The Ox and the Fourth Kingdom

The ox that drank the water is Vespasian the Roman and his son Titus. They are the Caesars, the Greco-Roman title for king, and they make up the fourth king seen by Daniel in his prophetic vision. They destroyed the Second Temple, murdered the Herodian kings and ended their dynasty, and they exiled Bnei Yisroel from their land. The word tora, ox, has the same numerical value as “Aspasyanus and his son Titus.” Another reason they are symbolized by the ox is that the Roman leaders are called the ox, or shor (see the Tikkunim). The fourth kingdom that Daniel sees is divided and split in two (Daniel 2:41-42). The Romans are the first half, and the second half is the Yishmaelite Muslim kingdom. The two cultures clash, as iron does not mix with clay (Daniel 2:43).