07/23/2026
Events That Happened on the Ninth of Av (Tisha B'Av)
Tonight, as we begin the fast of the 9th of Av. Let's remember that HaShem is the Guardian of Israel. May He soon turn this day of mourning into rejoicing.
The Ninth of Av (Tisha B'Av, תשעה באב) is the traditional Jewish day of national mourning. According to Jewish tradition, many of the greatest tragedies in Jewish history either occurred on this day or are commemorated on it. Some are recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, while others are preserved in the Talmud and later historical records.
Biblical and Rabbinic Events
1. The Sin of the Spies (c. 1312 BCE according to traditional Jewish chronology; c. 1445–1406 BCE in many evangelical chronologies)
After returning from Canaan, ten of the twelve spies gave a discouraging report, causing the Israelites to lose faith in HaShem's promise and refuse to enter the Promised Land.
Scripture: Numbers 13–14
The Talmud (Ta'anit 29a) teaches that the people wept without cause that night. HaShem declared:
"You have wept without cause; I will establish for you a weeping for generations."
Jewish tradition identifies that night as the Ninth of Av, making it the first national tragedy associated with the day.
2. The First Temple Destroyed (586 BCE)
First Temple
The Babylonian army under King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon's Temple and exiled much of Judah.
Scripture
2 Kings 25
Jeremiah 39
Lamentations
Lamentations (Eikhah) is traditionally read on Tisha B'Av.
3. The Second Temple Destroyed (70 CE)
Second Temple
The Roman army under Titus destroyed the Second Temple following the siege of Jerusalem.
According to Jewish tradition, both Temples were destroyed on the Ninth of Av.
Yeshua foretold this destruction (Matthew 24:2).
4. The Fall of Betar (135 CE)
Betar
The fortress of Betar, the final stronghold of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, fell to the Romans.
The defeat effectively ended Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel until the twentieth century.
5. Jerusalem Plowed Under (135 CE)
Following the Bar Kokhba Revolt, Emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina, erected pagan temples, and largely prohibited Jews from entering the city. The Land of Israel, especially Judah and Samaria, is renamed Syria Palestina after the Philistines, who were wiped out by Nebuchadnezzar II.
Medieval Tragedies
6. The First Crusade Begins (1096 CE)
Although Pope Urban II proclaimed the crusade in 1095 CE, the major massacres of Jewish communities began in 1096 CE, near Tisha B'Av.
Thousands of Jews in the Rhineland—including Mainz, Worms, and Speyer—were murdered.
7. Expulsion from England (1290 CE)
King Edward I expelled all Jews from England.
The final deadline for departure fell on Tisha B'Av.
8. Expulsion from France (1306 CE)
King Philip IV expelled the Jews from France and confiscated their property.
9. Expulsion from Spain (1492 CE)
Spanish Inquisition
The Alhambra Decree required Spain's Jews to convert or leave.
The deadline—July 31, 1492, corresponding to Tisha B'Av that year—ended more than 1,500 years of Jewish life in Spain.
Modern History
10. World War I Begins (1914 CE)
August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia.
Tisha B'Av that year fell on August 1–2, 1914, linking the outbreak of the war with the traditional day of mourning.
Many rabbis later viewed World War I as setting the stage for:
World War II
The Holocaust
The destruction of European Jewish communities
11. Deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto (1942 CE)
Warsaw Ghetto
On July 23, 1942, the day after Tisha B'Av that year, the N***s accelerated the mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp.
Over the following weeks, approximately 250,000–300,000 Jews were murdered.
Significant Modern Events Near Tisha B'Av
Although not universally observed as Tisha B'Av events, many note these historical connections:
12. Beginning of Deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto (July 22, 1942)
The Grossaktion Warsaw officially began on July 22, one day before Tisha B'Av.
13. Bombing of the AMIA Jewish Community Center, Buenos Aires (July 18, 1994)
Eighty-five people were killed in the deadliest antisemitic attack in Argentina's history.
Some years the memorial falls close to Tisha B'Av.
The Five Calamities Listed in the Mishnah
The Mishnah (Ta'anit 4:6; Talmud Ta'anit 29a) identifies five principal tragedies:
The decree after the sin of the spies.
The destruction of the First Temple (586 BCE).
The destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE).
The fall of Betar (135 CE).
Jerusalem being plowed under (135 CE).
Why Were the Temples Destroyed?
The Talmud (Yoma 9b) teaches:
The First Temple was destroyed because of:
Idolatry
Sexual immorality
Bloodshed
The Second Temple was destroyed because of:
Sinat chinam (שנאת חינם) — baseless hatred among fellow Jews.
The sages conclude that baseless hatred is so destructive that it is considered equivalent to the three major sins combined.
A Messianic Jewish Perspective
From a Messianic Jewish perspective, Tisha B'Av is both a day of mourning and a call to repentance. Yeshua lamented over Jerusalem:
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem... how often I wanted to gather your children together... but you were unwilling." (Matthew 23:37)
He also foretold the destruction of the Second Temple (Matthew 24:1–2; Luke 19:41–44), echoing the warnings of Jeremiah and the other prophets. Yet the biblical story does not end in judgment.
Following Tisha B'Av come the Seven Haftarot of Consolation, beginning with Isaiah 40:1:
"Comfort, comfort My people," says your G-d.
The movement from mourning to comfort points to HaShem's promise of restoration. The prophets looked beyond destruction to the regathering of Israel, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the reign of the Messiah. Thus, Tisha B'Av reminds us not only of the consequences of sin and division but also of the hope of redemption and the fulfillment of HaShem's covenant promises.
