Cry for Jerusalem: Josephus and the Jewish War that Destroyed the Temple (70 AD)

In this episode of The Faith Roundtable, Josh Burtram sits down with author Ward Sanford to explore the world of Josephus and the events that led to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. We trace the Jewish War (66–70 AD), the Roman political backdrop under Nero, Vespasian, and Titus, and the internal factional conflict that helped drive the catastrophe. Sanford explains how he used Josephus’s Jewish War as the historical backbone for his multi-volume historical fiction series Cry for Jerusalem, and how historical fiction can make Second Temple history more vivid without contradicting the record.

Along the way, we discuss why Josephus matters for understanding the New Testament world, how to think about evidence and bias in ancient sources, and what the destruction of the Temple meant for Judaism and early Christianity. If you’re interested in Second Temple Judaism, early Christianity, Roman history, Mark 13, or the historical context behind the Gospels, this conversation will deepen your grasp of one of the most pivotal moments in the first century.

Keywords: Josephus, Jewish War, Cry for Jerusalem, fall of Jerusalem, 70 AD, Second Temple, Siege of Jerusalem, Titus, Vespasian, Nero, First Century Judaism, early Christianity, Mark 13, Roman Empire, Jerusalem Temple, historical fiction, biblical history, New Testament context

Check out Cry for Jerusalem by Ward Sanford (paperback, Kindle, and Audible) on Amazon.

Josh Burtram

Faithful Politics

Podcast (RSS)

Apple Podcasts