Jesus' Prophecy Fulfilled: Exile Of The Jews After The AD70 Destruction Of Jerusalem
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Dive into the AD70 fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy that the Jews would be exiled and Jerusalem would become desolate.
Arch of Titus depiction of the removal of the Temple treasures to Rome
Bible verses in which Jesus prophesied the exile of the Jews
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate (Strong's G2048 - erēmos).
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate (Strong's G2048 - erēmos): and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Meaning of your house will become desolate (Strong's G2048 - erēmos)
Since the word desolate in the Greek means wilderness, desert and solitary place, Jesus painted a picture of a Jerusalem that would be bereft of its people.
However, house can mean dwelling place, but more specifically, the house of God. To this day, there is no temple in Jerusalem and it is trodden down by Gentiles.
Historical evidence confirming that the Jews were led away captive into other nations in AD70
Flavius Josephus remains the primary contemporary source for the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent dispersion of the Jewish population in AD 70. [1, 2, 3]
For primary texts and scholarly analyses regarding these events, you can consult the Perseus Digital Library for English translations of Josephus, or review the Center for Online Judaic Studies for a broader historical context.
1. The Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
- Primary Source: Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War (Bellum Judaicum), Books V and VI.
- Dates: The siege began in April AD 70 (around Passover) and culminated in the burning and destruction of the Second Temple on the 9th/10th of Av (August 30, AD 70). The upper city fell shortly after, in September AD 70.
- Numbers: According to Josephus, 1.1 million people perished during the siege. Many of them were pilgrims trapped in the city. Modern scholars believe that this figure is a rhetorical exaggeration and estimate the actual population of Jerusalem at the time to be roughly 60,000 to 80,000, though the death toll was still proportionally devastating. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
2. Enslavement and Displacement (The Exile)
- Primary Source: Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War, Book VI, Chapter 9.
- Numbers: Josephus records that exactly 97,000 Jews were taken captive and enslaved throughout the duration of the war.
- Details: Captives of "notable" stature were sent to Rome for Titus’s triumphal procession, while tens of thousands were distributed across the empire. They were condemned to forced labor in Egyptian mines, made to build the Roman Colosseum, or used in gladiatorial games. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
3. Mop-Up Operations and Masada
- Primary Source: Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War, Book VII.
- Dates: Following the fall of Jerusalem, Roman "mopping-up" campaigns continued for years, culminating in the siege of the desert fortress of Masada, which fell in April AD 73 or 74.
- Numbers: Josephus writes that 960 Jewish defenders died by mass suicide at Masada. [1, 2, 3, 4]
4. External Roman and Pagan Sources
- Tacitus (Roman Historian, c. AD 56 – 120): In his Histories (Book V), Tacitus confirms the Roman siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. He noted the sheer scale of the Roman army and the desperate, prolonged resistance of the Jewish factions.
- The Arch of Titus (Rome, c. AD 81): This triumphal arch, still standing in Rome today, provides physical/archaeological evidence of the exile. It depicts Roman soldiers carrying away plundered Temple treasures, including the seven-branched menorah and the Table of Shewbread, symbolizing the subjugation of Judaea. [1, 2, 3, 4]
A Note on Modern Scholarly Consensus
While the Roman destruction of the Temple and the mass enslavement/displacement of Jews from Jerusalem itself is fully corroborated by both literary and archaeological evidence, modern historians largely reject the idea of a complete, wholesale geographical exile of the entire Jewish population of Judaea.
Instead, historical records and archaeological findings suggest that while Jerusalem was depopulated and a garrison (Legio X Fretensis) was established, significant Jewish communities remained in the Galilee and other rural parts of Judaea for generations.
Conclusion
Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled in every detail. He said that He is coming again. Are you ready?
NB: Repeating patterns in modern day nations (desolation of the nation and removal of its people for various reasons)
- Exile of Garifunas from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
- Forced departure from Monsterrat due to volcanic eruption.
- Threat of forced departure from St. Vincent and the Grenadines due to 2021 volcanic eruption - ships were waiting in the harbor.
- Departure of Venezuelans with rapid escalation during the acute crisis of 2018 and 2019.
- Other examples worldwide.
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