History of Christianity - The Fall of Jerusalem - Research Paper Example

? The Fall of Jerusalem 70 A.D. REL 450 History of Christianity Hwang Table of Contents REL 450 History of Christianity 1 Instructor: Professor Hwang 1 Date: 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Reasons for the Fall of Jerusalem 4 The Scenario of Jerusalem before War 5 The Scenario of Jerusalem Post War 6 Works Cited 9 Introduction The Fall of Jerusalem, which was predicted by Jesus 37 years prior 70 A.D., the year it took place, has often been categorized as one of the most devastating events in the world history. Quoting from Mathew (24:1-2), “And Jesus went out, and departed from the Temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the Temple. And Jesus said unto them, “See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Maier, “The Catastrophic Fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.”). Not only did the event affect the then socio-economic context but also had a significant impact on the religious situation of the period. The catastrophe took place as a consequence of the First Jewish-Roman War under the leadership of Titus and his subordinate Tiberius Julius Alexander (North, “Did Jesus Return In 70 A. D.?”). The disaster resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem causing innumerous deaths and the demolition of its popular First as well as Second Temples. The demolitions of both these temples are still mourned by Jews every year on Tisha B’Av (Young, “Oh Jerusalem, Thou that Killeth the Prophets”). The study intends to discuss the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. In connection to this, it will emphasize the reasons behind the destruction by examining the scenario of Jerusalem during the occurrence of the First Jewish-Roman War. Reasons for the Fall of Jerusalem The sole reason behind the Fall of Jerusalem has been widely affirmed as the religious conflicts persisting between the then Jewish community and the Romans, which were further fuelled up by the involvement of political interests. The conflicts can be addressed from the beginning of 32 A.D. It was during this period that various factions were built within Jerusalem such as Sicarri and Zealots which actively participated in the revolution against Roman emperors. In the 70 A.D., repeated conflicts were being witnessed within the Roman Empire based on ethnic rivalry or political power agreements. The fall can be further identified to be the aftermath of chronological occurrences of disagreements taking place between the Jewish people and the Romans that took place because of the reluctance of the former to follow the emperor’s rules, which later took the shape of religious disbelief and segregation amid the then biblical audiences. Charged by the continuous rebellion against the Roman rule, the Roman army was preparing for an attack on the Jewish city since 66 A.D. following the death of Herod Agrippa I. In due course, the 30,000 Roman troops were able to beat the city walls of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. under the leadership of Titus, which led to the death of numerous Jewish civilians, and thus the First Jewish-Roman war was instigated. This sudden attack resulted in massive destruction where the temples of the city were annihilated, fuelling up the grievances of the Jewish people against the Romans (Bell, “The Destruction of Jerusalem: A Local Event or of Universal/Eternal Consequence?”). After 40 years, as predicted by Jesus Christ, the wonderful ‘Herod Temple’ was completely demolished by the Romans. Titus, the campaign leader, has also been accused in many religious writings of having collected the precious treasury of Jerusalem temple and taken it to Rome, where it is still believed to remain safe. When the temple was engulfed by fire, the Roman soldiers hammered its walls in search of treasure, which again disregarded the religious belief of the Jewish people, causing a spiritual crisis within the city. Different vessels as well as treasures were robbed and were taken to Rome. Furthermore, the population and the visitors, trapped between the city walls by the Roman army, were inhumanly killed. It is estimated that around 600,000 to 1 million people were killed in the war while the other alive were either taken hostage or were enslaved. The people who were lucky enough to escape the brutality became refugees, who were identified as the one scattering from one place to another without having any legal identification or authority. Thus, as a result of the growing grievances amid the two parties and the following brutality, both cities, Jerusalem and Judea, were left deserted. Consequentially, being brutally affected by Roman attack, the Jewish soldiers instigated a collective rebellion against Rome. This, however, motivated the Roman soldiers from Syria to destroy the foods and livestock of the city, due to which many people died because of starvation (Young, “Oh Jerusalem, Thou that Killeth the Prophets”). The Scenario of Jerusalem before War The scenario of Jerusalem, prior to the First Jewish-Roman war was instigated, had been strongly influenced by repeated political, military and religious conflicts. This demonstrated a highly fluctuating socio-economic stance of the then Roman dynasty. Massive impact of such fluctuations and unrests was witnessed by the civilians and the churches