The Holy Temple was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE. Judea was under Roman dominion for one hundred eighty years prior to the Destruction of the Temple. The Jews lost their autonomy in the following way:

During the latter years of the reign of the Hasmonean family (of Hanukah fame), the Sadducees gained a foothold in the government of Judea, causing the Jews faithful to the Torah untold persecution. However, under the reign of Queen Salome Alexandra (76-66 BCE), there were ten years of respite, when she ruled the country and consulted in every aspect with her brother, the great Torah sage, Rabbi Shimon ben Shetah. Those peaceful years quickly came to an end with her death, when the dispute over the throne between her two sons, Hyrkanus and Aristobulus, blew up into a full-fledged civil war. 

During this time, the Talmud reports an incident which portended evil for the upcoming years:

“The Rabbis taught: When the Hasmonean family fought against each other: Hyrkanus was outside [the Temple walls] and Aristobulus was inside. Each day a basket with dinars was lowered [over the wall], and then the basket was lifted containing animals for the daily sacrifice. Until an old man informed the besiegers, ‘As long as they continue the Temple service you will not defeat them.’ The next day, when the basket with dinars was lowered, they placed a pig in the basket. When the basket was lifted halfway up the wall, the pig stuck its hooves into the wall, and the Land of Israel shook.” ( Sotah 49b, Menahot 64 b, Bava Kamma 82b)

In an attempt to bring the internal strife to a resolution, the brothers approached the famous Roman general, Pompey for assistance. Pompey and his army marched to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. After approximately two months, the Romans succeeded in breaching the wall and gaining entry to the Temple Mount.

Despite the bloodthirsty enemy in their midst, the Kohanim heroically attempted to continue with the Temple service for as long as was humanly possible. As soon as one Kohen was murdered, a second took his place. On that day, Pompey and his army murdered 12,000 Jewish people. The next day, the Roman army left and the Kohanim resumed the Temple service. Before returning to Rome, Pompey installed the weak Hyrkanus as his governor. Pompey returned to Rome and Judea was now under the jurisdiction of the Roman proconsul. 

Despite their loss of independence, the Jewish spirit of unity had not been weakened. Over the next twenty years, several attempts were made to regain independence, but all of them were quelled. In an attempt to break the Jewish unity, the Roman proconsul stripped the Sanhedrin of their authority and divided the land into five provinces. The Mishnah states that at that time (57 BCE, 3704), “songs were no longer heard at banquet halls.” (Mishnah Sotah 9:11).

When Julius Caesar became Roman Emperor in 48 BCE, he made changes to the ruling structure in Judea. He appointed the hated Edomite, Antipater, as ruler, giving him almost unlimited authority. Antipater appointed his younger son, Herod, as governor of Galilee in the north. Herod brutally murdered many Jewish people in his district, because they refused to pay taxes. 

Just four years later, in 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was assassinated. At about this time, Antipater was poisoned, and Herod was appointed ruler of Judea. Herod married Miriam, the granddaughter of Hyrkanus. By marrying into the Hasmonean family, Herod hoped to legitimize his claim to power and soften the Jewish people’s hatred toward him. In addition, he built many palaces and fortresses in Jerusalem and throughout Judea both to protect himself and to glorify his position. The one building project that was indeed a benefit to the Jewish people was Herod’s restoration of the Temple. The Talmud records: “ He who did not see Herod’s restoration [of the Temple] has not seen a truly magnificent edifice.” (Baba Basra 4a) 

Herod ruled a total of 32 cruel, tyrannical years (from 36-4 BCE). During his lifetime the Jewish people did not dare to protest, for fear of swift retaliation. Only after his death, Jewish delegates came before the Roman Senate and described the suffering they endured under Herod.

“Even if a raging beast had ruled over us, it would not have been as disasterous as the calamaties that were inflicted upon us during the period of Herod’s rule. In ancient times too, Israel saw many dark days and terrible disasters; and we were exiled from our homeland. But what happened to the Judeans in the days of Herod has no comparison. Nor does the history of other nations contain anything like it” (Josephus Flavius, Antiquities).

With Herod’s death, the Jewish people had hoped for a brighter future. But it was not to be. Herod’s son Archelaus used the same cruel methods as his father to impose fear of his royal authority upon the Jews. On the eve of Passover, the Jews came to the Temple to sacrifice the Passover offering. Suddenly, in the midst of the festivities, the king’s army broke into the Temple court and killed 3,000 Jews and drove the others away. On Shavuot, again, the Roman soldiers bloodily asserted the new king’s authority. Archelaus continued in his tyrannical ways for nine years. Throughout this time, the Jews constantly complained to the Roman emperor about Archelaus’ untold cruelty. Finally, Augustus Caesar removed Archelaus from his post and exiled him. Rather than appointing another governor, Augustus Caesar placed Judea under the jurisdiction of the Roman proconsul in Damascus, with the daily affairs to be overseen by the Roman procurator in Caesarea.

Under the Procurators, the Jewish people were granted some degree of self-government. The Sanhedrin was restored, and they supervised the Temple service. This sense of tranquility soon came to an end, with Sadducees gaining a foothold, this time in the office of the Kohen Gadol. In addition, later procurators took on an attitude of disdain and oppression, leading to lawlessness. The Jews frequently resisted and rose up in rebellion. The Romans quelled their rebellions and punished the perpetrators. 

Approximately fifteen years before the Destruction of the Temple, the political situation deteriorated drastically. Many Jews could no longer bear the Roman oppression and joined the group of Zealots who wished to overthrow Roman dominion. Bloodshed became commonplace with daily skirmishes between the Jews and their oppressors. 

At that time, Nero became the Roman Emperor. The procurator he appointed, Florus, made his predecessors look righteous. He would commonly force the Jews into acts of defiance, knowing full well that once the Jews resisted, the Romans would always consider them the guilty party. After provoking the Jewish community in Caesaria, he went to Jerusalem and demanded a huge sum from the Temple treasury. The people were outraged and demonstrated their feelings openly. As a result, the procurator ordered his soldiers to attack the Jews in the street. They plundered the market and broke into houses, robbing and killing the residents. Jews fleeing for their lives were caught and killed. Other Jews were whipped and then nailed to the cross. On that day 3,600 men, women and children were killed.

After this incident, Florus anticipated that the Jews would rise up in revolt, and then he would have an excuse to declare Jerusalem a conquered city. Indeed, many Jews wanted to retaliate, but the Sages prevailed upon them to greet the marching Roman soldiers peacefully. Some people could not contain themselves when the Romans did not return the Jews’ peaceful greeting, and protested loudly. Immediately the Romans burst into the ranks of the people. The Jews retreated in panic—until they saw the Romans advancing to the Temple Mount. Those who had been watching from the rooftops hurried to the scene and fought the Romans, effectively preventing them from occupying the Temple. When Florus saw that things did not go as he had planned, he left the city with his army. This incident occurred in 66 CE, four years prior to the destruction, and it set the stage for the Jewish revolt against Rome.

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The information in this chapter was drawn primarily from: “History of the Jewish People,” Artscroll Publications.