For decades, I researched the legions of Rome before, starting in 2002, publishing a series of books about individual legions and key moments in the history of ancient Rome. In some of those books, I included chapters on the First Jewish Revolt—the Great Revolt as the Jews still call it, the Judean War as the Romans called it. Only now, in Conquering Jerusalem, have I devoted a single book to the revolt. This gave me scope to go into much more detail about the background, people, and events of the revolt, and enabled me to draw upon numerous archeological and forensic discoveries made since 2002, discoveries that have often shone fascinating new light on those people and events.
Neither side comes out well in this story. Both were at times equally heroic and often equally brutal and barbaric. In the end, the Jewish freedom fighters lost their war and lost their holy city, which had been the focus of the revolt and of the Roman military campaigns to end that revolt. Yet, today, Jerusalem is once more the heart of the Jewish faith, while, thanks to Christianity, an offshoot of Judaism, the Roman Empire and its gods have long gone. It just goes to show that, sometimes, faith can have its rewards, and the tables can be turned, if you wait long enough.