The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-07
HEBREWS BEGIN
FAST TONIGHT,
FEAST OF ABB
Commentaries the Burning
of Jerusalem by Sol
diers of Titus

Hebrews of this city will begin this
evening the annual feast of Alb, in
commemoration Of the burning of the
temple in Jerusalem by the soldiers
of Titus. This tragedy, which spelled
political sruin for the Jewish nation,
and marked the end of Jewish ma
tionality, is the Inspiration of an I'M
pressive and solemn religious cere-
mony in synagogues all over the
world. The Zionists will observe the
fast of the ninth of Alb by collecting
funds for the war stricken co-renglon-
lists in Palestine, as well as to forward
the movement for re-estabIishing the
Jewish center at Jerusalem. While
the world war has brought suffering
and sorrow to millions of Jews, there
is also a feeling among them that the
titanic conflict of the great powers
will in the end bring about the real
,ization of their dream. The restora-
ton of palestine to the Jews is not
considered unlikely when the read
justment of the. affairs of the world
comes with the restoration Of peace.
The grasp of Turkey upon the ancient
land of the Hebrews will NO doubt be
loosened and it is certain that the re-
turn of the country to it's historic
owners would meet with universal
approval.
Few of the cities of the world have
suffered as much from .sieges and wars
as has Jerusalem. Since the Israelites
took the city from the Jebusites, and
David set up his capital on Mount
Zion, the holy city has many times
been pIundered and pillaged. In 81
B. c., it was taken by the king OF
| Egypt, who looted the temple Of its
treasures It was subsequently con-
quered and pil1aged by ing Jehoash
| In the sixth century B. c., the city
| was twice besieged and taken by Neb-
| uehadnezzar, the Babylonian con
! queror. The, second siege lasted three
years, and on its termination the vic
tors applied the torch to the temple
and palaces, and carried away Zeda'
kiah, the last king of the house o.
David, and many of his people.
After long period of Persian ruiz
| the Egyptians again appeared befor'
! the walls of Jerusalem. Pacifisn
reached its height on that occasion
| for the defenders Of the city refused
| to fight because 1t was Sabbath, ant
tPtolemy gained an easy victory ant
plundered the city. The Syrians wer'
i next masters of Jerusalem, and il
l1es B. c. Anttochus massacred thu
people, defiled the temple and pro
| hibited the Jewish worship. Then
in SO B. c. came the Romans of Pom
4 pey, who demolished the. wallis an,
slew $4,000 people. In the follow
ing period the temple was rebuilt o.
a grander scale, and Jerusalem
reached the height of it's glory witt
nearly 100000 people. Roma.
| tyranny at length drove the Jews t
revolts and in Sc A d. the insurgent
III took the city and routed the Roma
army. Retribution was swift and ter
! ribIe, for four years later Titus. SO
| of Emperor Vespasian. took the cit
and burned the temple after one Q
the most terrible sieges in history
Iduring which the Jews died like file
from starvation and diseas. The cit
was RACED to, the ground. With tn
| final passing, of the Jewish natio
Jerusalem entered upon a new but n
less tragic phase Of its history. j
which it was taken and retaken i
turn by the Romans, the Persians. tn
Crusaders and the Saracans, only 9
: Hast to fall into >the hands Of tn
IxT,urks.