out his knife and pried the stone loose. The center of the stone had been hollowed into a cavity.
“Rabbi, put the scroll inside the stone. I will seal it up.”
Yohannen touched the scroll to his forehead and laid it reverentially in the hollow cavity. Ben Hochba quickly took a rock plug and, like a vintner re-corking a wine bottle, pushed the plug into the hole in the stone. Once he was satisfied that the plug fit tightly, ben Hochba pushed the stone back into its place in the wall.
The sound of fighting could be heard in the courtyard directly above them. Ben Hochba pointed down the passageway. “Rabbi, we must escape through the tunnel before the Romans find us.”
The two men hastened along the passageway until they came to a small stream that flowed under the Temple Mount. Once they had crossed the rivulet, ben Hochba counted off thirty paces. A flat slab of stone lay on the ground. Ben Hochba whispered to the Rabbi. “Help me move it.”
The Sicarius and the rabbi pushed the stone slab aside, revealing a dark hole underneath. The clanging of Roman armor was heard coming down the staircase.
Ben Hochba motioned Yohannen to enter the tunnel. “Rabbi, you must go alone. The Romans are too close. I will push the slab back in place.”
Yohannen knew that ben Hochba was right. As the Rabbi climbed down into the tunnel, ben Hochba handed Yohannen a small Star of David. “May Yahweh walk beside you.” Their eyes brimming with emotion, the two men embraced. The Rabbi turned and disappeared into the tunnel.
Once the slab had been pushed back over the tunnel entrance, ben Hochba unsheathed his sword and ran back toward the staircase. The sound of Roman armor grew closer. When he came to the edge of the rivulet, ben Hochba stood and waited for the Roman legionnaires.
Titus rode across the plateau to Herod's Temple. “Tribune, show me this place the Jews call their Holy of Holies.”
“There, Imperator.” The Tribune pointed to an open door at the far end of the courtyard.
Titus rode slowly up to the door. He stopped for a moment and peered inside. Smoke from the burning roof of the Temple filled the room. With a loud cry, Titus spurred his horse through the entrance way. From out of the smoke, the robed figure of the high priest Hezekiah ran out in front of Titus's horse.
“Heathen! You desecrate this holy place. No Gentile can enter Yahweh's sanctuary.” With both his hands, Hezekiah held the Torah high above his head like some Old Testament prophet. Frightened by the sudden appearance of the high priest, Titus's horse reared up and struck Hezekiah with his front hooves. The Torah fell from the priest's hands. As Hezekiah bent down to pick it up, Titus drove his short sword into the priest's back.
“Take your book and read it to this God of yours.”
Titus saw several gold vessels on the altar. He spurred his horse up the altar steps. Unsure of its footing, the horse defecated on the floor. Titus reached out with his hand and took the gold menorah from the altar.
The sight of their commander riding his horse out of the Jew's holiest place electrified the legionnaires. They began rhythmically striking their swords against their shields as a sign of their approval.
“I kept my promise to these dogs,” Titus shouted. “I did not set foot in their holy place. And my horse left a gift for their god. I took this branched candlestick as a fair exchange.”
The thunder of swords striking shields grew deafening. The story of Titus's desecration of the Jewish Temple would be retold around Roman campfires for many years to come.
When the last pockets of Jewish resistance had been eradicated, Titus sent word for his commanders to meet him at the foot of the Temple Mount.
“Tribune, have you found the eagles?”
“No, Imperator. The Jews must have hidden them outside the” city.
Titus' eyes flashed with anger. “Spare me your speculation, Tribune. Find the eagles. Hack the limbs off some of these Jews.
“Rabbi, put the scroll inside the stone. I will seal it up.”
Yohannen touched the scroll to his forehead and laid it reverentially in the hollow cavity. Ben Hochba quickly took a rock plug and, like a vintner re-corking a wine bottle, pushed the plug into the hole in the stone. Once he was satisfied that the plug fit tightly, ben Hochba pushed the stone back into its place in the wall.
The sound of fighting could be heard in the courtyard directly above them. Ben Hochba pointed down the passageway. “Rabbi, we must escape through the tunnel before the Romans find us.”
The two men hastened along the passageway until they came to a small stream that flowed under the Temple Mount. Once they had crossed the rivulet, ben Hochba counted off thirty paces. A flat slab of stone lay on the ground. Ben Hochba whispered to the Rabbi. “Help me move it.”
The Sicarius and the rabbi pushed the stone slab aside, revealing a dark hole underneath. The clanging of Roman armor was heard coming down the staircase.
Ben Hochba motioned Yohannen to enter the tunnel. “Rabbi, you must go alone. The Romans are too close. I will push the slab back in place.”
Yohannen knew that ben Hochba was right. As the Rabbi climbed down into the tunnel, ben Hochba handed Yohannen a small Star of David. “May Yahweh walk beside you.” Their eyes brimming with emotion, the two men embraced. The Rabbi turned and disappeared into the tunnel.
Once the slab had been pushed back over the tunnel entrance, ben Hochba unsheathed his sword and ran back toward the staircase. The sound of Roman armor grew closer. When he came to the edge of the rivulet, ben Hochba stood and waited for the Roman legionnaires.
Titus rode across the plateau to Herod's Temple. “Tribune, show me this place the Jews call their Holy of Holies.”
“There, Imperator.” The Tribune pointed to an open door at the far end of the courtyard.
Titus rode slowly up to the door. He stopped for a moment and peered inside. Smoke from the burning roof of the Temple filled the room. With a loud cry, Titus spurred his horse through the entrance way. From out of the smoke, the robed figure of the high priest Hezekiah ran out in front of Titus's horse.
“Heathen! You desecrate this holy place. No Gentile can enter Yahweh's sanctuary.” With both his hands, Hezekiah held the Torah high above his head like some Old Testament prophet. Frightened by the sudden appearance of the high priest, Titus's horse reared up and struck Hezekiah with his front hooves. The Torah fell from the priest's hands. As Hezekiah bent down to pick it up, Titus drove his short sword into the priest's back.
“Take your book and read it to this God of yours.”
Titus saw several gold vessels on the altar. He spurred his horse up the altar steps. Unsure of its footing, the horse defecated on the floor. Titus reached out with his hand and took the gold menorah from the altar.
The sight of their commander riding his horse out of the Jew's holiest place electrified the legionnaires. They began rhythmically striking their swords against their shields as a sign of their approval.
“I kept my promise to these dogs,” Titus shouted. “I did not set foot in their holy place. And my horse left a gift for their god. I took this branched candlestick as a fair exchange.”
The thunder of swords striking shields grew deafening. The story of Titus's desecration of the Jewish Temple would be retold around Roman campfires for many years to come.
When the last pockets of Jewish resistance had been eradicated, Titus sent word for his commanders to meet him at the foot of the Temple Mount.
“Tribune, have you found the eagles?”
“No, Imperator. The Jews must have hidden them outside the” city.
Titus' eyes flashed with anger. “Spare me your speculation, Tribune. Find the eagles. Hack the limbs off some of these Jews.
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