THE PLUNDERING OF THE BET HAMIQDASH.
The Bet haMiqdash, the great Temple of Jerusalem, was destroyed, burned and looted by the army of Titus, the son of Vespasian, the Roman emperor, on Ab 9, 68 of the common era (70, according to conventional history). Back in Rome, Titus was welcomed as a great hero by his father, and together they organized a lavish victory parade unprecedented in the history of Rome. In this Triumph March, numberless stolen treasures of the Bet haMiqdash, the Temple, were exhibited. For example, the famous Menora, the seven branches chandelier, the Shulchan haPanim, a table, and the Mizbah haQetoret, the altar of incense. These were three heavy artifacts were made of pure gold. But they only represent a very small part of the huge treasure that was stolen from the Bet haMiqdash.
Professor Louis Feldman z”l, an expert in history and classical languages who taught at Yeshiva University, New York, wrote a lengthy article a few years ago (2001) entitled “Financing the Colosseum” where he introduces two fascinating subjects. The first, a recent discovery of an ancient inscription in the Colosseum mentioning the origin of the money that was used for its construction. The second subject, as unknown as the first, describes the abundant wealth of the Bet haMiqdash and its origin.
EX MANUBIIS
Feldman mentions that Professor Géza Alföldy from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, discovered beneath a 5th century marble block inscription — which describes certain repairs made in the Colosseum at that time– a much older inscription attributed to Titus. In the past, to write a text on a recycled stone or leather parchment was not uncommon. Scrolls containing a new text written over an old “erased” text are known as “palimpsests.” In our case, hidden behind the 5th century inscription was an inscription written on the occasion of the dedication of the Colosseum, in the year 80 (construction began in the year 72). The Colosseum was essentially a circus, the arena in which Romans would present “fights” between starving wild animals and prisoners, who would end up dismembered and eaten alive by the beasts. All these for the “enjoyment” of up to 80,000 spectators.
The inscription also indicates where the funds to build the largest amphitheater in the world came from. The keywords are: ex manubiis, that is, “from the spoils of war.”
The full text says: “Emperor Titus Caesar Vespasian Augustus ordered that the new amphitheater be made with what was obtained from (the sale of) spoils of war.”
Professor Feldman shows that this booty could not be other than that obtained in the conquest of Jerusalem, more specifically, the riches stolen from the Temple of Jerusalem (for more details on this and other points you can see his article here ).
I will mention a few examples to understand the extent of the wealth found at the Bet haMiqdash.
1. HEROD
We know that inside the temple there were hundreds of artifacts and thousands of decorations made of gold or silver. What is less known is what the 1st century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius says about the exterior of the Temple that had recently been renovated by Herod. “There was nothing missing that could surprise either the soul or the eyes”. The exterior of the Temple “was completely covered by huge gold plates” and “when the sun came up the walls radiated a blaze so fiery that people trying to look at it were forced to turn away from the sun, because the abundant gold reflected the solar rays “.
2. MACHATSIT HASHEQEL
Every year a tax was collected which was dedicated to the maintenance and operation of the Bet haMiqdash. This was the “machatsit hasheqel”, the half sheqel silver coin, each worth the equivalent of approximately 5 dollars today. Keep in mind that back then, according to Feldman, there were between 4 and 8 million Jews living in Israel.
3. DONATIONS
Many Jews as the Mishna in Sheqalim says, also donated houses and fields, or their proceeds, to the Bet haMiqdash.
Donations did not come only from the Jews living in Israel. The Temple was the main (or the only) recipient of donations from all the Jews in the world. Although the majority of the Jews lived in Israel, in the first half of the 1st century, there were also important Jewish communities in Alexandria (Egypt), Rome, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq and North Africa. Many of these communities were very prosperous. And the Jews who resided there, used to send gifts and offerings permanently for the maintenance and prosperity of the Bet haMiqdash. An illustration: Cicero relates that in the days of Flacus, a transport was seized carrying 220 pounds of gold that was sent by the Jews from four cities in Asia Minor to the Temple of Jerusalem.
When the Romans arrived at the Temple and began to plunder its riches they found, according to Josephus: “countless [in Latin: apeiron] sums of money, uncountable amount of refined [very expensive] fabrics with embedded jewels, and other precious metals, because the Temple was the depositary of many riches ceded by rich and noble people … “
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Finally, and to get a better idea of the economic impact that the looting of the Bet haMiqdash had in the Roman Empire, let us mention that after the Bet HaMiqdash was looted there was so much wealth in the region “that the value of gold drop to half”.
Additionally, Vespasian had inherited a bankrupt empire, mainly due to the eccentricities of his predecessor, the unpredictable and deranged Nero (who died in 69). However, after plundering Jerusalem, Rome experienced a couple of decades of unprecedented abundance and prosperity. Thanks to the gold stolen from the Bet haMiqdash.
To be continued
