Therefore Jesus foretold and warned of the destruction of Jerusalem with the words: “Truly I say to you. Indeed there shall not be left here. One stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.” And so it was. All of Jerusalem was destroyed only 30-something years after His Ascension. Who destroyed Jerusalem?
Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman emperor, Titus, also known as Caesar Vespasianus Augustus or Titus Flavius Vespasianus. The Siege of Jerusalem involved Jewish zealot revolts that invoked the wrath of Emperor Vespasian. Who through his son Titus. And four legions of soldiers destroyed the Jewish uprising once and for all. The siege of the capital lasted half a year. It began on the first day of Easter in March and ended on 7 September with catastrophic results. Of the approximately 3 million people besieged, 1.1 million were killed in the siege or hung on crosses. The rest were either enslaved or had died earlier during the terrible famine of the siege. If they had died from some other cause, it was probably due to the infighting of the Jewish leaders.
In addition to these warnings from our Lord, there were visible signs in Jerusalem during the siege of Cestius Gallus in 66 AD. Just when the siege promised tremendous success, Cestius, with his armies, retreated and did not return until the coming of Titus four years later. So the Jews chased the Roman armies and thought they had won. But the Christians heeded Christ’s advice and left Jerusalem, fleeing to Perea, across the Jordan, to freedom and safety.
What happened in the siege of Jerusalem?
Countless royal residences and fortresses, cities, palaces, and temples. Also, buildings whose foundations had been laid in the 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd century BC. They have been pulled out of the dust of the past, often several meters deep. Through challenging and competent work, diggers and the lively spirit of archaeologists.
The Citadel and Temple of Jerusalem, invaluable to posterity, evaded investigation and collapsed. They have been wiped forever from the face of this earth. For they had, a lifetime after Jesus’ crucifixion, the fate Jesus foretold for them in the days of vengeance.
When they saw these things happening, the Christians in Jerusalem fled the city as Jesus had taught them, while most Jews stayed behind and perished. It is estimated that over a million Jews died during the siege of Jerusalem, and around ninety-seven thousand were taken captive. Indeed, Christians lost their lives in the siege. But their refuge was Pella, a fortress in the hills east of the Jordan, about twenty-seven kilometers south of the Lake of Galilee.
Who is Vespasian?
As a young man, he distinguished himself in a cruel war, but his unbalanced conduct damaged his reputation. However, once on the throne, instead of being dazzled by omnipotence like many other Roman emperors, Titus radically changed his morals, making his rule a model of wisdom and honor.
Vespasian is, also known as Titus, a Roman emperor who is said to have been the happiest ruler. He distinguished himself as a military tribune on the Rhine and in Britain, and then, after the conquest, was lieutenant to Vespasian in the war against the Jews in 66. In 69, after his father’s proclamation as emperor, he took command of the armies of Judea, put down the revolt, and occupied Jerusalem. In 70, Taricha and Gamala were the most influential cities of Judea. A year later, he returned to Rome as Vespasian’s associate to the throne, who also entrusted him with the office of praetorian prefect. He ran the praetorian prefecture with severity and violence. After the conquest of Jerusalem, he returned home and followed his slaughter and collapse.
Emperor Titus died, ill, at Aque Cutiliae, in Sabina, on 13 September 81, in the same country house where, so soon after, Vespasian had given his soul. So the whole of Rome mourned him, except his brother, who succeeded him to the throne. Without a doubt, Titus was born in Rome on 30 December 39. So he was the eldest son of Emperor Vespasian and Flavia Domitilla.
Biography of Vespasian
| Full name: | Caesar Vespasianus Augustus |
| Date of birth: | November 17, 009 AD |
| Death day: | June 24, 0079 AD |
| The thread of life: | 70 years |
| Place of birth: | Falacrine, Italy |
| Father's name: | Flavius Sabinus |
| Mother's name: | Vespasia Polla |
| Spouse: | Caenis Vespasian |
| Children: | 2 sons |
| Physical appearance: | bald, lined forehead, long neck and tall |
| Nationality: | Italian |
| Summary of life: | Emperor Nero gave military command to Vespasian to settle the revolt in Judea. Vespasian acquired a military following and soon became Roman emperor. |
| Life detail: | As emperor, he was influenced by his mistress, Caenis, who had been secretary to the mother of Emperor Claudius. |
| Life accomplishments: | Vespasian's historical importance is as the founder of Rome's second imperial dynasty, the Flavian dynasty. |
| Death cause: | DIARRHEA. |
Places from the times of Vespasian Titus
- Ancient Rome– Was Ancient Rome modern-day Rome?
