Titus ends the siege of Jerusalem after destroying Herod’s Temple.

The **Siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE** was one of the most significant events of the First Jewish–Roman War, a major rebellion against Roman rule that began in 66 CE. After several early Jewish successes, Rome sent a large army to suppress the revolt. In 70 CE, the Roman general **Titus**, son of the future emperor Vespasian, surrounded Jerusalem with several legions. The city was crowded with residents and pilgrims, while rival Jewish factions inside Jerusalem had previously fought among themselves, weakening their ability to organize a united defense. Titus attempted to force the defenders to surrender, but when they refused, the Romans began a systematic assault on the city’s fortifications.

The siege became increasingly brutal as Roman forces broke through Jerusalem’s outer defensive walls and tightened their blockade. Titus ordered the construction of a wall of circumvallation around the city, making escape and the movement of supplies extremely difficult. Food shortages became severe, and the Jewish historian **Josephus**, an important source for the siege, described terrible suffering and starvation among the population. Despite determined resistance, Roman soldiers gradually captured important sections of Jerusalem. Fighting eventually reached the **Second Temple**, the religious and cultural center of Jewish life. In August 70 CE, Roman forces captured and burned the Temple. Much of Jerusalem was subsequently destroyed, although parts of the city’s fortifications remained standing.

The fall of Jerusalem was a devastating turning point in Jewish history. Large numbers of people were killed, enslaved, or displaced, although the exact casualty figures recorded by ancient writers are uncertain and probably exaggerated. The destruction of the Second Temple ended the system of sacrifices that had been central to Jewish religious practice and contributed to the development of **Rabbinic Judaism**, which increasingly emphasized prayer, study, and observance outside the Temple. The Romans commemorated their victory in Rome, most famously with the **Arch of Titus**, whose reliefs depict Roman soldiers carrying sacred objects taken from the Temple, including the menorah. Jewish resistance to Rome continued for several more years, but the capture of Jerusalem in 70 CE became the defining event of the First Jewish–Roman War and had lasting consequences for Judaism, Christianity, and the history of the Roman Empire.