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Editorial: A Commemorative Year - 1970
The Editors

The destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies in A.D. 70 did not constitute simply the fall of a city, capital of a country, which happens in any war, but its destruction, like the city itself, had a special significance. The name Jerusalem echoes in a unique way in the ears, and hearts of all "betievers of revealed religion.' Every page of the Bible reflects the love of Jerusalem, the love of the people for the Holy City. This love is not just veneration for stones and buildings, but rather profound interior joy of knowing that Jerusalem is the meeting-place with the Lord. Jerusalem is the sign (in the biblical meaning of the word: sign = reality); that God is ever at work in the history of his Chosen People, in man's history; that he wants to be with men, to share their life, to hear their prayers, to guide their steps. Jerusalem is the joy, the resting-place, the dwelling-place of the Lord himself. Thus, Jerusalem is the living sign, the definite expression of the revelation of the one true God, who manifested himself in history to a definite people. History and revelation - the history of Israel, of the Church, of the whole world, and divine revelation - find their meeting-place in Jerusalem. This explains the nostalgia for Jerusalem felt by the faithful of the monotheistic religions. The vision of the psalmist becomes history: "All call Zion Mother, for all were born in her" (Ps 87:5).
It is, therefore, understandable and inevitable that the vicissitudes of this city should have their repercussions on the lives and thoughts of the faithful. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 has a particular significance for Judaism and for Christianity, as is shown by the many and varied commentaries from both the Jewish and Christian worlds. However, there can be no doubt that interpretations given to the fall of the Holy City and the destruction of the Temple have contributed largely to widening the division between Judaism and Christianity. Many events, which during the course of centuries have placed them in opposition to one another, find their origin in reactions to the fall of Jerusalem in A. D. 7O.
At a time when new mutual comprehension and deeper understanding of the history of salvation are being sought, renewed reflection on the happenings of A.D. 70 can help us to clarify and reassess the value of certain traditional concepts. Thus, the commemoration of this tragic event will become a positive element in the upbuilding of the world.