EE,Originally posted by Ed Edwards:
READER'S DIGEST 1976 ALMANAC AND Yearbook (Reader's Digest, 1976),
page 368, 369:
"132-135 New Revolt by Jews in Jerusalem leads
to final Diaspora (dispersion) of Jews."
"70 Romans Destroy Jewish Temple ; in Jerusalem;
outlaw Jewish priesthood; disperse many Jews throughout
Roman Empire as punishment for Jewish revolt
against Roman rule."
I can understand that much of Jerusalem was destroyed to
destroy the Temple, but that can be rebuilt.
I am sure that you are aware of the destruction that was wrought on the country of Germany in WWII by the allied bombing campaign. I am also certain you have seen the destruction in photographs of that same campaign, but pictures are worthless and are incapable of describing the where, the when, and the how such destruction came about. I assume that you believe these descriptions of WWII. Then, why do you believe what an eyewitness said of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem? "Now, as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other such work to be done,) Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne, and so much of the wall as enclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison, as were the towers also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valour had subdued; but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those who dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those who came there believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those who were for seditions; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind." The Works of Josephus, Book 7 Chapter 1.
As for the dates of 132-135 A.D. History tells us that the emperor Hadrian rebuilt a city on the ruins of Jerusalem starting in 130 A.D. The city was subsequently named Aelia Capitolina. An uprising of the remaining Jews led by Simon Bar Kokhba lasted 4 years until crushed by the Romans. Subsequently, no Jew was allowed into the city. The Jews were not allowed back into the city until 1247 A.D. Encyclopedia of the Orient
For one to say that a city can be rebuilt from destruction is not addressing the point that the city was destroyed in the first place. It is skirting the issue at hand. I'll use an example as follows: I live in a house that my father built and it is destroyed by a tornado and I rebuild it. When asked by my children about the history of the house in which we dwell, I don't say that this is the house that my father built. I tell my children how the house that my father originally built was destroyed by a tornado, and how I built a house on the same site.
As a side note, it is quite interesting to note that Josephus stated that the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was its second desolation.
