7. The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem

The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem

Model of the Temple of Jerusalem built by Herod the Great

While Paul founded Christian churches throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, the Christian Church in Jerusalem led by James, brother of Jesus, was closer to Judaism, and actively competed with Paul and the Hellenistic disciples by sending evangelists to the cities of the diaspora. The center of cult remained in the Temple of Jerusalem, meaning that Jewish Christianity had its destiny tied to this city and to Judea.

Judea was still a turbulent province, but from the year 41 Emperor Claudius appointed his friend Herod Agrippa (nephew of Herod Antipas) as king of Judea, granting him a certain degree of autonomy. Herod was a good ruler, he became popular among Jews and Judea was prosperous as in Solomon's time, but not for long because his reign ended with his death three years later, in 44. Herod left behind an adolescent son (Herod Agrippa II) to whom Claudius did not want to entrust the difficult throne of Judea, and only allowed Hero Agrippa II to rule over some regions of the country. Most of the land was again converted into a province and governed by Roman procurators.

In the middle of the year 50, agitation grew in Palestine. The anti-Roman extremists among the Jews, called the "Zealots", fanatics of the Jewish faith, imposed a climate of terror that affected and put pressure on the Jewish leaders accusing them of being soft. The messianic hopes of the Jews were increased and they were no longer willing to compromise on religious issues; they opposed any form of homage that could be conceived as a cult to the Emperor or any of the symbols of the Empire, and glorified the Maccabees and their triumphant rebellion against Antiochus IV in defense of their religion. This intolerance and Zealot terror frightened the Christians of the city by pushing them towards Judaism. Paul was a victim of this intolerance when he returned to Jerusalem. He was arrested and he remained imprisoned for several years.

In the year 62, the Church of Jerusalem suffered a severe blow, when James, brother of Jesus and head of the Church, was accused of "transgressing the law", condemned and executed, at the request of the Zealots and the high priest Ananus. He was replaced by Simeon, cousin of Jesus; but although he belonged to the Messianic dynasty, Simeon did not have the charisma and personal authority of James to lead his community through the difficult times that followed.

The turmoil in Judea continued to increase, and a just a spark was needed to start the fire of a rebellion. In the year 66 riots and revolts broke out in Caesarea and Jerusalem, due to rumors that the Roman procurator was going to appropriate the treasure of the Temple. The Zealots led the revolts and seized the Temple and then Jerusalem, expelling the Roman garrison.

All of Judea joined the revolt, with an intensity that took the Romans by surprise, and local troops could not control it. The Emperor Nero realized that he had to face an important rebellion and in the year 67 he sent three legions to Antioch under the command of Vespasian, the best Roman general of the time.

Vespasian took his army to the south, occupying Galilee. In 68 he went to Judea occupying the region slowly but methodically, as the Jews fought to the death, and halfway through the year it seemed that they had some opportunity of winning the war, because in Rome Emperor Nero was overthrown. Nero then committed suicide before waiting for his execution. A period of anarchy followed, during which three Roman generals seized the  Roman throne, one after the other. Vespasian marched towards Rome after being proclaimed emperor by the armies of Judea and Egypt and in the year 70 he defeated his rivals and effectively became emperor.

Fire and destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem

His son Titus continued the task of recovering Judea for the Empire. In the year 70 Jerusalem was besieged, taken, and the Temple was destroyed, after six centuries of existence and a thousand years after Solomon built the first Temple. According to chronicles of the time, one and a half million Jews died and there was a new and desperate diaspora. Judea was devastated, Jerusalem in ruins, the priesthood was abolished and a Roman legion was permanently established in the country. Only the ruins of a wall, which today is known as the Wailing Wall, remained from the temple.

