Siege of Caesaria relates to the siege of conquest of Caesaria Maritima of the Palaestina Prima province (Byzantine Empire) by joint Sassanid-Jewish armies in 614 CE.

History

During the early stage of Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628, Khosrau II

Khosrau II

250px|thumb|Khosrau II 250px|thumb|Khosrau II 250px|thumb|Khosrau II (Khosrow II, Chosroes II, or Xosrov II in classical sources, sometimes called Parvez, "the Ever Victorious" – (in Persian: خسرو پرویز), was the twenty-second Sassanid King of Persia, reigning from 590 to 628...

 formed an alliance with the Jewish population of the Persian Empire and Sassanid armies, strengthened by Jewish militias marched on the Levant.

Following the victory in Antioch

Battle of Antioch (613)

The Battle of Antioch took place in 613 outside of Antioch, Syria between a Byzantine army led by Heraclius and a Persian army. The victorious Persians were able to maintain a hold on their recently taken Byzantine territory.- History :...

, joint Sassanid-Jewish army, commanded by Shahrbaraz

Shahrbaraz

Shahrbaraz or Shahrwaraz was a general, with the rank of Eran Spahbod under Khosrau II . His name was Farrokhan, and Shahrbaraz was his title...

, arrived to Palaestina Prima and conquered Caesaria Maritima, the administrative capital of the province. Nehemiah

Nehemiah ben Hushiel

Nehemiah ben Hushiel was the son of the Jewish Exilarch, placed as the symbolic leader of Jewish troops within Sassanid army in 608 CE, according to Jewish sources. This army participated in Khasrau II's campaign in the Levant. The joint military effort of Sassanid troops and local Jewish militias...

's Jewish troops and the Sassanid Persians, commanded by Shahrbaraz

Shahrbaraz

Shahrbaraz or Shahrwaraz was a general, with the rank of Eran Spahbod under Khosrau II . His name was Farrokhan, and Shahrbaraz was his title...

, were joined by Benjamin of Tiberias

Benjamin of Tiberias

According to Jewish sources Benjamin of Tiberias was a man of immense wealth, who enlisted and armed many soldiers during the Jewish revolt against Heraclius in the 7th century Palaestina province of the Byzantine Empire...

 (according to Jewish sources – a man of immense wealth), who enlisted and armed additional Jewish soldiers from Tiberias, Nazareth

Nazareth

Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...

 and the mountain cities of Galilee

Galilee

Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...

 and together they marched on Jerusalem. Jerusalem had later fallen

Siege of Jerusalem (614)

The Siege of Jerusalem in 614 was part of the final phase of the Byzantine-Sassanid Wars. The Persian Shah Khosrau II appointed his generals to conquer the Byzantine controlled areas of the Near East, establishing a strategic alliance with the Jewish population of the Sassanid Persia...

 to the Persian armies as well.

Sources

• Katz, Shmuel. Battleground (1974), p. 97.
• The Persian conquest of Jerusalem in 614 compared with Islamic conquest of 638.