- Roman Egypt– Where is the exact location of Egypt?
Why did the siege of Jerusalem happen?
Nebuzaradan, a pagan, knew the circumstance better than the inhabitants of Judah. The Babylonians knew something about the prophet Jeremiah. This is why they treated him differently than prisoners of war were usually treated. Therefore, Jeremiah chose to go with the prisoners of war to Babylon or remain there. So neither option sounded appealing under the circumstances. On the other hand, both the prisoners of war and those left behind needed his service, his help, and his words of encouragement. So, in the end, he chose to stay.
The insane siege of Jerusalem happened to fulfill all that Jesus prophesied. That Nero’s line would not pass away until every stone in the temple of Jerusalem was broken down. Thirty years after the Crucifixion of the Messiah, Jesus’ prophecies were fulfilled.
During the siege, the famine was so great in the city that the soldiers lost their strength and could no longer cope. King Zedekiah fled with his family, but the effort was futile. He was captured and taken to Nebuchadnezzar, who ordered King Zedekiah’s sons to be killed before their father.
Is the siege of Jerusalem in the Bible?
Ancient Israel, whose history was no longer contained in the word and ministry of Jesus, the worshipping community of Jerusalem, where Jesus suffered death on the cross, were exterminated in an inferno almost unparalleled in history in the Jewish War from 66 to 70 AD.
The siege of Jerusalem is mentioned directly in the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 39. Even though it is an unfortunate and crucial historical event, it is not recorded only in the Bible. But in all the apocalyptical texts and literature.
At the head of the Roman troops, Emperor Nero appointed the commander Titus Flavius Vespasianus, who had so brilliantly distinguished himself in the conquest of Britain. Therefore, he, accompanied by his son Titus, invades Galilee from the north with three legions and numerous auxiliary troops. The settlements at Lake Ghenizaret, where Jesus had preached to fishermen a few decades earlier, witnessed the first bloody slaughters.
Who caused the fall of Jerusalem?
Richard Elliot Friedman, a biblical scholar, argues that the army of Nebuchadnezzar II did not destroy the First Temple in Jerusalem. King of Babylon and the Kingdom of Judea in the 6th century BC. The American professor claims that it was the Edomites. A small population in southern Transjordan. Who was responsible for the destruction of Solomon’s Temple?
Titus, the Roman emperor, caused the natural fall of Jerusalem. At first glance, this seems unlikely. The Hebrew Bible explicitly states, at least three times, that the Babylonians burned the Temple when they conquered the city. But Friedman argues that these accounts are probably erroneous.
First, Jerusalem and its destruction was an undeniable historical event. The Romans had built ramparts on the Temple walls, but their assaults still failed. Earlier that day, Titus told his generals that efforts to preserve this foreign temple cost him too many soldiers and ordered the Temple gates to be burned. So the silver in the gates began to melt, and the fire spread to the wooden frames and windows and from there to the wooden beams in the Temple aisles. Titus ordered the fire extinguisher. For it had already destroyed large parts of Jerusalem. Just as Jesus had predicted.
Quote related to Titus
“The body of a dead enemy always smells sweet.”
When did Titus destroy Jerusalem?
The writings of Moses and the prophets warned against idolatry and god worship. Yet they did exactly what was forbidden to them, even in the heavenly courts of the temple: All the chief priests and the people also multiplied their transgressions according to all the abominations of the Gentiles; and they defiled the house of the Lord, which he had sanctified in Jerusalem. That is to say. It would be no significant loss to destroy Jerusalem to build the new one. So Titus did precisely what Moses prophecized about.
The siege of Jerusalem caused by Titus began in force in January and lasted until late summer. Jerusalem managed to hold out for more than two years until the biblical prophecies were fulfilled and Babylonian armies destroyed Jerusalem.
Indeed in 1913, even Eroli received a commission, the subject chosen to be the conquest of Judea by the Romans. So the decoration of the tapestries is inspired by the bas-reliefs of the Arch of Triumph of Titus in Rome. You are glorifying the bravery of the two warriors, Vespasian and Titus. Even so, the tapestry card is painted on cotton rips. The style of Aubusson tapestries represents the triumphal entry of Emperor Vespasian. And Titus into Rome after the conquest of Jerusalem.
Why did Titus destroy Jerusalem?