In the Jewish rebellion against Rome, the Christians did not take part; they already had their Messiah, they preached nonviolence, they had to offer the other cheek, they had to love their enemies and give to Caesar what was Caesar's. Christian Jews believed that rebellion signaled the beginning of the end and that rebellious times announced the return of Jesus. They followed the words of Jesus, who when speaking of the final days had said: "those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

Thus, most of the Jude-Christians fled to Transjordan to escape the Zealots and the Romans, and they did not participate in the defense of Jerusalem. The Jews who survived  never forgave the Christians, they rejected Christianity and there were no more converts among them. Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and Jewish Christianity became extinct. Christianity became totally gentile and the new religion moved further and further away from its Jewish origins.

NEXT CHAPTER: The Gospels

The chapters published so far can be consulted in the Index of published chapters.

INDEX OF PUBLISHED CHAPTERS

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE

INDEX OF PUBLISHED CHAPTERS OF UNTIL AUGUST 28, 2018

Introduction

1 - The dawn of Christianity - The Roman Empire

2 - The Jews

3 - Jesus of Nazareth

4 - The early years of Christianity

5 - Saul of Tarsus (St. Paul)

6 - Nero

7 - The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem



It is recommended to read the chapters in order to understand how Christianity came to be what it is today.

6 - Nero

Roman Emperor Nero

Emperor Nero

Since the year 54, a new emperor was on the throne of Rome. Emperor Claudius was poisoned by his fourth wife, Agrippina, and the fifth emperor of Rome was Nero, Agrippina’s son from a previous marriage. Emperor Nero is remembered for his extravagances, his tyrannical rule and because he organized the first persecution of the Empire against Christians.

In the year 64 there was a great fire in Rome, fire that posterity has associated with Nero. For six whole days the fire spread through the poor neighborhoods (built in wood and overpopulated) and reduced to ashes half of the city. It was not the first fire of Rome nor would it be the last, but it seems that it was the worst in Rome’s history. Nero was in Antium (modern Anzio), on the coast, 150 kilometers south of Rome when the fire started. Upon receiving the news of the fire, Nero rushed back and ordered to try to control the fire and organized temporary shelters for those who were homeless.

Fire of Rome in 64

Nero had mania for the performing arts, and tradition says that from a high tower, he watched the terrifying and impressive spectacle of the city in flames illuminating the horizon; He asked for a lyre and improvised a poem about the burning of Troy. So inconceivable behavior made people think that he had torched the city. And indeed, it was observed that the fire originated for a second time in the parks of Tigellinus. In addition, after the fire, Nero took advantage of the wide spaces left by the charred houses of Rome, to build an imperial palace without equal in the world.

Guilty or not, Nero kept suspicions away from himself by blaming the Christians in Rome. It was easy to excite the people against these Orientals. Christians then were almost all Greeks and Jews, people who despised and reviled the gods who always protected the Roman state, making it the first power in the world. Romans could expect everything from those impious, even arson. Christian prophets announced that there would lower fire coming from the sky that would annihilate the capital for its sins. After the fire, Christians even dared to say that the fire was a punishment that God sent to idolaters. Confessions were obtained through torture, and the first Empire persecution against Christians began. Many Christians were crucified; others were covered with animal skins and thrown to the lions in the circus. Others were locked in sacks smeared with tar and burned alive to illuminate the gardens of Nero during the night parties. According to tradition, the apostles Peter and Paul were among the martyrs executed by Nero.

Christian martyrs in the Roman circus

In Nero’s time, Christians were persecuted not only for being suspicious of arson, but also by their religion. According to several historians, from the beginning the persecutions had religious and political character. In general, the Romans were very tolerant in religious matters; they gladly welcomed foreign gods. Christians were entitled to introduce in Rome a new god and worship him freely, and Rome would see nothing abnormal about it. But the Romans demanded reciprocity. Rome could not tolerate that the adepts of the new god refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and refused that his god occupied a place in the Roman Pantheon, among other gods. At first this caused surprise, then irritation, and hatred when Christians demonstrated aversion to bloody circus games. And since Christians did not participate in the imperial cult, they were considered atheists, dangerous radicals and potential traitors.

But the persecutions were taken to such extremes that even the Roman populace felt pity. In short, these persecutions did more to stimulate the growth of Christianity than to prevent it.