The month of Av is the key month in the commemoration of the destruction of Jerusalem, first by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian armies, and later by Titus and the Roman armies in the year 70 AD. It stands as one of the darkest hours in Israel's history.

 

On the ninth of Av, Tisha B'Av, Israel commemorates these two great tragedies together. On the very same day of the Jewish calendar, centuries apart, the temple was destroyed twice, once by the Babylonians and once by Rome. In both cases, these were moments of judgment for the people of Israel, and it is the prophet Jeremiah who speaks most fully about them.