The 9th of Av
Tisha B’Av (tish’ah be-ab) is a major annual fast day in Judaism. Its name denotes the ninth day “Tisha” of the Jewish month of ”Av,” which falls in mid-summer. It has been called the “saddest day in Jewish history.” In the Bible, before the exile, this month was simply called, “the fifth month.” The lunar-based Jewish calendar shows some variation of the dates each solar year, with the years from creation here conforming to standard Jewish chronology although it must be recognized that standard Jewish chronology differs from the chronology presented in Volume 2 of Studies in the Scriptures. Some current dates:
03 August 2006 (9th of Av, 5766)
24 July 2007 (9th of Av, 5767)
10 August 2008 (9th of Av, 5768)
FIVE NATIONAL DISASTERS
According to the Hebrew Mishnah (Ta’anit 4:6),five specific events occurred on the ninth of Av that warrant fasting. As Bible Students we note that these are tied in with the “Gentile Times” of 2520 years:
(1) On this day, according to tradition, ten of the twelve spies sent by Moses to observe the land of Canaan (Numbers 13-14) brought an “evil report” about the land that caused the children of Israel to cry, panic and despair of ever entering the “Promised land,” for which they were punished by the Lord with the promise that they would not enter until the fearful generation had died: ”As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me. Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I swear to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun” (Numbers 14:28-31). While Ta’anit 29a says it happened on the 9th of Av, Numbers 14 just records the curse from the Lord and the revolt against Moses and not the date, from the fruits harvested such as the famous grapes of Eschol the “evil report” came in mid summer and the tradition is reasonable.
(2) Solomon’s Temple (the First Temple) and the Kingdom of Judah were destroyed by the Babylonians led by Nebuchadnezzar and the nation was sent into the Babylonian exile. The text in 2 Kings 25:8 shows that Jerusalem was breached and taken on the 7th day of the fifth month and the conflagration of the temple was complete three days later according to Jeremiah 52:12-13. The Av 9th date was the day of remembrance and fasting for the first temple which Jewish chroniclers believe had stood for 410 years. From Zechariah 7:5 we know that the custom was observed during the exile, “Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?”
(3) It appears that after the building of the Second Temple, after the return from Babylon, the custom of keeping these fast-days was temporarily discontinued. However, the Second Temple was destroyed by the Roman siege on August 4, 70 AD. This date is the 9th of Av on the Jewish calendar. Thus began the long national Diaspora of the Jewish people.
(4) The following year, on the one year anniversary the Roman army plowed Jerusalem with salt on July 25, 71 AD. This date is the 9th of Av on the Jewish calendar.
(5) Finally, over sixty years later Bar Kokhba’s revolt against Rome failed, Bar Kokhba was killed, as was Rabbi Akiva and many other important sages of the Mishnah, and Betar the last fortress to hold out against the Romans was destroyed. This destruction of Simeon Bar Kokhba’s army took place August 5, 135 AD. This date is the 9th of Av on the Jewish calendar.
DISASTERS DURING THE DIASPORA
Additionally, the Jewish commentators sadly note four additional Diaspora disasters:
(6) First Crusade declared by Pope Urban II. 10,000 Jews were killed in first month of Crusade. Crusades bring death and destruction to thousands of Jews, totally obliterate many communities in Rhineland and France on July 14, 1095 (9 Av 4855).
(7) The Martyrs of York – 500 Jews died as a result of their Christian debtors storming a castle in York England, killing them all on July 14, 1190 (9 Av 4950).
(8) England expelled all of the Jews on. July 18, 1290 (9 Av 5050).
(9) Spain expelled all of the Jews on August 2, 1492 (9 Av 5252).
A PROMISE OF JOY
The Lamentations of Jeremiah
Without fully realizing its significance for the return of favor, many Jewish commentators observe that there is one of the most significant world events of recent history on this fateful day:
(10) World War I ending the Gentile Times began on August 1, 1914 (9 Av 5674).
We rejoice to recognize the promise in Zechariah 8:18-19: “And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, ‘Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.’ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; ‘It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also.’ Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; ‘In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.’ ”
When this promise is fulfilled, then this day of national mourning will be changed into one of national joy.
– Bro. Richard Doctor