70 CE, the Roman Tenth Legion (Legio X Fretensis) established its permanent camp amid the ruins of Jerusalem. For sixty years, its soldiers, buildings, and symbols dominated the city and the Temple Mount, transforming the physical and emotional landscape of Jewish life in the Land of Israel. What is known from archaeological and historic records about the legion’s presence and from the reconstruction of its camp provide a glimpse into what its occupation meant for Jews who remained.

When the First Jewish Revolt ended in 70 CE, Jerusalem lay devastated. The Second Temple was destroyed, most of the city walls were broken, and a substantial portion of the population had been killed, enslaved, or displaced. In the wake of this catastrophe, Rome decided not only to proclaim victory with a triumph and monuments in the capital, but also to make its control visible on the ground in Judea. A key instrument of this policy was the permanent stationing of a legion in Jerusalem: Legio X Fretensis.

Legio X Fretensis had already played a leading role in the suppression of the revolt, fighting in Galilee, at the siege of Jerusalem, and at Masada. After the war, it was chosen as the resident........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)