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A History of Tragedies Occurred on the 9th of Av

The Mishna explains the fast because of 5 tragedies that befell Israel on this day: (1) The Israelites would not enter the Promised land of Israel; (2) the destruction of the 1st Temple; (3) the destruction of the 2nd Temple; (4) the capture of Betar; and (5) the city of Jerusalem was overtaken. (8) In addition to the destruction of the First and Second Temples, historically, the time-period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th Day of Av, have coincided with other great tragedies for the Jewish people.

In remembrance of Tish B’Av, the Israelites were forbidden entrance to the Promised Land, judged to wander the desert wilderness for 40 years because the spies returned to the
Jewish encampment with an evil report on the Land of Israel.
This caused fear and rebellion among the people which rought
judgment from G-d.

(9) During Tisha B’Av Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by the
Babylonians which began the 70-year captivity. The Babylonians worshipped among their deities, the god, Jupiter, who was equated with Marduk. At the time, the Babylonians thought Marduk to be more powerful because he conquered Judah. The resulting victory shifted many Judeans’ loyalties and this brought about the unfaithfulness and idolatry of Judah. Later, the
destruction of the Second Temple occurred on Tisha B’Av which began the 1,931 year exile.

During Tisha B’Av, the Romans’ destroyed the Temple Mount
and plundered Jerusalem. The Bar Kochba revolt (aka Simon Bar Cochba, a Mashiach-type to the Jews) was halted by Emperor Hadrian (135 C.E.), and the fortress of the Betar rebellion was overrun. (10) The following year Hadrian built a pagan Temple of Jupiter with a city dedicated to the god, Jupiter (the Babylonian Marduk), on the original Temple site. Hadrian renamed Jerusalem ‘Aelia Capitolina’ and also renamed Judea ‘Palestine.’ The Jews were forbidden entrance to the city, and even to look upon it.

Later in history, the Temple Mount was again renamed by the
Muslims as Al Aksa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. Today,
“under the Dome of the Rock is a pentagon-shaped rock with
one portion elevated (where icons or statues of idols, i.e.,
Ashtoreth, were housed...).” (11)Christians continued the lamentations of Israel when Pope Urban II began the First Crusade, and in 1290, where the Jews were removed from England under King Edward I. In 1492,
the Spanish Inquisition removed Jews from Spain, and in this
same year, the Messianic Jew, Christopher Colombus, sailed
in search of the New World and hopes for the future.

This may be true for those who imigrated to the America’s,
but not so for those throughout many parts of Europe. In 1555, the Jews were separated and moved into a Roman ghetto, and in 1914, World War I began which lead to the eventual rise of Hitler. In 1942, Nazism, World War II, and the Holocaust killed Polish Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto who were taken by the Nazis on Tisha B’Av, deported, and numbered among the 800,000 innocent victims exterminated at Treblinka.

For many traditional Jews, it is believed the Mashiach
(or Moshiach) meaning “annointed one,” the Jewish King, will
appear on Tisha B’Av to rebuild the 3rd Temple on the location of the present-day Temple Mount. He will be born of the Tribe of Judah (Yehuda) whose symbol is the “lion,” representing the month of Av. “Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a great lion.” (12)

The 3 weeks from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th Day of Av are
representative of the 3rd Day (i.e., 2,000 years x 3rd day 6,000 years): Psalm 90:4, “a thousand years in your sight is like yesterday when it passes.” The culmination of Hosea 6:2: “After two days He will revive us, in the third day He will raise us up, and we will live in His presence.” The first Sabbath after the 9th Day of Av is called Shabbat Nachamu (consolation or be comforted) for the next 7 weeks leading to Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are one of consolation and redemption.