(A.D. 70; Prophesied by our Lord as read in the Holy Gospel for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity, St. Luke 19:41-48)

Translated by Matthew Carver from that German found in Kirchengesangbuch der lutherischen Gemeinden ungeänderter Augsburgischer Confession (1892), excepting that certain parts have been corrected and improved from their classical source, when discoverable, after the translations of Whiston, etc. Later amended after Thomas Lodge’s translation, p. 738 ff. 

AS THE TIME drew nigh when God would make His consummate wrath to come upon Jerusalem and the Jewish people, as the prophets and the Lord Christ Himself had threatened and forshewed them, there appeared beforehand the following signs: 

One, while there was a comet in form of a fiery sword, which for a year together did hang over the city; another time before the first revolt and war, the people being gathered together to the feast of unleavened bread (which was the eighth day of April) the ninth hour of the night, there was so much light about the altar and temple, as thought it had been bright day, which remained half an hour. The same festivity, the inner gate of the temple on the east side being of massive brass, which at night time had always at least twenty men to shut it, and was bound with locks of iron, and was barred with bars, was seen at the first hour of the night to open of his own accord. A little while after the feast days, on the one and twentieth day of May, there were seen in the air iron chariots all over the country, and an army in battle array passing along in the clouds, and begirting the city. And upon the feast day called Pentecost, at night the priests going into the inner temple to offer their wonted sacrifice, at first they felt the place to move and tremble, and afterward they heard a voice which said, Let us depart hence. Howbeit some say that it happened during Christ’s suffering, at the time when the vail of the temple was torn. 

And that which was most wonderful of all, one Jesus the son of Ananus, a countryman of the common people, four years before the wars began, when the city flourished in peace and riches, coming to the celebration of the feast to Jerusalem, which we call the feast of Tabernacles, suddenly began to cry out thus: A voice from the East: A voice from the West, A voice from the four winds, A voice against Jerusalem and the Temple. A voice against men and women newly married. A voice against all this people: and thus crying night and day, he went about all the streets of the city. Some of the nobility disdaining misfortune, took him and scourged him with many stripes, but he, neither secretly speaking for himself, nor unto those that did beat him, persevered crying as before. 

The magistrates then thinking (as indeed it was) that the man spake this through some divine motion, led him unto the general of the Romans, where being beaten till his bones appeared, he never intreated nor wept, but as well as he could, framing a weeping voice, he cried woe, woe unto Jerusalem. Albinus (being then judge) asked him what he was, or of whence, or wherefore he said so, but he made him no answer. Yet he ceased not to bewail the misery of Jerusalem, until Albinus, thinking him to be out of his wits, suffered him to depart. This man even until the time of war never went to any citizen, nor was seen to speak to anyone, but still as it were studying of some speech: he cried woe, woe unto Jerusalem. He went crying as is aforesaid, doing so continually for the space of seven years and five months, his voice neither waxing hoarse nor weary, till in the time of the siege, beholding that which he foretold them, he ceased, and then once again upon the walls going about the city, with a loud voice he cried; Woe, woe unto the city, temple and people: and lastly he said, woe also unto myself, which words were no sooner uttered, but a stone shot from out an engine smote him, and so he yielded up the ghost lamenting them all. These great signs and others appeared before the destruction of Jerusalem. 

Now let us also briefly describe her destruction in its proper parts. When, as Stephanus saith, the Jews had consigned the righteous and innocent Christ to death as a murderer and traitor, corruption increased throughout the kingdom of Judaea in every city. The high priests rebelled, exercising tyranny over the other priests. Among those which ruled there was all manner of hatred and envy; and all agreement gave way to discord, and it was evident that a great change and dissolution of the kingdom was at hand; upon which division and hatred of those in power, factions and all manner of partisan divisions arose, and from this all manner of adversity, much plunder and murder in the city and outside Jerusalem, and all affairs were such that the rule of the people both spiritual and profane was like to fall to shambles. 

