The Flavian Signature - Broken through lack of food and other essentials

[gilius]

This occurs between Easier to say "get up and walk" than "your sins are forgiven" and Daughters of Jairus/Jacimus:

 

[gilius]

Previous Parallel: Compassion rather than sacrifice for sinners

Moving onto the very next harmonized block of the synoptic gospels and continuing the battle of Gamala on the Jewish War side, we come to this….

Chronology
While the people of Gamala held out in these dire straits, Vespasian went about other work during this siege, to subdue those who had captured Mount Itaburion, a place half way between the great plain and Scythopolis. As a multitude had assembled upon this mountain, Vespasian sent Placidus there with six hundred cavalry. Placidus managed to outsmart the enemy, killing many, but some fled to Jerusalem, and the rest of the mountain and district was surrendered to him.

Broken through lack of food and other essentials
Location: ? / Gamala

[table][tr][td]There was also a [color=blue][b]spring of water[/b][/color] within the wall, at the edge of the city … the leaders of the city, Chares and Joseph, paraded their troops, who were already [color=red][b]afraid that the city could not hold out for long, due to lack of water and other essentials …[/b][/color] Vespasian encouraged his army, while the people of Gamala took courage for a little while from the great and unaccountable success they had achieved. Then, realising that they had now no hope of surrendering on terms and reflecting that they could not escape and with their provisions already growing short, they were dejected and their courage failed them. Still they did not neglect what might help them survive, so far as they could, and the bravest among them guarded those parts of the wall that were knocked down, while the more infirm did the same on the rest of the wall that still remained round the city. As the Romans raised their earthworks and started to invade a second time, many fled from the city through tortuous valleys, where no guards were placed, and through subterranean caves. Those who were afraid of being caught and for that reason stayed in the city, [color=red][b]died for lack of food,[/b][/color][color=green][b] for whatever food they had anywhere was brought together and reserved for the fighting men.[/b][/color] While the people of Gamala held out in these dire straits, Vespasian went about other work during this siege, to subdue those who had captured Mount Itaburion, a place half way between the great plain and Scythopolis. Its top is thirty furlongs high and it can hardly be ascended on the north side. On top is a plateau of twenty-six furlongs, all surrounded with a wall. Josephus had built this [color=purple][b]long wall[/b][/color] in forty days and [color=brown][b]furnished it with other materials[/b][/color][color=blue][b] and with water from below,[/b][/color] for the inhabitants [color=cyan][b]used only rain water. [/b][/color]As a multitude had assembled upon this mountain, Vespasian sent Placidus there with six hundred cavalry. Unable to ascend the mountain, he invited the crowd to make peace, offering his guarantee for their security and promising to speak on their behalf. So they came down, but with another plan in mind. Placidus spoke to them mildly, intending to capture them once he got them into the plain. They came down, as if accepting his proposals, though intending to attack him unawares. But Placidus's ploy defeated theirs, for when the Jews started the battle he pretended to take flight and enticed them far into the plain in pursuit, and then made his cavalry turn around and routed them, killing many blocking the retreat of the rest of the others. So they left Itaburion and fled to Jerusalem, while the people of the district surrendered to him when their water ran short, and so they handed over the mountain and themselves to Placidus. The more enterprising people in Gamala fled and hid themselves, while [color=red][b]the weaker died of hunger.[/b][/color] Their warriors withstood the siege until the twenty second day of the month Hyperberetus, when about the morning watch three soldiers of the fifteenth legion [color=brown][b]got beneath a high tower[/b][/color] near them [color=brown][b]and secretly undermined it.[/b][/color] Undetected by the sentries either at their approach, for it was night, or when they reached it, the soldiers noiselessly [color=brown][b]rolled away five of its strongest stones[/b][/color] and hurried off. [color=orange][b]Suddenly the tower fell down[/b][/color] with a loud noise and its sentries fell headlong with it and the sentries at other places fled in alarm. [color=brown][b]The Romans killed many of those who ventured to oppose them[/b][/color], and a spear-thrower killed Joseph, as he was escaping over a [color=blue][b]broken part of the wall[/b][/color]. The townspeople were so alarmed by the noise that they ran quaking hither and thither, as though all the enemy had broken in at once. At that point, Chares, a sick man under the doctor's care, gave up the ghost, his death brought on by fear. But the Romans so well remembered their former setback that they did not enter the city until the twenty-third day of the month. [b](Wars of the Jews 4, 1, 8,18,49-59)[/b][/td][td]And they said to Him,[color=red][b] “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same,[/b][/color] [color=green][b]but Yours eat and drink.”[/b][/color] And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? “But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then [color=red][b]they will fast[/b][/color] in those days.” And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. [color=blue][b]“And no one puts new wine into [/b][/color][color=purple][b]old wineskins; [/b][/color][color=blue][b]otherwise the new wine [/b][/color][color=orange][b]will burst [/b][/color][color=blue][b]the [/b][/color][color=purple][b]skins [/b][/color][color=blue][b]and it will be [/b][/color][color=orange][b]spilled out, [/b][/color][color=blue][b]and the [/b][/color][color=purple][b]skins [/b][/color][color=orange][b]will be ruined.[/b][/color] “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. “And no one, after drinking [color=cyan][b]old wine [/b][/color]wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’” 
[b](Luke 5:33-39)[/b]

