When and by whom was the beautiful temple in Jerusalem destroyed?
The beautiful temple in Jerusalem, which King Herod remodeled and enlarged into a wonder of the ancient world, was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman General Titus. That destruction was followed by the Jews being sent out into a complete dispersion among the nations.
Les explains that after the Babylonian destruction in 606 B.C., a restored temple was built by Ezra and Nehemiah by 400 B.C., but with limited resources it was not as beautiful as Solomon's. King Herod, not a believer but a tremendous builder in antiquity, took that little ramshackle temple on Mount Moriah, remodeled and enlarged it, making it the beautiful temple complex present when Christ began His earthly ministry. Les teaches that this beautiful temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman General Titus, and the Jews were again sent into complete dispersion, though a few stayed in Jerusalem and the areas of Israel.