The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-04-07
For the Democratic Advocate.
The Destruction of Jerusalem.
BY CHARLES L. SIMPLIFY.

dwelling of peace what
traditions center around this ancient city
Of Gods chosen people. This celebrated
city, the capital of Palestine, was the seat
of true religion under the Jewish theocracy
and also the principal scene Of our Savior 5
ministry and the central point from which
his gospel was promulgated. Hence it
has often been termed the Holy City; and
even among some of the Arab tribes of
the present day it is called FL Kods, -
The Holy" 1t is situated near the mid
die of Palestine. among the mountains,
nearly forty miles distant from the hediter-
ranean. and about twenty five miles from
the Jordan and Dead Sea Its most an
cient name was Salem, Gen. xiv. Is; Pisa.
lxxiii. ;: then Jchus, as belonging to the
.Jcbusites.
David first reduced it, I'd Sam. V. 6-9,
and made 1t the capital of his kingdom,
whence it is also called the city of David.
1t was destroyed by the Chaldeans, but
was rebuilt by the Jews on their return
from exile, and at later period Herod
the Great expended large sums of money
in its establishment.
The city was built chiefly on three hills !:
. Sion on the south which was the highest
and contained the citadel. the palace, and
the upper city, called by Josephus, the
Jewish historian, the upper market place;
Moriah. on which the temple stood, a lower
hill on the northeast quarter of Sion, and
separated from it by a ravine: AGRA. lying
north of Sion, and covered by the lower
town. being the most considerable portion
of the whole town,
Becoming subjected to the power of the
Roman empire the unhappy Jews were
finally driven into open rebellion by the
cruelty and tyranny of Flouer, the Roman
Governor of Judea, under the reign of
Nero A. d. 67.) During this year Yes
pasian, Roman general, was sent at the
head of so 900 men against the Jews, who
had become strangely infatuated with the
idea that. although without a regular army,
or munitions of war Of any kind, they could
resist the united force Of the whole Roman
empire. The war thus commenced was
one of extermination in which mercy was
seldom asked or shown by either party.
While the war ragged around Jerusalem,
and city after city was taken, and desolated
by the massacre of its inhabitants, there
were three hostile factions in Jerusalem,
afterwards reduced to two, holding pos
session of different parts of the city, and
wasting their strength in conflicts with
each other.
In the interim, the Roman general, Yes
pasian. had been elected the emperor Of the
Roman empire, and on departing for Rome
to assume the royal authority, he left the
conduct of the war to his son Titus,
who soon after commenced the siege of
Jerusalem, during the time of the feast
of the passover, when the city was crowded
with people from all parts of Judea.
Titus expected that, although the city
was defended by an army of 100000 men,
such a multitude gathered within the walls
of poorly provisioned city, would occasion
famine that would soon make surren-
der inevitable.
Although the Jews were promised liberty
and safety if they would surrender the
city, and Josephus, the future historian Of
his country, who had been taken prisoner
by the Romans, was sent to expostulate
with them upon the folly Of further resist
ance, yet they rejected all warnings and
counsel with scorn and derision. declaring
their resolution to defend the city to the
very last. confident in the belief that God
would not permit his temple and city to
fall before the heathen
The horrors of the siege that followed
surpass the description of any pen When
the public granaries had become empty the
people were plundered of their scanty
stores. 50 that the famine deyoured by
houses and BY families. At length no
table was spread or regular meal eaten in
Jerusalem. People bartered their wealth
for measure Of corn, and ate il in secret,
urcooked. or snatehed half baked from the
e..aIs They were often compelled, BY