Galilee campaign (67)

Galilee Campaign
Part of the First Jewish–Roman War
Date April–December 67 CE Location Galilee (Judea Province) Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Roman Empire	Judean provisional government Northern Command Zealot factions
Commanders and leaders
Vespasian Titus Agrippa II (WIA)	Josephus  (POW) John of Giscala Justus of Tiberias  †
Units involved
X Fretensis V Macedonica Legio XV Apollinaris Several cohorts of auxiliaries Agrippa II's forces	Judean command in Galilee Zealot rebel factions
Strength
60,000 soldiers and auxiliaries	20,000 Jewish militias
Casualties and losses
100,000 Judean rebels and civilians dead

The Galilee campaign, also known as the Northern Revolt, took place in the year 67, when Roman general Vespasian invaded Galilee under the orders of Emperor Nero in order to crush the Great Revolt of Judea. Many Galilean towns gave up without a fight, although others had to be taken by force. By the year 68, Jewish resistance in the north had been crushed, and Vespasian made Caesarea Maritima his headquarters and methodically proceeded to cleanse the coastline of the country, avoiding direct confrontation with the rebels at Jerusalem.

The Galilee campaign is unusually well-recorded for the era. One of the Jewish rebel leaders in Galilee, Josephus, was captured. Josephus struck up a friendship with Vespasian, who would later ascend to become Roman Emperor. Josephus was eventually freed and given a place of honor in the Flavian dynasty, taking the name Flavius, and worked as a court historian with the backing of the Imperial family. In his work The Jewish War, the chief source on the Great Revolt, he provides detailed accounts of the sieges of Gamla and Yodfat, and of internal Jewish politics during the Galilee campaign.

Timeline

After the defeat of Gallus' army at Bet Horon in the year 66, Emperor Nero appointed general Vespasian, instead of Gallus to crush the Judean rebellion. Vespasian, along with legions X Fretensis and V Macedonica, landed at Ptolemais in April 67. There he was joined by his son Titus, who arrived from Alexandria at the head of Legio XV Apollinaris, as well as by the armies of various local allies including that of king Agrippa II. Fielding more than 60,000 soldiers, Vespasian began operations by subjugating Galilee. Many Galilean towns gave up without a fight, although others had to be taken by force. Of these, Josephus provides detailed accounts of the sieges of Gamla and Yodfat.

Casualties

According to Josephus, the Roman vanquishing of Galilee resulted in 100,000 Jews killed or sold into slavery.

Aftermath

By the year 68, Jewish resistance in the north had been crushed, and Vespasian made Caesarea Maritima his headquarters and methodically proceeded to cleanse the coastline of the country, avoiding direct confrontation with the rebels at Jerusalem.