Nahuas Stage Imperial Conquest: The Destruction of Jerusalem in New Spain

The Roman destruction of Jerusalem—as portrayed in medieval Christian legend—was a common referent in Spanish colonial historiography. In this context, it served to convey a sense of the magnitude of conquest in Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Multiple colonial texts also apply the anti-Semitic message that fundamentally characterizes this legend to the context of New Spain, justifying wars of imperial conquest as divine justice for perceived offenses against God. An anonymous Nahua translator-playwright also accommodated a version of this legend for performance to Nahua audiences. As scholars note, this play is an abridged translation into Nahuatl of an Iberian source text. This article shows how this version modifies key passages, conveys polemical commentaries in an unmistakably Nahua voice, and undermines the common application of this medieval narrative in New Spain. Rather than blame the rigors of conquest on the victims of conquest, it instead highlights error on the part of Christian empire.