From Grandeur to Destruction

Jerusalem in the Second Temple period: a lecture for Tisha B’Av

This lecture will take you on a journey to Jerusalem of Second Temple times. You’ll see the grandeur of the Hasmonean and Herodian periods, civil war, the destruction of the city, and the final battle in hideouts recently discovered in the City of David.

By connecting the historical saga, ancient rabbinic literature and new archaeological finds, we’ll reconstruct the appearance of the city in all its magnificence as you learn about its Jewish society. We’ll analyze the leadership crisis that led to a civil war preceding the destruction of the Temple and attempt to understand whether the terrible tragedy of destruction was inevitable.