Three scientists\u2014Papaia, Banani, Ravioli\u2014and their assistant Igor, who were supposed to attend the famous dark matter conference, miss their flight and end up on the other side of the world. Arriving at the wrong airport, they book a hotel for the night, but it\u2019s not exactly what they expected\u2026 meaning, it\u2019s awful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re in Banani\u2019s room, where Banani is feeling hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: How am I supposed to sleep with this heat? Oh, wait! Ravioli gave me that study! Maybe a bit of reading will help me sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani starts reading the study, but instead of starting to feel sleepy, he feels the need to share the information with Ravioli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Look at that phone, maybe the room service call works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani dials Ravioli\u2019s room number on the phone. The phone rings on the other end, and Ravioli picks up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Hello?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: It\u2019s Banani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: What\u2019s up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Did you know that in 70 AD, Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Romans?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Yeah, I think I read something about that. The temple was also torn down, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Exactly! It\u2019s told by Josephus Flavius, a Jewish historian of the time. It was a devastating event: the city was destroyed, and between six hundred thousand and a million Jews died from fighting and starvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: And the survivors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: They were made slaves and deported. But the most dramatic thing was the destruction of the temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Yeah! Without the temple, they couldn\u2019t make sacrifices anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Exactly! From that moment, the priesthood lost its political power, and only a few aristocratic privileges remained. In their place, the rabbis, scholars of the Torah, took on the spiritual leadership of the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: And that\u2019s how modern Judaism was born! Today, they don\u2019t do animal sacrifices anymore, but they study the Torah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Exactly! But here\u2019s the interesting part: in the Gospels, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Yeah, I remember! It\u2019s written in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: But the Gospel writers never explicitly say that the prophecy about the destruction of the Temple came true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor: So, the temple was completely destroyed? Ah! Just like our luggage
\u2026 every time Banani forces them shut!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n