or temples, which in turn disregarded the religious pride of the population. Before the war between the Romans and the Jews began in 66 A.D – 67 A.D., the ambassador of Syria, Cestius Gallus, arrived in Jerusalem with the Twelfth Legion of the Roman army and conquered the northern area of Jerusalem, i.e. the Bezetha region. However, it has often been argued that because Cestius Gallus’s army was not big enough to conquer the rest of the city, he had to give up the fight. Consequently, the army was trapped in Beth Horon Pass and agonized with huge loss. This victory increased the level of confidence among the Jews, who were motivated to target bigger conquests over the Roman rule. During the late 68 A.D., the Roman general Vespasian curtailed the area past Jordan, Idumea and Western Jordan towards the southern region of Jerusalem. During this period, the death of Nero and Civil conflicts in Rome forced Vespasian to momentarily suspend the armed operations in Judaea and consider the improvements taking place in Rome. Vespasian was made the king, which came as a relief to the Jews and was further accepted as the grace of God. However, with the recommencement of the conflicts, the Romans attacked Jerusalem with four legions. The Fifth Legion came from the western region of the city. The Fifteenth and Twelfth Legions came from the northern area and settled on Mount Scopus; similarly, the Tenth Legion settled on the Mount of Olives trapping the city from every corner and thereby signifying the fall of Jerusalem in the upcoming 70 A.D. (Scott, “Did Jerusalem Christians Flee to Pella?”). The Scenario of Jerusalem Post War The aftermath of the First Jewish-Roman War left the city of Jerusalem devastated suffering from brutality of army along with the fatality of famines. The majority of the population had been killed by the army attacks, and the remaining alive people were either enslaved or became refugees. Moreover, the people who survived also had to face the lack of livestock and food in general and the rapid spread of famine. Thus, it can be stated that the later period of the war left the city of Jerusalem no hope for revival and a brighter life (Curtis, “Lamentations: The Fall of Jerusalem”). Further, what concerns living conditions, there was a need to rebuild dwelling. After the war was over, people who had taken refuge in some other nation or were able to escape from the slavery of the Romans returned to the city. The mythological imprints in this regard depict that here was a feeling of unity amid the survived population of Jerusalem. However, as the availability of food and water became limited in the post-war situation, the population had to combat severe hardships while trying re-establishing their structured way of life. As fuel was also available in limited quantities hardly enough to suffice the need of the population, the people had to deal with problems and live through hardships doing their best to live a normal life. Apart from this, the population also had to undergo the major challenge of unhealthy and disease-prone environment with inefficient garbage and drainage systems. Contextually, as the corpses and the wastes were not being efficiently disposed of, various diseases cropped up resulting in continued fatalities even after the war (Curtis, “Lamentations: The Fall of Jerusalem”). Conclusion With reference to the above discussion, it becomes quite apparent that Jerusalem had to witness inevitable and long lasting destructive effects of the Jewish-Roman War in the 70 A.D., which not only caused the fall of the city but also restricted the rebirth of the heritage in a healthy and prosperous way. In conclusion, it can be affirmed that the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. is one of the most significant events in the history of Christianity as well as in the world history. Its significance can be identified from a religious perspective as it gave a new definition to Christianity owing to the fact that churches and the disciples of Jesus began influencing the political decisions during this period (Holford 119-120). Again, the fall of Jerusalem also marked the brutality of the then political and military world, which in turn signifies the era as a landmark of ancient orthodoxy. Works Cited Bell, William H. The Destruction of Jerusalem: A Local Event or of Universal/Eternal Consequence? Evidence That Jerusalem’s Destruction Was of Universal and Eternal Consequence, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. Curtis, Donald. E. Lamentations: The Fall of Jerusalem. From Creation to Cross, 2001. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. Holford, George. The Destruction of Jerusalem. Virginia: Joseph Sharpless, 1812. Print. Maier, Paul L. The Catastrophic Fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Christianity Today, 2012. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. North, Stafford. Did Jesus Return In 70 A. D.? Oklahoma Christian University of Science & Arts, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. Scott, Julius. J. Did Jerusalem Christians Flee To Pella? Archaeological Conference, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL.1998. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. Young, Daniel. G. Oh Jerusalem, Thou that Killeth the Prophets. Focus on Jerusalem. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. Read More