Jesus' Prophecy - Jerusalem

The city of Jerusalem during Jesus day

Located within the British Museum is a document written sometime after 73 A.D., by a Syrian named Mara BarSerapion, which says:

"What did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? As judgement, plague and famine came upon them. What did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? Shortly after this, their land became nothing more than sand. What did the Jews gain from killing their wise King? It was just after his death that their kingdom was dispersed. God justly sent judgement for these three wise men. The Athenians died of starvation, the Samians were covered by the sea, and the Jews were left homeless, having been dispersed among the nations. But Socrates did not die forever; Plato continued on with his teaching. Pythagoras did not die forever; the statue of Hera continued his legacy. Nor did the wise King die forever; He lives on in the teaching which he had given."

Mara BarSerapion said that after the Jewish leaders executed their wise King (Jesus), their kingdom was abolished. (Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans.)

Jesus prophesied the same thing in Luke 19:41-44:

"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said: "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and your children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

Josephus, a Jewish historian, was an eyewitness to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. His account matches exactly with Jesus’ prophecy. Josephus writes:

"When the embankments were finished, they brought forward the battering rams " . . . "Titus (the commander of the Roman army) realized that it would be a waste of time to fight against hopeless men who would soon destroy themselves . . . So he decided to block every possible exit out of the city by building a wall completely around it, in order to force the Jews to surrender or to starve to death."

. . . "After capturing the city wall, the Romans planted their standards on the towers . . . Pouring into the streets, they massacred whoever they came across . . . The Romans set fire to the outside wall of the city and leveled it to the ground." (Jewish War)

The Destruction of Jerusalem also fulfilled the Biblical prophecy of Daniel who lived around 600 B.C.:

"The Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary." Daniel 9:26

Biblical archaeology books

This article on Jesus in history is taken from our 4 volume book series "Bible Believer's Archaeology" which can be downloaded for your ebook reader by visiting our resource download page by Clicking Here.