Background
John of Giscala was born in Gush Halav. His birth date is unknown.
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John of Giscala
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Information on John comes almost entirely from a hostile source — the historian Josephus. He first mentions John in the town ot Gush Halav (Giscala) in Upper Galilee, climbing the economic ladder to wealth as an oil merchant. Josephus was sent to the scene to organize the resistance to Rome and before long he and John disagreed as to the best ways of preparing Galilean Jewry for the clash with Rome. John at this very early stage (late 66 or early 67 CE) already had misgivings about Josephus’s actual enthusiasm for the battle. His suspicions were shortly to be confirmed.
Sometime in late 67 John fled from Giscala together with his men and made his way to Jerusalem. Josephus states that John infused hope and courage in the city’s inhabitants. Gradually, John strengthened his ties with the Zealot party, among whom were members of the highest priestly echelons.
John, the one-time moderate who, while in Galilee, had taken up arms only against the pagan non-Roman attackers of his hometown, now became the uncompromising leader of the war against the Romans. Eventually, though too late, he joined forces with the other outstanding leader of the anti-Roman fighters, Simeon bar Giora, with John defending the Lower City, including the Temple Mount area, and Simeon the Upper City. The long months of bitter infighting between the two, however, took their toll. Jerusalem fell and John was captured, taken to Rome, and sentenced to life imprisonment.
