Isakhiwo sikaTitus silemidwebo emibili emikhulu etshengisa isenzakalo sakudala esaziwa kakhulu. Kodwa ukungenelana kwesakhiwo lesi lalokho okutshiwo liBhayibhili akwaziwa kakhulu. Isakhiwo sikaTitus siyakusekela ukuthi isiphrofetho esiseBhayibhilini siliqiniso.

Ngomnyaka ka-30 C.E., uMbuso weRoma wawunaba usukela eBritain leGaul (khathesi yiFrance) usiya eGibhithe njalo isabelo leso sasilokuthula kanye lokuhlaliseka. Kodwa kuleyinye indawo eyayihlala ikhathaza iRoma. Indawo le kwakuyiJudiya.

Ibhuku elikhuluma ngembali yamaRoma okuthiwa yi-Encyclopedia of Ancient Rome lithi: “Zilutshwana izindawo ezazingaphansi kweRoma ezazingathandwa futhi lazo ezazingathandi amaRoma, njengeJudiya. AmaJuda ayekuzonda ukubuswa ngabantu ababevela kwezinye izizwe ezazingelandaba lamasiko awo yikho amaRoma ayewahlukuluza okuzwayo.” AmaJuda amanengi ayelethemba lokuthi kuzavela umkhokheli owayezawasindisa kumaRoma futhi abuyisele inkazimulo yama-Israyeli. Kodwa ngo-33 C.E., uJesu Khristu wachaza ukuthi kwasekuseduze ukuthi iJerusalema itshabalale.

UJesu wathi: “Zizafika izinsuku kuwe lapho izitha zakho zizakwakha umthangala zikuhonqolozele zikuphahle inxa zonke. Zizakusakazela phansi emhlabathini, wena kanye labantwana abaphakathi kwemiduli yakho. Kaziyikutshiya lalinye ilitshe phezu kwelinye.”​—ULukha 19:43, 44.

Amazwi kaJesu abamangalisa abafundi bakhe. Ngemva kwamalanga amabili bathi bebuka ithempeli leJerusalema, omunye wabo wababaza wathi: “Khangela Mfundisi! Amatshe anganani! Bona ubuhle bezindlu!” Phela amanye amatshe ethempeli kuthiwa ayedlula amamitha angu-11 ubude, amamitha angu-5 ububanzi kanye lamamitha angu-3 ukuya phezulu. Kodwa uJesu wabaphendula wathi: “Mayelana lalokho elikubonayo lapha, sizafika isikhathi lapho okungekutshiywa ilitshe phezu kwelinye; wonke wonke azaphoselwa phansi.”​—UMakho 13:1; ULukha 21:6.

UJesu waphinda wathi: “Lingabona iJerusalema isihonqolozelwe yizimpi lizakwazi ukuthi incithakalo isisondele. Lapho-ke akuthi labo abaseJudiya babalekele ezintabeni, abasedolobheni kabaphume, kuthi labo abasemaphandleni bangangeni edolobheni.” (ULukha 21:20, 21) Amazwi kaJesu agcwaliseka yini?

Kwadlula iminyaka engu-33 iJudiya ilokhu ikuzonda ukuba ngaphansi koMbuso wamaRoma. Kodwa ngo-66 C.E., isikhulu seRoma esasikhangele iJudiya uGessius Florus sathatha ngenkani imali eyayisesiphaleni seminikelo ethempelini elingcwele. AmaJuda ayezondile ayengeke esakumela lokho. Masinyane angena eJerusalema abulala wonke amasotsha ayesenkambeni yamaRoma futhi ahle ahlamukela umbuso wamaRoma.

 Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingaba zintathu amabutho amaRoma adlula 30 000 ayekhokhelwa nguCestius Gallus alubangisa eJerusalema ukuze aqede ukuhlamuka. Masinyane angena edolobheni futhi adiliza umduli wangaphandle kwethempeli. Kodwa ngesizatho esingaziwayo atshiya ukuhlasela aphindela emuva. AmaJuda ayehlamuka athi ekubona lokho athokoza, ahle awahlala izithende amaRoma. Njengoba amaqembu ayesilwa ayesesukile edolobheni, amaKhristu alalela isixwayiso sikaJesu, aphuma eJerusalema abalekela ezintabeni ngale koMfula uJodani.​—UMathewu 24:15, 16.

Ngomnyaka owalandelayo iRoma yaqalisa kutsha umkhankaso wayo wokuhlasela iJudiya ikhokhelwa nguSibalukhulu uVespasian kanye lendodana yakhe uTitus. Kodwa ngemva kokufa koMbusi uNero ngo-68 C.E., uVespasian wabuyela eRoma ukuze ayekuba ngumbusi. Watshiya indodana yakhe uTitus kanye lamabutho angaba ngu-60 000 ukuthi aqhubeke ngomkhankaso wokuhlasela iJudiya.

NgoJune 70 C.E., uTitus walaya amabutho akhe ukuthi agamule zonke izihlahla ezazingaphandle kweJudiya ezasetshenziswa ukwenza uthango lwezigodo ezicijileyo lokugombolozela iJerusalema. Uthango lolu lwalungamakhilomitha angu-7. NgoSeptember amaRoma ayesebhidlize njalo atshisa idolobho kanye lethempeli futhi akuzange kusale ilitshe phezu kwelinye njengoba nje uJesu wayetshilo. (ULukha 19:43, 44) Omunye umbiko ubika ukuthi kwafa abantu abaphosa babengu-500 000 eJerusalema kanye lezinye izindawo.

Ngo-71 C.E., uTitus wabuyela e-Ithali wafika wemukelwa ngentokozo enkulu yizizalwane zaseRoma. Idolobho lonke lathokoza ngendlela engakaze ibonakale.

Amaxuku amangala ebona inotho enkulu ihamba itshengiswa emigwaqweni yeRoma. Ayekholisa ukubona izikepe ezazithunjiwe, imibukiso yezinto ezazithunjwe libutho leRoma ikakhulu lezo ezazithethwe ethempelini eJerusalema kanye lezigcawu ezitshiyeneyo zempi.

Ngo-79 C.E., uTitus wabusa ngemva kukayise uVespasian. Kodwa ngemva kweminyaka emibili nje uTitus wafa kungakhangelelwanga. Umnewabo uDomitian waqalisa ukubusa njalo masinyane wakhela uTitus isakhiwo esikhulu sokumhlonipha.

Lamuhla isakhiwo sikaTitus sithandwa ngabantu abanengi abavakatshela eRoma umnyaka ngamunye. Abanye babona isakhiwo lesi singumsebenzi wezingcitshi zokudweba, abanye basibona siludumo lamandla ombusi weRoma njalo abanye basibona siyisikhumbuzo sokuwa kweJerusalema kanye lethempeli layo.

Kodwa labo abalibala ngelihlo elibukhali iBhayibhili babona isakhiwo sikaTitus sisitsho okukhulu kakhulu. Siyibufakazi obutshengisa ukuthi iziphrofetho zeBhayibhili ziliqiniso njalo singazithemba lokuthi ziphefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu.​—2 Phetro 1:19-21.