The city’s fall marked the effective end of a four-year campaign against the Jewish insurgency in Judea. The Romans destroyed much of the town, including the Second Temple. Who destroyed Jerusalem? Most of the information about the siege comes from the copious notes of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.
Titus’ real reason for destroyed Jerusalem was that the Christians did not want to tithe and worship the gods. As a result, horrifying scenes that probably resembled hell on earth were happening around the walls. All of it is because of Titus Vespasian.
The Roman emperor Nero sent General Vespasian to meet the Jewish forces. An effort that drove most of the rebels into Jerusalem. Until Vespasian was proclaimed emperor in 69 CE. After this, thousands of corpses rotted in the summer heat. The smell was unbearable. Packs of dogs and jackals were feasting on human flesh. A few months ago, Titus had ordered all prisoners or deserters to be crucified.
3 Chronological Steps demonstrating the Siege of Jerusalem
Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed by Roman power. But it was later restored, unlike the Temple, which indicates that the end of the world is near when the temple is restored. He will be ruled by the Antichrist, born of a Jewish prostitute. It will be a curse for all nations because he will no longer lead for God but for the Antichrist, whom the Jews will call the Messiah. Let’s follow the three steps by which Jerusalem, the Holy City, was sieged:
1. Vespasian is proclaimed Emperor
The revolt was successful initially: Jewish forces quickly expelled the Romans from Jerusa, LEM, and a revolutionary government was formed that extended its influence into the surrounding area. In response, the Roman emperor Nero sent the general Vespasian to meet the Jewish forces, an effort that drove most rebels into Jerusalem until Vespasian was proclaimed emperor in 69 AD.
2. The Fall of Jerusalem
Titus was the one who destroyed Jerusalem and made it fall. Thus strategically depleting Jerusalem’s food and water supply. Inside the walls, the Zealots, a militant anti-Roman party, fought with other emerging Jewish factions, further weakening resistance.
Indeed, the Romans surrounded the city with a wall to completely cut off the city’s supplies, thus driving the Jews to starvation.
3. Arch of Titus as a sign of Victory
By August 70, the Romans had breached the final defenses and massacred much of the remaining population. They also destroyed the second temple. So the Western Wall is the only surviving trace of the Second Temple. It remains a place of prayer and pilgrimage. So Rome celebrated the fall of Jerusalem by erecting the triumphal Arch of Titus.
Primary Takeaways
- Indeed, the fight restarts from the second wall, crashing into the Antonia fortress. Moreover, on the suburban streets, the front approaches the Temple area and the Upper Town. Even so, the engineers build avenues of attack; auxiliary troops bring in from the surrounding area. From near and far, trees for them.
- Furthermore, Titus orders reprisals against those half-starved ghostly creatures and defectors. To transfer and vagabond, forager, they shall be crucified.
- In addition, to isolate the hermetic city, Titus also orders the construction of a circumvallation. While day and night, which runs broadly around Jerusalem. So they were reinforced by thirteen fortified buildings. Guarded by a dense chain of sentries.
The Siege Of Jerusalem By Titus. I’d like you to see it on Amazon.
Conclusion
In a cruel massacre, the legionaries push back the Jews and chase them through the atria. So in a wild tumult, the fighters swarm around the sanctuary. Therefore, torch fires immediately find food in abundance. Titus also sees the flames and tries to stop the fire from spreading.
During the siege, there were, according to Tacitus, 600,000 people in the city. So Josephus records the number of prisoners, not counting the crucified and disemboweled, as 97,000 and adds that the Jews removed 115,800 corpses from one gate alone in three months.
If you enjoyed reading our article, play the following Quizlet to test your knowledge about The Siege of Jerusalem. Have a good day!
Read also: Origin of Trinity. Tertullian Trinity
Trivia Quiz about The Siege of Jerusalem
Bibliography
- Hanna, R., Hanna III, R., & Lawton, D. (Eds.). (2003). The Siege of Jerusalem (No. 320). Oxford University Press.
- Livingston, M. (Ed.). (2005). Siege of Jerusalem. ISD LLC.
- O’ballance, E. (1956). The Siege of Jerusalem, AD 70. Royal United Services Institution. Journal, 101(603), 438-444.
- Rajak, T. (1981). Roman intervention in a Seleucid siege of Jerusalem? Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies, 22(1), 65-81.
- Yeager, S. M. (2004). ” The Siege of Jerusalem” and Biblical Exegesis: Writing about Romans in Fourteenth-Century England. The Chaucer Review, 39(1), 70-102.
