The Destruction Of Jerusalem (6 Of 6) Series

Outside the walls Titus was determined not to destroy Jerusalem. He sent Josephus to be a negotiator with the seditious. They counted Josephus as a traitor and tried many times to kill him. Titus offered amnesty to any who departed the city willingly. Many people did escape this way, but immediately the seditious posted guards to prevent anyone from leaving the city. Anyone who was even suspected of planning an escape was violently killed. Titus broke through the outer wall of Jerusalem and then tore down the wall. He used this as a negotiating tool. This was Jerusalem’s strongest wall; therefore the inner walls would be less of a challenge. He then offered amnesty again. They refused.

During subsequent battles and failed raids by the Jewish soldiers, captured prisoners of war were crucified in front of the wall. Titus used the crucifixions to try to convince surrender. So many Jews were crucified that they could not find enough wood for the crosses.

During one attack on the wall, the Jews made an unexpected retreat. Against the orders of Titus, many Roman soldiers scaled the walls to pursue the Jewish soldiers only to find that it was a trap. The Jews had covered the wooden platforms with straw and set it on fire at their retreat. Hundreds of Roman soldiers were trapped on the burning walls and died. This event along with the taunting of the Jews and years of waiting created a hatred for the Jews among the Roman soldiers. Titus gave another offer for surrender but the Jews refused. The inhabitants were starving and dying so fast that the bodies could not be buried, but the seditious refused surrender.

Finally Titus ordered an assault on the final wall of the city. The Romans broke through and began the Jewish massacre. Titus gave strict orders not to harm the sanctuary, however, Jesus made it clear that the sanctuary would be destroyed and no two stones would remain on top of each other. Prophecy prevailed over Titus’ orders. The soldiers were now caught up into such a battle frenzy so that orders were no longer to be heard. Josephus described the out-of-control soldiers as men under the ‘Divine fury’. One solder stood on the shoulders of another and set fire to the wooden structure of the golden window of the temple. The fire quickly spread to the upper rooms and then became a raging inferno. The Jews left off fighting because the temple was their highest priority. Titus sent soldiers into the temple to fight the fire, but it was futile. Once the fire became hopelessly out of control, Titus ordered his men back and cried as he watched the temple burn. The heat of the fire melted the gold that decorated the temple and it seeped into the walls. Once the fire burned out, Titus ordered the rocks pried apart so the gold could be recovered.

Titus did everything within his power to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem but failed. He then tried to protect the temple, but also failed. The destruction of Jerusalem was fulfilled exactly as the prophecies in Daniel and Jesus foretold. The judgment was severe and was the direct result of their rejection of peace.