Therefore it came to pass also that Caesar Nero sent Gessius Florus to the Judaea. And the Jews, seeing how he behaved himself so outrageously and violently with them, being covetous, arrogant, and impudent in divers affairs, they were constrained to fall to arms against him, and meeting him in battle, slew five thousand of his own men. Such was the raving of the Jews by God’s disposing, that even against the Romans they betrayed themselves and defected. But Caesar Nero, learning of this, sent Flavius Vespasian with his son Titus into Syria. 

And at this time, as Tranquillus also writeth that “there had spread over all the Orient an old and established belief, that it was fated at that time for men coming from Judaea to be greatly magnified and to rule over all the world.” And although this was fulfilled in Christ’s spiritual kingdom, when the name of Christ (who was born of the tribe of Judah) was greatly magnified in all the world through the preaching of the Gospel, nevertheless certain men understood this in regard to the two Vespasians. However, “the people of Judaea took this prediction to themselves.” Accordingly, after several battles against their enemies had fallen to them, they became proud, chose three captains, and violently attacked the city of Ascalon, where they were defeated in two battles (without the loss of their captains) and there perished of their men some twenty thousand. 

After this, then, Vespasian, at Caesar’s bidding, entered Galilee, which was a populous land, laid waste and devastated every part of it, and there was no end of murder, rapine, and fire. In that time many thousands of Jews were slain, on one occasion as many as 50,000 armed men, not counting women, children, commoners, and peasants. The soldiers spared neither old nor young, nor those with child, nor infants in the cradle. On one occasion Vespasian sent 6,000 young men, as his own, to Achaia in order to dig through the isthmus. On another occasion, 30,000 jewish soldiers were sold into slavery. Five thousand, despairing, cast themselves from high cliffs. 

At this time there was among the Jews an excellent and learned man, wise and judicious, of the priestly office, and one of their chiefs in the war, named Josephus. And he, during the earliest terrors having fled with certain few into a cave near the city of Galilee which is named Jotapata, was taken and brought before Vespasian. Prophesying, then, that Vespasian would be Caesar, he was graciously kept in his charge. And this same Joseph wrote the things which we know concerning this history. 

As these things were done in Galilee, there came up to Jerusalem a motley horde of brazen thieves, which John, a member of the nobility, had assembled, that through this horde he might secure all government for himself. Then were many cases of concealed murder, robbery, and plunder again wrought in Jerusalem, bringing great misfortune to every quarter, and every part of the miserable city was sorely vexed. At this time certain high priests were cut down and blood frequently shed even in the temple. Josephus writeth that 12,000 of the best and eldest of the Jews lost their lives in this unrest, their possessions and houses being given over to plunder by commoners and footmen. Which things, as some suppose, the Romans contrived by secret artifice. 

Thus the city, or ever the very storm fell upon her, at one time was vexed with three untolerable mischiefs and evils, to wit, war with Rome, sedition in the city, and tyranny of men such as, striving with each other by partisan plots, shed much blood in the pursuit of government. 

At that time the Gadarenes did outrage the Romans, and Vespasian was made hastily to break his winter camp and take in hand the city of Gadara; wherefore he sent his captain Placidus, who pursuing the fugitives unto Jordan, slew whomsoever he overtook; yet many for fear fell into the river; so the Romans slew there thirteen thousand, and the rest not able to resist, cast themselves into the river; which were an infinite number. And Jordan was so filled with dead carcasses, that none could pass over it: and also the lake Asphaltites was full of dead bodies. And so all the country beyond Jordan, being overcome with great fear, yielded unto the Romans, and even unto Machaeron all places were by them conquered. 

NOW THEREFORE, when Vespasian was returned unto Caeserea, and made him ready with all his host to march straightway to Jerusalem, it was reported him that Nero was dead. Arising then in haste, he took all the cities of the Jews and Idumeans apart from several strongholds wherein were some number a foreign soldiers, and in every place set garrisons in the cities that he might the more easily enter into and take Jerusalem (which alone was left whole). After the soldiers, then, having taken counsel among themselves, declared Vespasian emperor; he went to Egypt, from whence he designed to enter Italy, for the meantime committing to Titus the conduct of the war against the Jews. 

Howbeit, the while Titus rode toward the city with the intent to look upon it, he was intercepted and narrowly escaped capture by the Jews. Then, when Titus had pitched his tents in the place called Scopus [JW 5.2.3], he departed seven furlongs from the city, and divided his army, that he might set about the works for besieging the city from three camps. 

