The Destruction of Jerusalem, or Titus and Vespasian

The Destruction of Jerusalem, also called Titus and Vespasian, is a fifteenth-century fictionalized version of the historical Roman siege of Jerusalem. Marked by antisemitism, Christian nationalism, and violence, this Middle English poem was nonetheless intriguing to medieval and early modern readers. As the poem weaves together sources both medieval and classical, it transforms first-century Romans into Christian agents of divine vengeance. Here presented in the most comprehensive edition to date, the poem will be of particular interest to scholars and students of Middle English romance, the Crusades, medieval antisemitism, and literary reimaginings of historical events. Further, this new edition expands our understanding of fall of Jerusalem narratives in later medieval England, bringing attention to a long-ignored English retelling of these first-century events that captivated Christian audiences.https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/mip_teamsmets/1001/thumbnail.jp