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Roman Invitations and Jewish attempts to rebuild the Temple 70 C.E., Temple is Destroyed 100 C.E., Trajan gives Jews permission to rebuild the Temple which, however, they neither could nor would make any use. 118 C.E., Hadrian allows the Jews to return to Jerusalem and grants permission for the rebuilding of their Holy Temple, but soon reneges. 132 C.E., Rebel Bar Kochba re-institutes ritual sacrifice in Jerusalem. Aspirations of rebuilding Jewish Temple. 138 C.E., Antoninus Pius allows Jews to return to Jerusalem. 332 C.E., 'Bordeaux Pilgrim' reports that Jews anoint the "lapis perfusus" rock near Hadrian's statues on Temple Mount. 333 C.E., Edict of Milan, Jews start to build Temple. 362 C.E., Julian besieges the Persian city of Ctesiphon. Julian plans to rebuild the Temple and even begins construction. 438 C.E., Eudokia (wife of Theodosius II) gives the Jews permission to pray on Temple Mount. 443 C.E., Eudokia permits Temple reconstruction. 512 C.E., Jewish Exilarch Mar Zutra II tries to make Jewish State in Persia 525 C.E., Joseph Asher Dhu Nuwas, King of the Jewish Kingdom of Arabia, revolts against Rome with Persian help. 584 C.E., Maurice sent Jewish builders from Constantinople to Jerusalem to repair Julian's structure on Temple Mount. 614 C.E., Persian-Jewish alliance conquers Jerusalem, and attempt to construct a temple on Temple Mount 638 C.E., Judeo-Arab alliance conquers Jerusalem. Jews build wooden Temple on Temple Mount 691-692 C.E., Dome of the Rock is built by 'Abd al-Malik on site of Jewish Temple

After the destruction of the Jewish Temple (70 C.E) and subsequent Jewish Revolt (135 C.E.), Jerusalem passed into the hands of Rome. It's name was changed by the Romans to Aelia Capitolina and Jews were officially forbidden to live there.

Jerusalem, however, continued to serve as the focal point of Jewish national and spiritual aspirations. The hope of again making Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish Nation and rebuilding the Temple was kept alive among the Jews and Temple sympathizers dispersed in many countries.

It is estimated that about six million Jews lived throughout the Roman Empire and another two million lived under the Persian Empire. The Jews living in the Persian Empire were wealthier and enjoyed a much greater degree of freedom than their co-religionists living in the Roman Empire. At times the Jews in Persia attained semi-autonomy, collecting taxes and managing their own small army.

Jews accounted for perhaps as much as 10% of the Roman Empire. The Roman government tried to influence its sizeable Jewish population, especially during it’s many wars with Persia, by rewarding or punishing Jews through it’s policies towards Jerusalem. It was in the interest of Rome to hint at promises of 'restoring Jerusalem' to try and sway its Jewish population from siding with Rome's long time enemy, or to punish them for misbehavior by further desecration of the sacred place. These policies inflamed Jewish nationalism and may have helped to keep it alive.