Constantius Gallus Quashes the Revolt

In 351 CE, Gallus sent his general, Ursicinus ,to forcefully put down the revolt. Tiberias and Lod were almost destroyed, while Tzipori was razed to the ground. Ursicinus also ordered several thousand rebels killed.

Historian Jerome writes in his book, The Chronicon:

“Gallus persecuted the Jews, who slaughtered his entire garrison in the night and afterwards declared open revolt.  He killed thousands of people, even infants, and destroyed the towns of Caesarea, Tiberias, and Lydda, and set fire to many others.”  

In 2024, a building that hosted the Talmudic sages, which was razed to the ground during the revolt, was discovered in Lod.94 silver and bronze coins dating between 221 and 354 CE were found in the foundation.

Inscriptions in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, including an inscription bearing the name of a Jewish man from a priestly family, coupled with the complete absence of pig bones from the bone assemblage uncovered in this site, attest to this building’s association with the Jewish community.

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