Lukuas, leader of the rebel Jews in Cyrenaica, moves towards Alexandria, enters the city, which had been abandoned by the Roman troops in Egypt under the leadership of governor Marcus Rutilius Lupus, and set fire to the city.

The pagan temples and the tomb of Pompey are destroyed.

Some notable architectural works are constructed in the Aegyptus province during Lupus’ tenure of office.

A new portico in the Oasis of Thebes is, in the same manner as the temple at Panopolis in Thebaid under the prior prefect Lucius Sulpicius Simius, dedicated to Serapis and Isis (Samuel Sharpe, History of Egypt, Moxon 1859, volume 2, page 157) with the following inscription:
"For the fortune of the Lord Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajanus, the best, Augustus, Germanicus, Dacicus, under Marcus Rutilius Lupus, praefect of Egypt.To Sarapis and Isis, the most great gods, the inhabitants of Cysis, having decreed the building of the pylon, did it in token of their piety. In the year 19 of the Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajanus, the best, Augustus, Germanicus, Dacicus, the first of Pachon”
 (from Sir John Gardner Wilkinson’s book on Egypt: "Modern Egypt and Thebes: being a description of Egypt; including the information required for travellers in that country." [1843] Full text available on Google Books)

Lupus successfully contains the initial revolt in Alexandria, but he has to call on the main Imperial forces to quell it, eventually achieving this enormous loss of life and property.

He also extends his protection to non-rebellious Jewish residents of Alexandria.

The rebels in Alexandria in 116 briefly control the suburbs until Roman forces restore order.

The rebellious Jews of Egypt, in addition to the decimation of perhaps hundreds of thousands of Jews in Cyrenaica and Cyprus, fall under the swords of the Romans.

According to the Haggadah (Babylonian Talmud, Gittin, 57b), “[Hadrian, successor to Trajan] slaughtered in Egypt six hundred thousand and again six hundred thousand, twice as many as had gone forth from Egypt [at the time of the exodus]... so that the blood ran in the sea as far as Cyprus.”