September 8th in History

My apologies to Penigma readers for the delay in today's history post.  I ask for your patience a little longer, as I get caught up in the next day or two.

Arch of Titus bas relief carving,
section showing the looting of the
Menorah and other items from the
Second Jewish temple in Jerusalem

  70   Roman forces under Titus continue the sack Jerusalem.  The city was first beseiged and then substantially destroyed.  On the Jewish side, the Zealots, one of four religious / nationalistic sects, had been attacking Roman citizens, perceived traitors and collaborators, and staging anti-tax protests, provoking the Romans to crack down on their activities.  The larger revolt had begun with objections to Greeks making bird sacrifices as part of their separate religious observances too close to the Jewish temple in Ceasarea in 66.  The rebelious Jewish forces had a successful ambush, defeating Roman forces which was part of the catalyst for Emperor Nero back in Rome to send in more troops to crush the rebellion that had previously been simmering but not in full outbreak.  The Roman forces started in the north, and worked their way south conquering the region. The Zealots (from the Greek zelotes, in this usage people zealous on behalf of God) and one of their splinter groups, the Sicarii ('dagger men') literally engaged in a kind of stealth 'cloak and dagger' warfare, hiding their daggers under their cloaks before attacking.  In an attempt to provoke the majority of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem to join the Zealots and Sicarii in revolt, they assassinated Jonathon, the High Priest; they also destroyed the food supply of Jerusalem in an attempt to force the population to fight the Romans.  As a result there were numerous deaths inside Jerusalem from starvation.  The Sicarii threatened to kill anyone who advocated for surrenhsder.  Some biblical scholars attribute the name of Judas the Iscariot to a corruption over time of the word Sicarii, translating it as Judas the Sicarios.

The Romans were initially unsuccessful in their seige of Jerusalem, encircling the city with a second ring of walls and establishing a permanent encampment.  Anyone the Sicarii didn't kill for arguing for surrender, who subsequently tried to escape from inside Jerusalem was caught between the inner Jewish walls around Jerusalem and the outer walls of the Romans.  Those caught in between were crucified; historians estimated as many as 500 crucifixions a day.  Estimates are 1,100,000 Jews killed in the suppression of the rebellion, with more of those Jewish deaths being caused by the Jews dying from hunger and illness than from the Romans.  An estimated 97,000 Jews were captured and sold into slavery, with additional Jews fleeing the Romans into other regions, mostly around the Mediterranean, in the second diaspora (the first was the Babylonian diaspora).

After the conquest of Jerusalem by the Romans, some of the Sicarii escaped to the mountain top stronghold of Masada, holding out until 73 AD.  When Masada finally fell, most - but not all - of the rebel Sicarii participated in a murder suicide pact rather than surrender or be captured.  Some scholars see the Sicarii as the predecessors of the medieval Hashshashin (or assassins), and 'sicarios' is a term for a class of drug cartel hit men.  It is also means hired killer, assasin or cutthroat in Italian as well as Spanish.

701  Death of Pope Sergius I (b. 650)  Sergius had been the choice to end the papal schism over the sede vacante in the final Byzantine papacy, between the two anti-popes, Anti-pope Paschal and Anti-pope Theodore. Factions of Paschal and Theodore had actually started  military battles with each other for the position, on behalf of their respective candidates. Sergius refused to accept the disciplinary canons of the Quinisext Council, aka the Council of Trullo convened by Byzantine Emperor Justinian II.  So Justinian II had Pope Sergius abducted.  Which wasn't an entirely new tactic; his predecessor Constans II had kidnapped Pope Martin I.  Theodore was the first of the two to acknowledge Sergius as the new pope.  Paschal tried to bribe the exarch of Ravenna to provide additional military support for his challenge, and then John Platyn, the exarch, showed up with armed forces, looted the Old St. Peter's Basilica, grabbed the gold offered as a bribe, and then left with his military forces after the consecration as pope of Sergius.  Paschal ended up under house arrest at a monastery, charged with witchcraft.
801   Birth of Ansgar, German Christian archbishop (d. 865)  St. Ansgar, aka St. Oscar, was one of the early missionaries who was responsible for the 'Christianizing of the North', contributing substantially to the missionary activity of Germany, and the Scandinavian countries, especially Denmark where he is the patron Saint. He had a lot of motivating relgious visions. The lunar crater Ansgarius was named for him.
 
