Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, comes this year on the 20th of July. It is the second most mournful day in the Jewish calendar, next to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
On Tisha B’Av we remember a litany of calamities that struck our people at this time throughout history. As Messianic Jews, we are no less smitten by these tragic events and their memory than are others of our people.
Among the event we remember are the following:
During the time of Moses, Jews in the desert accepted the slanderous report of the 12 Spies, and the decree was issued forbidding us from entering the Land of Israel.
The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar. 100,000 Jews were slaughtered and millions more exiled.
The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans, led by Titus. Some two million Jews died, and another one million were exiled.
The Bar Kochba revolt was crushed by Roman Emperor Hadrian. The city of Betar—the Jews’ last stand against the Romans—was captured and liquidated. Over 100,000 of our people were slaughtered.
