Whilst the Galilean armies have been shattered, Josephus was once captured and taken ahead of Vespasian. the longer term Roman emperor and the long run Jewish historian grew to become pals; and, from Vespasian, Josephus got permission to accompany the Roman forces throughout the siege of Jerusalem so he may write the historical past of that warfare. For this, Josephus has been categorized a traitor, and continues to be so looked by way of so much Jews this day. despite the fact that, his books, historical past of the Jewish conflict and Antiquities of the Jews, are the main beneficial volumes in life facing the 2 fateful centuries of Jewish history,100 B. C. to a hundred A. D. Slowly, because the warfare persisted into its 3rd 12 months, Vespasian won flooring. by way of the yr sixty eight A. D. he had captured Judea, yet no longer the prize, Jerusalem. assault after assault opposed to town proved futile; his legionnaires have been not able to dent the made up our minds safeguard. because the merely replacement to defeat, Vespasian settled down for a siege of the town, hoping that by means of ravenous the inhabitants he will be capable of strength the quit of the Jews. The struggle now floor to a standstill. From an army perspective the 12 months sixty eight had no value, yet in Jewish religious historical past it was once a momentous turning element. From Jerusalem emerged a philosopher-rabbi, Jochanan ben Zakkai, who gave Judaism a brand new existence as its soul flickered within the besieged urban. Like Josephus, Jochanan ben Zakkai belonged to the Peace occasion. Like Josephus, he used to be confident that the stand taken through the Zealots may lead simply to tragedy. He abandoned the conflict which he notion was once hopeless and, like Josephus, had an come upon with Vespasian. yet faraway from being dubbed a traitor, Jochanan ben Zakkai was once acclaimed the savior of Judaism. Jochanan ben Zakkai used to be a number one Pharisee highbrow. He foresaw the holocaust which might overtake the Jews, the dispersion the Romans may impose upon his humans, and he feared that if Jewish management didn't lay foundations for preserving Jewish studying alive Judaism will be doomed. He grew to become passionate about the concept that he needs to came upon a Jewish academy which might hold the torch of Jewish studying to the disenfranchised Jews who will be dispersed through the Hellenic-Roman international. He needed to get out of doomed Jerusalem. He needed to get to the ear of Vespasian. Besieged Jerusalem used to be a hellhole. humans have been loss of life by means of the millions of hunger and pestilence. Leaving the town was once forbidden, on soreness of demise. Suspected Peace get together participants have been thrown over the wall through the Zealots, who held as tight a grip contained in the urban because the Romans did open air. To outwit the Zealots, Jochanan ben Zakkai resorted to a ruse. He took some of his disciples into his self belief and defined his plan to them. The disciples then went out into the road, tore their outfits in keeping with the plan, and in mournful voices introduced that their nice rabbi, Jochanan ben Zakkai, had died of the plague. They * requested and acquired permission from the Zealot specialists to bury the respected rabbi open air the gates of Jerusalem to examine the unfold of pestilence within the urban.