The seventy bullocks sacrificed on Tabernacles were offered to atone for the seventy nations. 'Woe to the nations!' says Rav Yochanan; 'for they suffered a loss [by having destroyed the Temple] and do not realize the extent of the loss. While the Temple existed the altar [the sacrifices] atoned for them, but now [that it is destroyed] who will atone for them?'<ref>Sukkah 55b, Pesikk. 193b, 195b</ref>
According to many commentators<ref>Radak, Ralbag, Chizkuni, Malbim</ref> this concept seems to underlie Deut. 32:8 which says that G-d 'established the boundaries of nations [i.e. the seventy nations]... according to the number of te the children of Israel' -- namely the seventy who descended to Egypt with Yakov <ref>Gensis 46:27</ref>
The seventy members of the Sanhedrin also corresponded to the seventy nations of the world.<ref>Targum Yerushalmi to Gensis 28:3</ref> The Jewish law required that every member of the Sanhedrin should have sufficient knowledge of the seventy languages to be able to do without an interpreter.<ref>Sanhedrin 17a; comp. Megilah 73b; Menachos 65a</ref>
