An Excavation in Jerusalem of Romans Who Destroyed Jerusalem In 70 CE

Nadene Goldfoot                                   

Excavation in Jerusalem continues though the country is being attacked on 7 fronts.  Jerusalem is important not only to Israel, but has been its capital since its inception as a country by King David.  Christianity and Islam also lay claim to Jerusalem's importance, so it may not be the mainland for others' attacking today.

What's been going on in Jerusalem is excavation for the knowledge of our ancient history.  The Legio X Fretensis kilnworks in Jerusalem, located at Binyanei Ha'uma, was a significant Roman-period military production site. It's one of the few excavated legionary production sites and the only such kilnworks found in the Near East and Asia Minor. The site provides valuable insights into military ceramic production, including the techniques, technologies, and labor organization used. 

A kiln is a specialized oven or furnace used to heat materials, typically at high temperatures, for various purposes such as drying, hardening, or altering their physical or chemical properties. In the context of ceramics, a kiln is essential for transforming clay into ceramic. It can also be used for drying wood, melting glass, or firing enamel.                                            

A map of the Roman empire in  125 CE, under emperor Hadrian, showing the LEGIO X FRETENSIS, stationed at Hierosolyma (Jerusalem), in Judaea province, from  73 CE until the 4th century (400 CE).  This Roman Legion (Marian)  was active from 41BCE to 410 CE.                                                 

Legio X Fretensis ("Tenth legion of the Strait") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It was founded by the young Gaius Octavius (later to become Augustus Caesar) in 41/40 BC to fight during the period of civil war that started the dissolution of the Roman Republic. X Fretensis is then recorded to have existed at least until the 410s.

X Fretensis symbols were the bull — the holy animal of the goddess Venus (mythical ancestor of the gens Julia) — a ship (probably a reference to the Battles of Naulochus and/or Actium), the god Neptune, and a boar. The symbol of Taurus may also mean that it was organized between 20 April and 20 May.  It was active in our war in 70 CE with Rome.  It is called the First Jewish Roman War of 66-73 CE.  

The Roman legion (Latin: legiō, Latin: [ˈɫɛɡioː]), the largest military unit of the Roman army, was composed of Roman citizens serving as legionaries. During the Roman Republic the manipular legion comprised 4,200 infantry and 300 cavalry. After the Marian reforms in 107 BC, the legions were formed of 5,200 men and were restructured around 10 cohorts, the first cohort being double strength=800 men. A standard Roman cohort, excluding the first cohort, generally consisted of 480 men. The first cohort, however, was a double-strength cohort, comprising 800 men. 

This structure persisted throughout the Principate and middle Empire, before further changes in the fourth century resulted in new formations of around 1,000 men.               

When Vespasian was declared Emperor on 1 July 69, Titus was left in charge of ending the Jewish rebellion. In 70, he besieged and captured Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and the Second Temple. For this achievement Titus was awarded a triumph; the Arch of Titus commemorates his victory and still stands today.

     Arch of Titus, forcing Jewish slaves after 70 CE attack to carry away the loot from the Temple .  This remains today in Rome commemorating the fact.  In 70 CE, Titus, son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, led the siege of Jerusalem, which ended in the destruction of the Second Temple. 

Jewish Factions:

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• During the war and the siege, various factions within the Jewish community, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots, emerged as influential figures, each with their own agendas and loyalties. In essence, while Herod Agrippa II held a symbolic title, real power and authority resided with the Roman authorities in Judea during this period of conflict and upheaval.                                                     

 Titus Flavius Vespasianus (Roman Emperor): He was the Roman emperor from 79 to 81 AD, a member of the Flavian dynasty, and known for completing the Colosseum. He was also a military commander, known for his role in the First Jewish-Roman War. Titus Caesar Vespasianus (/ˈtaɪtəs/ TY-təs; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) , Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed his biological father,  serving under his father in Judea during the First Jewish–Roman War. The campaign came to a brief halt with the death of emperor Nero in 68.

At the Binyanei Ha'uma ceramics workshop in Jerusalem, operated by the Tenth Roman Legion Fretensis (Legio X Fretensis), archaeologists discovered a vast array of evidence related to the production of ceramics. This included: 

1. Infrastructure of the workshop: 

• Clay preparation area: Large, compacted surfaces where raw clay was processed, including evidence of sieving and soaking in water.
• Potter's workshop: Several rooms with evidence of potters' wheels and related tools.
• Drying area: A large, open space designated for drying the ceramic products before firing.
• Kilns: A row of massively built kilns, some of which have been restored and are now on display at the Jerusalem Convention Center. 

2. Ceramic products: 

• Building materials: This was a primary focus of the workshop, including bricks and roof tiles, often stamped with the legion's insignia. Examples include square and round bricks for flooring, small pillars for bathhouses, and trapezoidal bricks used in vaulted constructions.
• Vessels: A wide variety of everyday pottery, including tableware (beakers, cups, bowls) and cooking wares (pots, casseroles, and pans).
• Water pipes: Ceramic pipes used for water channels. 

3. Materials and tools: 

• Raw clays: Both unfired and fired clays, recovered in production contexts, were found at the site.
• Pottery wasters: Fragments of broken pottery and other ceramic products, discarded during the production process.
• Clay stamps: Rare examples of clay stamps used for marking the pottery, including one with the inscription "LXF" (Legio X Fretensis).
• Potter's wheel: One potter's wheel was found in situ, and evidence suggests there were others in a row. 
• Resource:
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus#:~:text=When%20Vespasian%20was%20decl
• ared%20Emperor,victory%20and%20still%20stands%20today.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus
• https://www.google.com/search?q=what+was+found+in+the+kilnworks+of+
• Romans+in+Jerusalem%3F&sca_esv=0451c88ea934734a&sxsrf=AE3TifOVU8BE
• f8VDBaFTNY4z3HDW_qlVGA%3A1749231893711&source=hp&ei=FSlDaKqWKd
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