However, this hastily organized and inexperienced Jewish army was unable to withstand the seasoned Roman legions. One after the other, towns in Galilee, then Samaria, and numerous Judean cities were overtaken and devastated, with commander Josephus Flavius taken captive. Gadara fell first, with men, women, and children mercilessly slaughtered. During the siege of Jotapata, 40,000 Jews lost their lives and 1,200 were taken prisoner. In Ascalon, 10,000 perished; in Japhia, 27,000; and all the women and children were sold into slavery. On Mount Garizim in Samaria, 11,000 were killed; in Jophea, 8,400 were slain, and 4,200 drowned. Tarichea saw 2,200 killed and 6,000 taken captive, while at Gamal, 4,000 died, and 5,000 jumped from the mountain to their deaths. A total of 30,400 captives were sold into slavery. After conquering Galilee, Samaria, and most of Judea, Vespasian aimed to advance toward Jerusalem, but the news of Emperor Nero's death caused him to pause hostilities. Subsequently proclaimed emperor by his troops, he departed for Rome but entrusted the continuation of the conflict to his son Titus. Titus approached Jerusalem just before the Jewish Passover in 70 A.D. The Christians, recalling the promise of Christ, fled the city before the siege began, seeking refuge beyond the Jordan in safe wilderness areas. Josephus Flavius notes omens foretold the devastation: for an entire year, a star resembling a sword hovered over the city; prior to the war, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the area around the altar and sanctuary lit up as bright as day; the temple's brass gates, which had required twenty men to close, opened by themselves at night; and during Pentecost, priests heard disembodied voices urging, “Let us depart from here!” In Jerusalem, from the conflict's onset, factions vied for control, leading to lawlessness. Bands of rebels, identifying themselves as Zealots, imposed their rule over citizens’ lives and properties. Refugees from besieged cities also flocked to Jerusalem, including one John of Gischala, who rallied a loyal following and ignited a civil conflict against the Zealots, who were initially led by the high priest Ananus. Bloody encounters erupted between the factions within the city's streets and the temple courts, resulting in the temple being drenched in blood and littered with the bodies of the slain, transforming the holy place into an abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15). The feuding groups called upon the Idumeans for assistance, further intensifying the conflict. Daylight brought robberies and violent assaults, particularly against the wealthy. Jerusalem descended into utter anarchy as Titus's army approached. He encircled the city with trenches to cut off the bread supply, intending to force the besieged into surrender through starvation. A dreadful famine ensued; many sought to escape the hunger, yet those who fled were captured and crucified, leaving insufficient space for crosses. In the city, conflict raged alongside hunger; countless perished in agony, with one mother, driven mad by starvation, roasting and consuming her child. Initially, the deceased were interred in caves or abandoned homes, but as space ran out, bodies were hurled outside the gates or stacked against the city walls. One witness reported that 150,880 corpses had been removed through his designated gate alone; others estimated that up to 600,000 had been disposed of. Upon surveying the city walls, Titus saw them teeming with decaying bodies and raised his hands to heaven in horror, calling upon God to bear witness that he bore no guilt for such a disaster. To some extent, he was justified, having offered the besieged a chance to surrender, which they rejected. Titus even sent Josephus Flavius to the walls to persuade the besieged, delivering a lengthy address in which he recounted the history of the Jewish people, demonstrating that victories were granted to them only when God intervened, and that reliance on their own strength and weaponry had consistently led to failure. He admonished them, questioning whether they could expect divine assistance after corrupting the holy temple. Even these entreaties failed to sway the people. The destruction of Jerusalem would have been far worse had the days not been shortened for the sake of the elect (Mark 13:20), those who had no opportunity to escape. Desperation peaked among the besieged as the Roman troops breached the city walls, seizing the tower of Antony. In response, the inhabitants gathered within the temple courts, bolting the gates and vowing to defend themselves to the last breath. Despite their efforts, the attackers surged into the temple, washing it in blood. Titus wished to protect the temple, yet could not restrain his frenzied soldiers, who set the temple ablaze and slaughtered everyone present. A horrifying multitude of corpses surrounded the sanctuary, and blood flowed down the steps of the altar, saturating the ground. The remaining Jews fought their way towards the temple gates and sought refuge within the city, yet could not withstand the onslaught of the Roman forces. As they advanced through the city, the troops killed all they encountered, blocking streets with bodies, and bathing the entire city in blood. The temple was consumed by flames, leaving Jerusalem engulfed in destruction. Exhausted from the slaughter, the soldiers received orders to spare the noncombatants while executing the armed resistance; the rest were taken captive. In total, around 97,000 were imprisoned, while another 1,100,000 were slain during the siege. The temple and city lay in ruins, fulfilling the words of Jesus Christ concerning the fate of a cruel people that had mercilessly martyred their prophets and ultimately crucified their Messiah. This was the blood of the righteous, unjustly spilled by them, returning to the blood of Christ Himself, which they brazenly invoked upon themselves, shouting to Pilate, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Following this, the further story of the temple and Jerusalem reveals that Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple, leaving no stone unturned, with Jerusalem trampled by Gentiles until the end of their age. Truly, the temple was obliterated with no trace remaining, and attempts at rebuilding met utter failure. One Roman Caesar, Julian the Apostate, vowed to reconstruct the temple to refute Jesus’ prophecy of its total destruction. He summoned Jews from across the globe, who diligently endeavored to clear the site of the former temple; however, every time they began their work, fiery spheres erupted from the ground, scattering the laborers. Despite numerous efforts and attempts to resume construction, the fiery spheres continued to thwart their progress. Eventually, the builders recognized the futility of their efforts and abandoned all attempts to rebuild the temple, which God had decreed be destroyed.
THEOSIS