The First Jewish-Roman War, fought from 66 to 73 or 74 CE in the province of Judaea, was the first of three major Jewish revolts against Rome. It began when unrest over oppressive governors and religious tensions flared after a Roman official looted the Temple treasury and massacred residents of Jerusalem. Rebels briefly drove out the Roman garrison, but Vespasian later reconquered much of the province. His son Titus besieged Jerusalem, which fell in the summer of 70, and Roman forces destroyed the Temple and razed the city. The last resistance ended at Masada in 73 or 74. Many Jews were killed, displaced or enslaved, and the Flavian dynasty commemorated the victory with monuments and coins.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.