Second Temple Judaism facts for kids

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Judaism

A Look Back at History

This is what the Second Temple might have looked like. It was rebuilt by Herod I.

Important Time Periods

Persian Rule: 539–333 BCE
Greek Rule: 333–164 BCE
- Ptolemies: 301–200 BCE
- Seleucids: 200–164 BCE
Hasmonean Rule: 164–37 BCE
Herodian Rule: 37 BCE – 6 CE
- Herod's Kingdom: 37–4 BCE
- Herod's Sons Rule: 4 BCE – 6 CE
Roman Rule: 6–70 CE

How the Period Began and Ended

In 586 BCE, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem. He destroyed the Temple of Solomon. Many people were sent away to Babylon. This was called the "Babylonian exile". In 539 BCE, the Persians, led by Cyrus the Great, took over Babylon. In 538 BCE, the exiled Jews could return to their homeland.

The Second Temple was rebuilt around 520–515 BCE. This date might have been chosen to show that 70 years passed, as a prophecy said.

The Persian period ended when Alexander the Great conquered the area in 333-332 BCE. After he died, his empire split. Judea came under the rule of the Ptolemies from Egypt. In 200 BCE, the Seleucids from Syria took control. Around 167 BCE, the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to stop Jewish worship. This caused a Jewish revolt. The Jews won and ended Greek rule.

Hasmonean Judea later became a kingdom under Roman influence. In the 1st century BCE, the Romans put Herod the Great in charge. After Herod died, Judea became a direct Roman province. High taxes and disrespect for Jewish religion led to another revolt. In 70 CE, the Roman general Titus captured Jerusalem. He destroyed the Temple. This ended the Second Temple period.

Jewish Communities Outside Judea

Many Jewish exiles in Babylon chose to stay there. They were not treated badly. These communities outside Judea were called the Jewish diaspora. The historian Josephus said there were more Jews in Syria than anywhere else. There was also a large Jewish community in Egypt. These Jews were drawn to Greek culture.

Over time, Jewish communities grew across the Greek and Roman worlds. They lived from North Africa to Asia Minor and Greece, and even in Rome.

The Samaritans

Second Temple Judaism and Samaritanism slowly grew apart. For much of this period, Samaria was bigger and richer than Judea. They had their own temple on Mount Gerizim. They saw themselves as the true Israelites.

However, Jews from Judea saw Samaritans as outsiders. By the late 2nd century BCE, Jews and Samaritans fully split. This happened after a Hasmonean king destroyed the Samaritan temple.

The Hebrew Bible Takes Shape

Many experts now believe that much of the Hebrew Bible was put together and edited in the 5th century BCE. This was done to fit the challenges of the Persian era. The Jews who returned from exile were very interested in Israel's history.

The written Torah (the first five books of the Bible) likely existed before. But it was edited into its current form during the Second Temple period. The Books of Chronicles, a new history written then, focused on Judah and the Temple.

Prophetic books were also important. Some were written then, like parts of Isaiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Older prophecies were also edited. Wisdom books like Job and Proverbs were composed. The book of Psalms may have been shaped into its five parts during this time.

In the Greek period, Jewish scriptures were translated into Greek. This translation was called the Septuagint. It was made by Jews living in Egypt. They also wrote their own literature. The eastern Jews were important for sharing ideas about the end of the world, seen in the Book of Daniel.

Key Ideas and Practices

Who is "True Israel"?

The Hebrew Bible shows the beliefs of a small group of Israelites. These were the ones exiled by the Babylonians. They focused on strict worship, family purity, and following the law. At first, the returning exiles kept themselves separate from those who stayed. They even banned marriage between the groups. This was about religious purity and land ownership.

Ideas about who was Jewish changed. Family background and faith in God became more important.

Different Jewish groups had different views on non-Jews. The Sadducees doubted if non-Jews could become Jewish. But they were okay with mixing cultures. The Essenes believed non-Jews were not pure. They were even stricter with other Jews. The Zealots were wary of outsiders. But they would work with the Idumeans.

The Pharisees were more open. They believed being Jewish was a choice, not just about birth. Some historians think Pharisees wanted to convert other Jews to their way of thinking. Early Christians also saw themselves as "true Israel." They believed non-Jews could join without needing to follow all Jewish customs, like circumcision. These differences led to Judaism and Christianity becoming separate religions.