Meanwhile a very great multitude of all the cities in every region gathered at Jerusalem for the Passover to worship God. Besides these there were already many throngs of various peoples, and bold and worthless folks which had been driven forth out of Galilee, and it happened that the sedition at Jerusalem was divided into three parts, which by and by dissolved all unity and lawful order (which is the course of such things). One side had control of the temple, and their chief was Eleazar, the son of Simon, to whose side fell the Zealots, a wicked, hypocritical faction very hostile to the citizenry. John, who was the cause of all calamity and was discussed above, held the lower city. Simon held the upper city with 5,000 Idumeans who had been called to defend the city from the Zealots’ impudence and violent purposes. When it was at last desirable that the city might be delivered of these strangers, it was a thing impossible to do. 

Therefore Titus, understanding that the city had been overrun by so innumerable people, gathered engines and soldiers in great haste to lay siege to the city and to set a blockade round about it, as Christ had told them, while the people were together, that they might be oppressed and afflicted the more severely by famine. When the Jews perceived it, they tried with all their might to hinder, curb, and let it, but it was in vain. Prosperity was no more. Our Lord God intended to finish them to the uttermost, wherefore they could not succeed by any stroke or counsel. Then was there only discord, and at this time arose a tumult in the city, so that a great multitude of people fell slain before the temple. 

The city of Jerusalem was fortified with three walls, on such parts as were not encompassed with unpassable valleys. And about these three walls the Roman forces endeavored with all their might to storm the city; and after great labour two walls were conquered and taken. At the same time a countless number of people were dying of famine, as Josephus writeth: the dearest friends fell a-fighting one with another for food, snatching from each other the most miserable crumb of bread. Children snatched the food from the mouth of their parents, their father and mother. Then neither brother nor sister had mercy on the other. A bushel of corn was sold for a talent, which is six hundred crowns. And many were driven to that necessity, that they raked sinks and privies to find old dung of oxen to eat; and so the dung that was loathsome to behold, was their meat. Others did not abstain from girdles and shoes; and the skins that covered their shields they stripped off and ate. And so great a multitude died of famine that Mannaeus, the son of Lazarus, flying to Titus, recounted unto him that there were carried out of that gate he kept, a hundred fifteen thousand and fourscore dead bodies; and, as Josephus writeth, certain noble men flying unto Titus after him, reported that at the time of the siege there were dead in all the city 600,000 poor folks which were cast out of the gates, and the others that died were innumerable. 

The Jews still possessed the fortress Antonia, which was a strong fortification, and they possessed the temple as well, from which one bridge went into the city. To conquer this fortification took far more labour than any other part. 

Yet, Titus, although certain that the famine would eventually subdue and divide the Jews within the city, waxed impatient with waiting, and exhorted the troops to assault the fortification with force. Although there was great peril in the endeavor, everything fell to the Romans, and there was neither victory nor fortune among the Jews any longer. 

When the Romans, then, had gained entry to the castle, the trumpeter sounded a signal with his trumpet, and the Jews which were inside the castle were all beaten back, some being thrown from the walls, others falling to death of their own accord, and still others escaping quickly from the city by night. Next the soldiers vehemently turned toward those who had possession of the temple. 

It is said that Titus was willing to spare the temple, but it was for naught. By the providence of God was nothing spared, for when the fighting and labouring was long and the Jews could not be moved either with threats or exhortations to give up their fortified position the soldiers perceived that they would not be able to take that quarter except by famine (which would require time) or fire. 

And thus it befell that certain of the infantry cast fire into the temple so that it was kindled, and in this way the most admirable of all the works that we have seen or heard of, both for its curious structure and its magnitude, and also for the vast wealth bestowed upon it, as well as for the glorious reputation that it had for its holiness was burned to ashes that hour. 

Of the Jews which possessed the upper city, one part had retreated into the city, but many more died by fire and sword. 

The priests, begged and pleaded piteously to save their lives, but grace was no more either with God or the people. Titus, as Egesippus writeth, answered that the time of pardon was over as to them, and that this very holy house, on whose account only they could justly hope to be preserved, was destroyed; and that it was agreeable to their office that priests should perish with the house itself to which they belonged. 

