This day in history...

Jerusalem fell to Roman army

70: The First Jewish Revolt was the result of a long series of clashes in which small groups of Jews offered sporadic resistance to the Romans, who in turn responded with severe countermeasures. In AD 66 the Jews combined in revolt, expelled the Romans from Jerusalem, and overwhelmed a Roman punitive force. A revolutionary government was then set up. Vespasian was dispatched by the Roman emperor Nero to crush the rebellion. He was joined by Titus, and together the Roman armies entered Galilee, where the historian Josephus headed the Jewish forces. Josephus's army was confronted by that of Vespasian and fled. Josephus gave himself up, and the Roman forces swept the country. On this day, the 9th of the month of Av, Jerusalem fell; the Temple was burned, and the Jewish state collapsed.