 828   Birth of Ali al-Hadi, Shia Imam, tenth of the 'Twelve Imams' in Islam (d. 868). Similar in a vague sense to the twelve disciples of Christ, in the respect that they continued his message, the twelve imams were the direct successors to the Prophet Mohamed in Islam.  To the 'Twelvers' these imams were infallible just rulers, and they were uniquely perfectly qualified to interpret Divine Law. Shia muslims believe the coming of these twelve special infallible authorities was included in the Hadith of the Twelve Successors in which Mohamed describes their existence as a kind of prophecy.  Although the Twelve Imams are not prophets, as with the parallel to Christ's disciples, they have an exalted and special relationship with God, and therefore represent a special access to God to provide divine guidance.  While Ali al-Hadi was a Shia, the Twelve Imams Hadith is acknowledged by both Sunni and Shia muslims.  Each age after the period when Mohamed lived is believed by 'Twelvers' to have a single Imam; the final, twelfth Imam is believed by Twelvers to be alive NOW, hidden, waiting to bring justice to the world.  However, this last, current Imam is believed to have been alive since 868 AD and went into hiding at the age of 5.  The twelfth final imam is to be the 'Mahdi', a militant redeemer / warrior who will accompany Jesus Christ in his second coming at the same time as the one-eyed Anti-Christ.  There will be a lunar AND solar eclipse in the month of Ramadan, there will be a star or comet with a long luminous tail heralding his coming, and he will have 'a broad forehead, prominent nose, and 'natural mascara will ring his eyes', and black hair and beard; he will be good looking, and will arrive in an even-numbered year, in Mecca before conquering the world.  And, his face will 'shine on the surface of the moon', (a prophecy which I am embarrassed to admit makes me think of the comic book bat-signal.) Jesus is scheduled to arrive in this scenario only after the Mahdi has ruled for a set period of time (estimates differ).  Another interesting prediction is that the Mahdi will judge the people of the Qur'an according to the Qur'an; the people of the Gospels according to the Gospels, the people of the Psalms according to the Psalms, and the people of the Torah according to the Torah.  The other portents besides the tailed-star include 'the red death indicating death by the sword; the white death, which is death by plague.  The people of Iraq, especially Baghdad will have a fire in the sky which will cover them in redness and be 'afflicted with fear and death'.  Foreigners will be thrown out of Muslim lands.  And Syria will be the site of conflict, and be destroyed.

1264   The Statute of Kalisz, guaranteeing Jews safety and personal liberties and giving 'battei din' jurisdiction over Jewish matters, is promulgated by Boleslaus the Pious, Duke of Greater Poland.

1331  Stephen Uroš IV Dušan declares himself king of Serbia.  He is the only member of the Nemanjic dynasty of Serbian rulers not canonized as a saint.  Seven feet tall, he was considered the most powerful ruler in Europe at one time in his reign.  He engaged in battles with the neighboring Byzantine Empire, who in turn made an alliance wit

1380   At the Battle of Kulikovo  Russian forces defeat a mixed army of Tatars and Mongols, stopping their advance.

1449  In the Battle of Tumu Fortress, the Mongolians capture the Chinese emperor. (They didn't only direct their attention westward to Europe - see above.)

The David

1504   Michelangelo's David is unveiled in Florence. Bonus art trivia points if you know Michelangelo's last name.

1514   Battle of Orsha, one of the biggest battles of the century, Lithuanians and Poles defeated the Russian army.

1565   Pedro Menéndez de Avilés establishes the first permanent European settlement in North America which became modern St. Augustine, Fla.

Flag of the Order

1565  The Knights of Malta lift the Turkish siege of Malta that began on May 18. One of the bloodiest and most well known battles in European history at one time, it marked the dominance of the Spanish in the mediterranean, and the decline of the muslim Turks. The Knights of Malta had previously been known as the crusader Order of the Knights Hospitaler of St. John of Jerusalem, until they were thrown out of their base on the Isle of Rhodes by Suleman the Magnificent.  The Knights of Malta set up a new naval base, from which they attacked and plundered Muslim shipping and were in direct conflict with the Barbary pirates who plundered Christian shipping in the western Mediterranean.  The Knights of Malta continue to be an active order in Rome, and there is a protestant branch of the Order in Germany and in the U.K.
 
1664  The Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York.

1761   Marriage of King George III of the United Kingdom to Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

1783  Birth of  Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, Danish writer and philosopher (d. 1872)

1810   The Tonquin sets sail from New York Harbor with 33 employees of John Jacob Astor's newly created Pacific Fur Company on board. After a six-month journey around the tip of South America, the ship arrives at the mouth of the Columbia River and Astor's men establish the fur-trading town of Astoria, Oregon.

1828  Birth of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, American Civil War Union soldier (d. 1914) who fanously and gallantly commanded the position "Little Roundtop" in the Battle of Gettysburg.