John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. “But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then [color=red][b]they will fast[/b][/color] in that day. [color=brown][b]“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an[/b][/color] [color=purple][b]old garment;[/b][/color] [color=brown][b]otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the[/b][/color] [color=purple][b]old[/b][/color], [color=brown][b]and [/b][/color][color=orange][b]a worse tear results.[/b][/color] “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” [b](Mark 2:18-22 = Matthew 9:14-17)[/b][/td][/tr][/table]

 

[gilius]

There was also a spring of water within the wall, at the edge of the city … the leaders of the city, Chares and Joseph, paraded their troops, who were already afraid that the city could not hold out for long, due to lack of water and other essentials … Vespasian encouraged his army, while the people of Gamala took courage for a little while from the great and unaccountable success they had achieved. Then, realising that they had now no hope of surrendering on terms and reflecting that they could not escape and with their provisions already growing short, they were dejected and their courage failed them. Still they did not neglect what might help them survive, so far as they could, and the bravest among them guarded those parts of the wall that were knocked down, while the more infirm did the same on the rest of the wall that still remained round the city. As the Romans raised their earthworks and started to invade a second time, many fled from the city through tortuous valleys, where no guards were placed, and through subterranean caves. Those who were afraid of being caught and for that reason stayed in the city, died for lack of food, for whatever food they had anywhere was brought together and reserved for the fighting men. While the people of Gamala held out in these dire straits, Vespasian went about other work during this siege, to subdue those who had captured Mount Itaburion, a place half way between the great plain and Scythopolis. Its top is thirty furlongs high and it can hardly be ascended on the north side. On top is a plateau of twenty-six furlongs, all surrounded with a wall. Josephus had built this long wall in forty days and furnished it with other materials and with water from below, for the inhabitants used only rain water. As a multitude had assembled upon this mountain, Vespasian sent Placidus there with six hundred cavalry. Unable to ascend the mountain, he invited the crowd to make peace, offering his guarantee for their security and promising to speak on their behalf. So they came down, but with another plan in mind. Placidus spoke to them mildly, intending to capture them once he got them into the plain. They came down, as if accepting his proposals, though intending to attack him unawares. But Placidus's ploy defeated theirs, for when the Jews started the battle he pretended to take flight and enticed them far into the plain in pursuit, and then made his cavalry turn around and routed them, killing many blocking the retreat of the rest of the others. So they left Itaburion and fled to Jerusalem, while the people of the district surrendered to him when their water ran short, and so they handed over the mountain and themselves to Placidus. The more enterprising people in Gamala fled and hid themselves, while the weaker died of hunger. Their warriors withstood the siege until the twenty second day of the month Hyperberetus, when about the morning watch three soldiers of the fifteenth legion got beneath a high tower near them and secretly undermined it. Undetected by the sentries either at their approach, for it was night, or when they reached it, the soldiers noiselessly rolled away five of its strongest stones and hurried off. Suddenly the tower fell down with a loud noise and its sentries fell headlong with it and the sentries at other places fled in alarm. The Romans killed many of those who ventured to oppose them, and a spear-thrower killed Joseph, as he was escaping over a broken part of the wall. The townspeople were so alarmed by the noise that they ran quaking hither and thither, as though all the enemy had broken in at once. At that point, Chares, a sick man under the doctor's care, gave up the ghost, his death brought on by fear. But the Romans so well remembered their former setback that they did not enter the city until the twenty-third day of the month. (Wars of the Jews 4, 1, 8,18,49-59)

And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.” And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? “But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’” (Luke 5:33-39) John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. “But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” (Mark 2:18-22 = Matthew 9:14-17)

Verbatim: fast/hunger (the rest is conceptual)
Concept: new wine is comparable to spring water; old wine is comparable to rain water. Important people eat and drink, whilst others have lack of food. Furnishing/patching. A tear in poor masonry is comparable to a tear in other materials.
Typology: In mixing new liquid with old materials and patching them up (represented typologically by the wall system for both examples) a worse tear results. So the Romans are then able to gain the upper hand in this battle and kill many Jews.
Satire: The Jews will indeed fast – because some died from lack of food in this battle. That’s a basic reading, but there’s probably a bit more to be understood here in terms of Josephus’ role compared to the local inhabitants OR there is more satire here regarding the Jew named Joseph who gets stabbed with a spear, i.e mixing of new blood with old blood? (“the wine will burst it’s skins”) And the "bridegroom" part is a warning that the Jews will fast during the Jewish War akin to what the Babylonians did when they destroyed them (see The Seventy Year Captivity in Jeremiah 25)

Next Parallel: Daughters of Jairus/Jacimus