event · E0040
Destruction of the Second Temple חורבן בית שני
Roman forces under Titus captured Jerusalem and burned the Temple, ending sacrificial worship and the Temple-centered order. The catastrophe that reshaped Judaism into the rabbinic movement centered first at Yavneh.
I. Who
- Hebrew
- חורבן בית שני
II. When
- Traditional
- 9 Av, 3830 AM
- Academic
- August 70 CE
- Date range
- 70 CE
- Precision
- exact
III. Where
- Places
- Jerusalem
IV. What
- Events
- The Great Revolt
V. How do we know
| Claim | Evidence | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Temple was burned by Roman forces during the capture of Jerusalem in the summer of 70 CE. | external archaeology rabbinic | ★★★★★ |
|
| The Arch of Titus in Rome (dedicated c. 81 CE) depicts the Temple spoils — the menorah, the showbread table, and the silver trumpets — carried in the Flavian triumph, matching Josephus's eyewitness description of the procession. | archaeology external | ★★★★★ | |
| Excavations in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter (Nahman Avigad, 1970s) exposed houses destroyed by fire in 70 CE beneath a layer of ash and collapsed masonry; in the "Burnt House" a stone weight inscribed "(of) Bar Kathros" ties the home to a priestly family the Talmud counts among the abusive high-priestly houses.
The destruction layer and the inscribed weight are certain; the link to the Kathros family of Pesachim 57a is the standard, but not provable, identification.
|
archaeology rabbinic | ★★★★☆ | |
| Vespasian and Titus commemorated the victory with the Judaea Capta coin series, minted across the empire, showing a mourning Judea beneath a date palm. | archaeology | ★★★★★ |
Referenced by: Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel I, Academy of Yavneh, Jerusalem