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The Battle of Beth Horon was a battle fought in 66 CE between Roman and Jewish forces and was one of the decisive battles in the First Jewish-Roman War. It convinced the Romans of the legitimacy of the Judean revolt and was the first major Jewish victory in war as Jewish forces under Elazar ben Yair defeated much better equipped forces under Vespasian. It is estimated that the Jews were outnumbered by as much as 5:1 and few were equipped with shields. However, with the use of burning arrows and mass infantry charges, the Jews managed to destroy an entire Roman legion and Emperor Nero was forced to send in reinforcements.
[edit] Background
Roman influence in Judea first began around 63 B.C., when the Roman general Pompey arrived in the Middle East, conquered it, and proceeded to install a governor of the area. Throughout the next century, Judea was ruled by a series of Roman governors and rulers, which eventually led up to the reign of King Herod. Herod, with views that conflicted with the Jewish beliefs, as well as his brutal actions towards them (including the so-called Massacre of the Innocents) helped increase a dislike of the Romans from the Jewish people. During Herod's time in power, the number of bandit gangs increased by a large number.
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