Focus on the Temple

Second Temple Judaism centered on the Temple in Jerusalem. It was not focused on synagogues, which only started appearing later. Animal sacrifices were constantly offered at the Temple. The Torah, or ritual law, was also very important. Temple priests taught the Torah.

The idea of "scripture" developed slowly. By the 1st century CE, the written Torah and the books of the Prophets were accepted as holy. But different Jewish groups still accepted different books as authoritative.

Priests and Local Rule

The role of priests changed a lot. In the First Temple, kings were in charge of priests. But in the Second Temple period, foreign rulers controlled the land. So, the priests became more independent. The High Priest became the main leader. This made the province of Yehud almost like a religious state.

Under the Hasmonean dynasty, High Priests became priest-kings. Both Herod and the Romans later reduced the High Priest's power. They appointed and removed High Priests as they wished.

New Customs from Idumea

From the Hasmonean time, the Idumeans became part of Judean society. They lived in southern and western Judea and mixed with Jews. It is debated if this was forced or willing. Their presence influenced Second Temple Judaism.

They brought new religious practices. These included ritual bathing in baths and burial in caves. They also had ways to purify pottery. The Herodians continued these trends. Idumean culture shaped Judea, Jerusalem, and the Temple. Later religious Jews did not always acknowledge these contributions. Some Jews believed only full-body immersion could make someone ritually pure.

New Ways of Thinking

Belief in One God

There was a big change from ancient Israelite religion to Second Temple Judaism. Before the exile, many Israelites believed in multiple gods. They might have worshipped Asherah with Yahweh. Other gods like Baal were also present.

The worship of Yahweh alone became strong only after the exile. It was only then that people began to say that other gods did not even exist.

Messiah and End Times

During the Persian period, people started to hope for a future human king. This king would rule a pure Israel as God's representative. This was the idea of a messiah. Prophets like Haggai and Zechariah first spoke of this. They saw Zerubbabel as a possible Messiah figure. He was from the family of David. He seemed like he might bring back the old royal line.

These early hopes did not come true. After that, there were only general ideas about a Messiah from David's family.

Wisdom and Learning

Wisdom, or hokmah, meant learning through study and education. It was about those who could read, write, and knew literature. Books like Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes are part of this tradition.

The Start of Christianity

Early Christianity began within Second Temple Judaism in the 1st century. The main difference was the Christian belief that Jesus was the resurrected Jewish Messiah. Judaism allowed for different Messiah figures. The idea of two Messiahs, one who suffered and one who fulfilled the traditional role, was common.

Some scholars say that Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity were like "twin births." They were both new forms of Judaism. They were different from what came before.

The first Christians were mostly Jewish or had converted to Judaism. Jesus was Jewish, and he taught Jewish people. His first followers were Jewish. Jewish Christians believed that Christianity supported all parts of Judaism. They just added one belief: that Jesus was the Messiah.

The teachings of Jesus's apostles sometimes caused problems with Jewish religious leaders. The book of Acts talks about arguments over the resurrection of the dead. This was rejected by the Sadducees. Later, Christians might have been expelled from synagogues.

Early Christianity kept some Jewish ideas and practices. They saw the Jewish scriptures as holy. They used Greek translations like the Septuagint. They also added new texts that became the New Testament. Christian baptism was also a continuation of a Jewish practice.

Historians now see a more complex picture. Some believe that Jesus's followers were so sure about the Kingdom of God and resurrection. When they saw him after his death, they believed he had been resurrected. These beliefs fit with Second Temple Judaism. But when the Kingdom did not come as expected, some Christians began to believe Jesus was God made flesh. They believed he died for humanity's sins. This was the start of Christology.

Hellenistic Judaism also played a role in Christianity. Some believe the idea of Jesus dying for mankind's sins needed Greek influence.

Even though Jesus and the first Christians were Jewish, most Jews did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. This affected how early Christianity related to Judaism and pagan traditions. Some critics said Christians were leaving their Jewish heritage. To Emperor Julian, Christianity was just a departure from Judaism. These factors made Christians' views towards Jews harder.