1831   William IV and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

1841   Birth of Charles J. Guiteau, American assassin of James A. Garfield (d. 1882); and birth of Antonín Dvořák, Czech composer (d. 1904)

1852   Birth of Emperor Gwangmu of Korea (d. 1919)

1863   American Civil War: Second Battle of Sabine Pass – on the Texas-Louisiana border at the mouth of the Sabine River, a small Confederate force thwarts a Union invasion of Texas.

1888   In London, the body of Jack the Ripper's second murder victim, Annie Chapman, is found.

1892   The Pledge of Allegiance is first recited.  It was originally created to sell a popular children's magazine.  It did not include the words 'under God' until 1954, an addition promoted by the cult-like political religious group, 'the Family', of the recent 'C Street' scandals, promoters of the annual National Prayer Breakfast.

1900  A powerful hurricane hits Galveston, Texas killing about 8,000 people.

1901  Birth of Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, South African politician (d. 1966)

1922   Birth of Lyndon LaRouche, American politician

1926   Germany is admitted to the League of Nations.

1930   3M begins marketing Scotch transparent tape, which will later be used for some surprising purposes, including the restoration of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

King Faysal, right;
with Dr. Chaim Weizmann, left,
President of the World Zionist Organization,
both in Arab garb in 1918.
In january 1919, they signed the
Faysal-Weizmann Agreement re:
the Balfour Declaration establishing a
Jewish homeland in Palestine.

1933   Death of King Faysal I of Iraq and Syria (b. 1883), Faysal was an advocate of Pan-Arabism.  He was portrayed by Sir Alec Guiness in the famous movie Lawrence of Arabia, among other biographical film depictions.  Faysal made this statement re the Balfour Declaration, in 1919:
"We Arabs... look with the deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement. Our deputation here in Paris is fully acquainted with the proposals submitted yesterday by the Zionist Organisation to the Peace Conference, and we regard them as moderate and proper. We will do our best, in so far as we are concerned, to help them through; we will wish the Jews a most hearty welcome home... I look forward, and my people with me look forward, to a future in which we will help you and you will help us, so that the countries in which we are mutually interested may once again take their places in the community of the civilised peoples of the world."

For those who believe incorrectly that there has always been a desire on the part of Moslem leaders to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.  An appropriate quotation in the context of the current U.S. promoted peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.


1935  US Senator from Louisiana, Huey Long, nicknamed "Kingfish", is fatally shot in the Louisiana capitol building.

1941  World War II: Siege of Leningrad begins. German forces begin a siege against the Soviet Union's second-largest city, Leningrad.

1943    United States General Dwight D. Eisenhower publicly announces the Allied armistice with Italy.

1944   London is hit by a V2 rocket for the first time. Menton is liberated from Germany.

1945   In the Cold War, United States troops arrive to partition the southern part of Korea in response to Soviet troops occupying the northern part of the peninsula a month earlier.

1949   Death of Richard Strauss, German composer (b. 1864)

1951   In San Francisco, California, 48 nations sign a peace treaty with Japan in formal recognition of the end of the Pacific War.

1954   The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) is established.

1959  The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is established.

1960   In Huntsville, Alabama, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicates the Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA had already activated the facility on July 1).

1965   International Literacy Day, UNESCO is first celebrated.

1966   The first Star Trek series premieres on NBC.

1970   Hijacking (and subsequent destruction) of three airliners to Jordan by Palestinians; the events to follow would later become known as Black September
           Death of Percy Spencer, inventor of the microwave oven, (b. 1894)

1971   In Washington, D.C., the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is inaugurated, with the opening feature being the premiere of Leonard Bernstein's Mass.

1974   Watergate Scandal: US President Gerald Ford pardons former President Richard Nixon for any crimes Nixon may have committed while in office.

1975   1975 Boston's public schools began a court-ordered citywide busing program amid scattered incidents of violence.
           US Air Force Tech Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, appears in his Air Force uniform on the cover of Time magazine with the headline "I Am A Homosexual". He is later given a general discharge.

1991   The Republic of Macedonia becomes independent.

1999   United States Attorney General Janet Reno names former Senator John Danforth to head an independent investigation of the 1993 fire at the Branch Davidian church near Waco, Texas in response to revelations in the film Waco: The Rules of Engagement that contradicted the official government stories.

2004   NASA's unmanned spacecraft Genesis crash-lands when its parachute fails to open.

2003 The Recording Industry Association of America filed 261 copyright lawsuits against Internet users for trading songs online.

2005   Two EMERCOM Il-76 aircraft land at a disaster aid staging area at Little Rock Air Force Base; the first time Russia has flown such a mission to North America.

2006 A Senate report faulted intelligence gathering in the lead-up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and said Saddam Hussein regarded al-Qaida as a threat rather than a possible ally, contradicting assertions President George W. Bush had used to build support for the war.