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This is a term paper that I did for English Class Hope you ejoy it.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

In this term paper I will prove that the destruction of Jerusalem in 66 and 70 C.E. was prophesied in the Bible before the destruction occurred. All scriptures are taken from the New World Translation. Also "no prophecy of scripture springs from any private interpretation."(2 Peter 1:20)

Jesus had called Jerusalem "the killer of the prophets and the stoner of those sent forth to her." (Matt 23:37) Though many of her citizens showed faith in God’s son, the city as a whole continued to follow the pattern of the past. For this "her house was abandoned to her"(Matt 23:28)

In 66 C.E. a Jewish revolt brought Roman armies under command of Cestius Gallus to Judea. In short order the Romans besieged the city. In about five days the Romans, using techniques like the Testudo, managed to undermined the wall, without being hurt. When the Romans had gained access to the Temple. "A horrible fear seized upon the rebels insomuch that many of them ran out of the city."(Josephus, 203 Vol 1) These people were scared, because from the Temple the Romans could have gained access to two-thirds of the city. Cestius almost had the city, but then he did something strange. "Cestius recalled his soldiers from the place, and by despairing of any expectation of taking it, without having received any disgrace, he retired from the city, without any reason in the world."(Mills 265 Ancient Romans) What could have cause Cestius to withdraw from Jerusalem? He had the city in his grasp. Why did not he take the city? Josephus offers an explanation. "Cestius. . . who, had he but continued the siege a little longer, he had certainly taken the city; but it was, I suppose; owing to the aversion God had already putting the war to an end that very day."(Josephus, 203 Vol.1)

Jerusalem’s relief as a result of the Roman withdrawal was short-lived, as it had been when the Egyptians near the end of King Zedekiah’s reign. After Cestius left another strange thing happened. Eusebius states that the Christians fled from Jerusalem and the whole land of Judea and they fled to a city in Perea that was called Pella. The reason that the Christians did this was recorded at Luke 21:20-22 "Further more, when you see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near. Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw and let those in the country places not enter into her; because these are days for meting out justice, that all the things written may be fulfilled. (Watchtower, 12 )

After a period of about five years the Romans were back. This time they were under the command of General Titus. The time that the Romans came back to lay siege to Jerusalem was unfortunate. The Romans started their attack a couple of days into the festival of the Passover. At this festival all of the males of the Jews (at least those who could attend) were in Jerusalem. "Josephus assures us , as we shall see here after that there were over one million people in Jerusalem"at that time.(Mills 189 Ancient Israel) With that many people in Jerusalem it was no wonder that the conditions inside the city were so terrible. The siege at first was not complete. It was possible to leave. But the two leaders of Jerusalem had other ideas. " John and Simon, with their factions did more carefully watch these men going out than they did the coming in of the Romans, and if any one's intention (was to leave the city), his throat was immediately cut."(Josephus, 207 Vol.2) After this the Romans completely surrounded Jerusalem with siege banks and a continuous fence that was erected around the entire city to make escape impossible. This also fulfilled Jesus prophecy at Luke 19:43 "So all hope of escaping was now cut off from the Jews together with their liberty of going out of the city. Then did the famine became much worse and began to kill people by whole houses and families."(Josephus, 207)

The Romans where not the only cause of the problems inside Jerusalem. Within the city rival factions quarreled and fought, much of the city’s food supply was destroyed "The madness of the rebels did also increase together with their famine, and both those miseries were everyday inflamed more and more."(Josephus, 208) Josephus relates that in time the famine become so grave that the people were reduced to eating wisps of hay and leather, and even there own children.

"Rise up! Whine during the night at the start of the morning watches.

Pour out you hearts before the face of Jehovah just like water. Raise

to him your palms on account of the soul of your children. Who are

fainting away because of famine at the head of all the streets. See, O

Jehovah, and do like to the one to whom you have dealt severely in this

manner. Should the women keep eating their own fruitage, the children

born fully formed. Or in the sanctuary of Jehovah should priest and

prophet be killed." (Lamentations 2:19,20)

What this meant was that no one would be spared the horrors that awaited in the city.

"As for the delicate and dainty women among you who never attempted

to set the sole of her foot upon the earth for being of dainty habit and for delicateness, her eye will be evil inclined toward her cherished husband

and her son and her daughter, even toward her afterbirth that comes out

from between her legs and toward her sons whom she proceeded to bear

because she will eat them in secrecy for the want of everything because

of the tightness and stress with which your enemy will hem you in within

your gates." (De 28:15)

These two conditions combined along with the attacks by the Romans caused many people to die. "The multitude of carcases that lay in heaps one upon another was a horrible sight, and produced a pestilential stench which was a hindrance to those that would make sallies out if the city and fight the enemy"(Mills, 289 Ancient Romans) Inside the city there was no way in order to dispose of the bodies so the people started throwing the bodies into valleys surrounding the city.(Josephus 208) This did not escape the notice of the Romans. "However, as Titus was going about going his rounds along those valleys, saw them full of dead bodies, and the thick putrefaction running about them, he gave a groan; and spreading out his hands to heaven, called God to witness that this was not his doing and such was the sad case of the city, itself."

These conditions made life in Jerusalem terrible. The city still had two more things to endure. When the Romans started taking the city many more people died. While the city was being taken despite orders to the contrary "a Roman soldier threw a flaming torch into the Temple, and a blazing fire broke out."(Mills 312 Ancient Romans) It was not long after that the Romans took the city. Josephus tells us that a little later Romans soldier noticed that the Jews were hiding money between the stones in there houses. This prompted the Romans " to raze the whole city to the ground except three towers and a part of the temple wall. And thus Jerusalem was taken in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, or the eight day of the month Gorpieus."(Josephus 209)

So what happened after that? "The golden vessels of the Temple which had escaped the destruction of Jerusalem and some of the prisoners were taken to Rome where they were displayed in the great triumph given to Titus on his return."(Mills 313) Even after all the things that the Jews had to suffer though there were still survivors. This fulfilled Bible prophecy at Matt 24:22 "In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short." Ninety-seven thousand captives were taken, many of them were sent as slaves to Egypt or were killed by the sword or were beasts in the theaters. This too fulfilled Bible prophecy " and Jehovah will certainly bring you back to Egypt by ships by the way about which I have said to you ‘You will never see it again and you will have to sale yourselves there to your enemies as slave men and maidservants but there will by not buyer.’" (De 28:68) This was one of the greatest tragedies of the Jewish State.