Jerusalem 70 CE: The Roman Siege and the Temple's Fall

In this special 200th episode of The History of Jerusalem, hosts Lucas and Luna take on the cataclysmic turning point that shaped the city for two thousand years: the Roman siege of 70 CE and the destruction of the Second Temple. Lucas brings to life the desperate conditions inside the walls—famine, infighting, and the brutal campaigns of the future emperor Titus—while wrestling with the unreliable accounts of the Jewish historian Josephus, our main source. The episode probes the controversial question: who actually set fire to the Temple? A Roman soldier acting on impulse, as Josephus claims? Or Titus, in a calculated blow to break Jewish resistance? Along the way, we meet the fanatical zealot factions, the mysterious daily sacrifice in a time of civil war, and the haunting moment of the last stand at Masada. Lucas and Luna also reflect on how this single event, like an echo chamber, predicted modern divisions in the city—and they tie it back to the simple act of listening to history, episode by episode, as a way to hold the debris together. With a blend of scholarly nuance and storytelling warmth, this episode offers a fresh perspective on a familiar catastrophe.

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