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Judaism

The Second Temple

Post Exilic Judaism
(a period of two Judaisms)

Upon return from exile, the Temple was rebuilt and rededicated to God

Temple rites and the priestly role received increased importance (the old Judaism)

But those Jews who remained scattered in the "Diaspora" (dispersed) had a different focus of spiritual life: the Torah itself - the law and the beginnings of synagogue life: local houses for worship and study rather than going to the Temple for pilgrimage and sacrificial offerings (the new Judaism)

They were also more influenced by foreign ideas: first, ideas from the Zoroastrian Persians, then from the Greeks who, under Alexander the Great, took over political control of the Near East

Thus we find the makings of 1st century Judaism as it was in Jesus’ day:

• Temple rites: the focus of the Priestly class (Sadducees)

• Focus on the law among the people (Pharisees)

• and influence from Greek culture, philosophy and religious ideas including the translation of the Hebrew scriptures into the vernacular of the day: Greek (the Septuagint)

But, there was one more event which took place in the 2nd cent. BCE: In 168 BCE, the Greek ruler Antiochus, in attempt to unify the Greek kingdom, forcibly desecrated the Jewish Temple with statues of the Greek gods and tried to force the Jews to worship the Greek gods and give up their unique customs

The Jews fought back (a fight for freedom of religion) and rededicated the Temple in 165 BCE: an event which is remembered to this day with the holiday of Chanukah ("dedication")

In 63 BCE, the Romans took over political rule (key event #3)

• in the year 70 CE the Romans destroyed the second Temple which has yet to be rebuilt (all that remains is the Western or "Wailing" wall) (thus the old Judaism came to an end)

• in the year 135 CE, all remaining Jews were exiled once again from the Promised Land (The Diaspora)

• all Jewish autonomy vanished until 1948 when the modern state of Israel was created from the previously British dominated Palestine

The non-canonical literature (e.g., apocrypha and Dead Sea Scrolls), less religious in value but of great historical value, concerns this period of time in Jewish life and thought

The Hebrew people began with Abraham

The Jewish religion began with Moses and reception of Torah at Sinai

The Diaspora: events that eventually triggered it began with Roman takeover of Palestine in 1st cent. BCE and came to a head in 1st cent. CE with the destruction of the temple and banning of the Jewish people from their holy land