TAMMUZ, FAST OF

a minor Jewish observance (on Tammuz 17) that inaugurates three weeks of mourning (see Three Weeks) that culminate in the 24-hour fast of Tisha be-Av. Though probably an adaptation of some pagan festival, the Jewish people have associated the fast with several unhappy historical events: the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Babylonian king Nebuchadrezzar in 586 BC, the capture of Jerusalem by Titus in AD 70, the breaking of the tablets of the Law by Moses, the burning of the Torah, the suspension of whole offerings and the cessation of sacrifices, and the erection of an idol in the sanctuary by the Romans.