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287 ingly by its disappearance, presumably taken away by the visiting Elijah. The vanished cup has been a favorite subject of authors over the centuries. The tales became legends: the Crusaders sought it; Knights Templar found it; it was brought over to Europe... the cup became a goblet, a chalice; it was the chalice representing the Royal Blood—Sang Real in French, becoming San Greal, the Holy Grail. Or had it, after all, never left Jerusalem? The continued subjugation and intensified Roman repres- sion of the Jews in Judea led to the outbreak of Rome’s most challenging rebellion; it took Rome’s greatest generals and best legions seven years to defeat little Judea and reach Jeru- salem. In a.p. 70, after a prolonged siege and fierce hand-to- hand battles, the Romans breached the Temple’s defenses; and the commanding general, Titus, ordered the Temple put to the torch. Though resistance continued elsewhere for another three years, the Jewish Great Revolt was over. The triumphant Romans were so jubilant that they commemo- rated the victory with a series of coins that announced to the world Judaea Capta—Judea Captured—and erected a vic- tory archway in Rome depicting the looted Temple’s ritual objects (Fig. 126). But during each year of independence, Jewish coins were Jerusalem: A Chalice, Vanished FIGURE 126