▁sie ge ▁and ▁a ▁fier ce ▁battle , ▁and ▁destroyed ▁completely . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁U ss ish kin ▁published ▁a ▁full ▁report ▁of ▁the ▁exc av ation ▁project , ▁in ▁ 5 ▁volumes . ▁ ▁Be itar ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁following ▁his ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁C ave ▁of ▁Let ters , ▁and ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Bar ▁C och ba ▁Reb ell ion , ▁he ▁initi ated ▁arch ae ological ▁sound ings ▁in ▁Be itar , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁Bar ▁C och ba ' s ▁last ▁strong hold . ▁It ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁sout he astern ▁Jerusalem . ▁This ▁site ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁known ▁for ▁a ▁while . ▁Rem ains ▁of ▁the ▁sie ge ▁works ▁done ▁by ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁bes ie ging ▁this ▁strong hold , ▁in ▁ 1 3 5 ▁AD , ▁had ▁been ▁discovered ▁in ▁its ▁vic inity : ▁the ▁Roman ▁military ▁cam ps , ▁their ▁sie ge ▁walls . ▁U ss ish kin ▁found ▁that ▁in ▁that ▁period ▁Be itar ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁small ▁settlement , ▁selected ▁by ▁Bar ▁C och ba ▁to ▁be ▁his ▁headquarters ▁for ▁several ▁reasons : ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁ancient ▁Jerusalem ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁road ▁leading ▁from ▁Jerusalem ▁to ▁Gaz a ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁spring ▁and ▁was ▁situated ▁on ▁an ▁easily ▁def ens ible ▁hill top . ▁The ▁exc av ations ▁revealed ▁the ▁wall ▁hast ily ▁ere cted ▁by ▁Bar ▁C och ba ' s ▁men