70 · Jerusalem
Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem
Roman legions under Titus destroyed the Jewish Temple in 70 AD, ending the sacrificial system that had defined Jewish worship and forcing the young Church to reckon with its relationship to Judaism.
In 70 AD, after a brutal siege, Roman soldiers broke through the walls of Jerusalem and burned the Temple to the ground. For Jews, this was a catastrophe beyond measure. The Temple was not just a building. It was where God dwelt among his people, where sacrifices were offered, where the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year. Its destruction ended a way of worship that had lasted over a thousand years. For the early Christians, mostly still Jewish themselves, the event carried a different weight. Jesus had predicted the Temple's destruction, and many saw it as confirmation of his words. The fall of the Temple also accelerated the separation between Judaism and Christianity. Without a Temple, Judaism reorganized around the synagogue and the rabbis. Christianity, meanwhile, already had its own sacrificial understanding centered on the Eucharist rather than animal offerings. The two communities, which had overlapped considerably, now moved further apart. Paul's letters and the Gospels were written in the shadow of this event, and scholars still debate how much it shaped the way the New Testament authors told their story. What is clear is that after 70 AD, there was no going back to the old arrangement.
Why it matters
Ended Jewish Temple worship, accelerated the separation of Christianity from Judaism, and shaped the development of the New Testament and early Christian self-understanding.
What Happened
After the Jewish revolt against Rome began in 66 AD, the emperor Vespasian and then his son Titus laid siege to Jerusalem. The city held out for months, but by August 70, Roman forces breached the walls. The Temple was burned, possibly against Titus's orders, possibly not. Jerusalem was sacked, and hundreds of thousands died. The Temple was never rebuilt. Today the Western Wall, a retaining wall from the Temple platform, is the closest Jews can come to the site.
Why It Still Matters
Christians often read this event through the lens of Jesus's prophecy in the Gospels that not one stone of the Temple would be left on another. The destruction also matters theologically because it underscored the Christian claim that the old covenant sacrifices had been fulfilled in Christ. The Letter to the Hebrews builds its entire argument around this idea. For OCIA candidates, understanding the Temple helps explain why the Mass is described as a sacrifice and how it relates to the worship of ancient Israel.