100 Reasons to Believe New Testament History
51. No Mention of the Fall of Jerusalem AD 70
To address the Jewish rebellion, Nero dispatched general Titus Flavius Vespasian. The brilliant military strategist brought his forces to Galilee, where a string of fortresses built by Josephus fell one by one to the advancing Romans. The coast road was soon seized by Vespasian’s troops, and they advanced toward Jerusalem taking territory by territory. By A.D. 68, the Romans were in position to isolate Jerusalem. Nero’s suicide that year brought a temporary lull in the war, which lasted until Vespasian sailed for Rome leaving his son Titus in command in A.D. 70. Titus led 80,000 troops into Jerusalem that year, effectively razing the city to the ground A.
The horrific destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 is one of the most significant turning points in Jewish history. It is inexplicable that a writer concerned with first century history would overlook such a crucial event B. The most reasonable explanation is that Acts was already completed before the tragic events of A.D. 70.
51. No Mention of the Fall of Jerusalem AD 70 - Notes and References
A. These details from “After Jesus: The Triumph of Christianity”, Reader’s Digest Association, 1992 pp. 72-74
B. Josephus wrote at length concerning the destruction of Jerusalem see, “The Wars of the Jews”, Book 5.