How's your history of the Jewish people? How's your understanding of the Jewish religion and customs? And how's your history and understanding of Roman history? A dab of each would be helpful!

Edgar Allan Poe brings them together in a short story about an incident in Jerusalem in about 60 BCE. Just after the Romans occupied the city. It's about pride, trust, anticipation, and disappointment, plus there's a glimpse into the 1830s in America.