The destruction of the temple occurred on “the tenth day of the month of August (that is, Lous), upon which it was formerly burnt by the king of Babylon, and that day had been an especially fatal day to the temple. “Now the number of years that passed from its first foundation, which was laid by king Solomon, till this its destruction, which happened in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, are collected to be one thousand one hundred and thirty, besides seven months and fifteen days; and from the second building of it, which was done by Haggai, in the second year of Cyrus the king, till its destruction under Vespasian, there were 639 years and 45 days. 

Now when the Jews were sorely distressed and there was no hope of deliverance, many thousands died of starvation, yet the rest persisted in their plans. Josephus writeth that, on the day when the temple was burned and devastated, a detestable and miserable thing befell, which will scarcely be believed among generations to come. There was a certain woman that had dwelt beyond Jordan, who was eminent for her family and her wealth, and had fled away to Jerusalem out of fear. Now when the city was severely oppressed and in anguish with famine, she slew her son, and then roasted him, and ate the one half of him, and kept the other half by her concealed. When the seditious came in, seeking food, she presented it to them. But the seditious were seized with a horror and amazement of mind, and stood astonished at the sight, and left the mother, and this sad instance was quickly told to the Romans [to the great rulers of Jerusalem]. This miserable case moved them from that day on to consider surrendering and to parley and deal with Titus. But now it was too late to make peace, so that though they begged for peace and freedom when they were already starving and in utter anguish, nothing came of it, and for a few days the city was piteously detained. In the meantime, countless persons, out of great anguish and extreme necessity of unbearable hunger, deserted the city for the camps, running into the hands of the enemy, where they were sold cheaply. Meanwhile, the soldiers found among the Syrian deserters a certain person who was caught gathering pieces of gold out of the excrements of the Jews’ bellies; for the deserters used to swallow such pieces of gold. But when this contrivance was discovered in one instance, the fame of it filled their several camps, that the deserters came to them full of gold. So the multitude of the Arabians, with the Syrians, cut up those that came as supplicants, and searched their bellies. Thus in one night’s time about two thousand of these deserters were ripped open. And more would have died also, had not Titus then threatened that he would put such men to death, if any of them were discovered to be so insolent as to do so again. 

At last the city of Jerusalem was conquered, neither young nor old being spared; but Caesar gave orders that his soldiers should kill none but those that were in arms, and opposed them, but should take the rest alive. But, together with those whom they had orders to slay, they slew the aged and the infirm. In this way all Jerusalem was terribly plundered, set afire, and burnt by the enemy, the greater part of it being destroyed and laid waste. But part of the 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 valor had subdued. 

And thus was Jerusalem destroyed and razed to its foundations on the eighth day of September (that is, Gorpeius or Elul), in the fifth month after the siege was begun. 

As for the great multitude of captives, Titus put those “that were above seventeen years old…into bonds, and sent them to the Egyptian mines to carry stones and toil as bondservants in Alexandria. 

Titus also sent a great number of Jews into the provinces, as a present to them, that they might be destroyed upon their theaters, by the sword and by the wild beasts; but those that were under seventeen were sold for slaves” cheaply like cattle. 

Now the number of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be 97,000; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege 1,100,000, the greater part of whom were indeed of the same nation with the citizens of Jerusalem, but not belonging to the city itself. 

So after Titus had taken Jerusalem by force, shattered it, and occupied it, “he sent away the rest of his army to the several places where they would be every one best situated; but permitted the tenth legion to stay, as a guard at Jerusalem, and did not send them away beyond Euphrates, where they had been before. And as he remembered that the twelfth legion had given way to the Jews, under Cestius their general, he expelled them out of all Syria and sent them away to [the River Euphrates], which is in the limits of Armenia and Cappadocia, for so far did the Roman Empire extend in those days. 

Now at the time that the mighty, renowned, and holy city of Jerusalem was destroyed, 4,034 years had been numbered from the beginning of the world, and 823 years from the founding of the city of Rome, and forty since Christ’s suffering. Thus was Jerusalem, the most renowned city in all the east, brought to a miserable and piteous end.