7 ▁years ▁have ▁passed ▁since ▁the ▁prediction ▁of ▁Jesus ▁of ▁Naz are th ▁was ▁ful filled   ... ▁that ▁[ after ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁Jerusalem ] ▁the ▁Jews ▁would ▁be ▁led ▁away ▁to ▁be ▁slaves ▁among ▁all ▁the ▁nations ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁remain ▁in ▁the ▁disp ersion ▁[ d ias por a , ▁gal ut ] ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁world ." ▁The ▁Jews ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁permitted ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Palest ine ▁with ▁so vere ig nt y : ▁" Acc ording ▁to ▁the ▁Sac red ▁Script ures , ▁the ▁Jewish ▁people ▁must ▁always ▁live ▁dispers ed ▁and ▁v ag ab ondo ▁[ v agrant , ▁wand ering ] ▁among ▁the ▁other ▁nations , ▁so ▁that ▁they ▁may ▁render ▁witness ▁to ▁Christ ▁not ▁only ▁by ▁the ▁Script ures   ... ▁but ▁by ▁their ▁very ▁existence ". ▁ ▁Non eth eless , ▁The odore ▁Herz l ▁travel led ▁to ▁Rome ▁in ▁late ▁January ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁after ▁the ▁sixth ▁Z ion ist ▁Congress ▁( August ▁ 1 9 0 3 ) ▁and ▁six ▁months ▁before ▁his ▁death , ▁looking ▁for ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁support . ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 2 , ▁Herz l ▁first ▁met ▁the ▁Pap al ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State , ▁Card inal ▁Rafael ▁Mer ry ▁del ▁Val . ▁According ▁to ▁Herz l ' s ▁private ▁di ary ▁notes , ▁the ▁Card inal ' s ▁interpretation ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Israel ▁was ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁but ▁he ▁also ▁asked ▁for ▁the