Byzantine Battles: Sack of Jerusalem

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15 th century

Sack of Jerusalem	year: 614 April-May 614
The Persians captured and razed Jerusalem and a massacre followed	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

enemy: Sassanid Persians	location: Jerusalem	accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type: City Capture	war: Byzantine-Persian Wars	modern country: Israel

	▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Heraclius)	▼ The Enemies
Commander:	Patriarch Zacharias	General Shahrbaraz
Forces:	Unknown	Unknown
Losses:	50,000 massacred, total 66,509

Background story:

In 602, when Emperor Maurice was murdered by Phokas, who usurped the Byzantine throne, Khosrau II launched an offensive against Constantinople, ostensibly to avenge Maurice's death, but clearly aiming at expanding his empire to the west, taking advantage of the turmoil in Byzantine affairs. His armies invaded and plundered Syria and Asia Minor, and in 608 advanced into Chalcedon.

The Battle:

Three years after capturing Antioch, Persians under General Shahbaraz advanced along the coast from Ceasarea Maritima and besieged Jerusalem. The Persians were aided by 20,000 Jews of Palestine, who had risen up against the Byzantines. After failed negotiations and 21 days of relentless siege warfare, the city was taken by storm and sacked. Shahrbaraz ordered a swift razing and looting of Jerusalem and many Christian churches and other buildings, and notably the Church of the Holy Sepulcure were destroyed.
Some 50,000 Christians were massacred (mostly by the Jews). Antiochos Strategios reports 66,509 victim, 25,000 of them in the Mamila cistern.
Patriarch Zacharias and thousands of prisoners were taken to Persia, along with Christianity’s most precious relic, the True Cross which was carried away in triumph.

Aftermath:

The fall of Jerusalem was a shock for the Christian world.
The city was handed to the Jewish rebels, under the leadership of Nehemiah ben Hushiel and Benjamin of Tiberias, becoming the capital of shortly lived Jewish-Sassanid Commonwealth. The city and the Holy cross remained in Persian hands for 15 years.

Byzantine Battles

Sack of Jerusalem

614