Growing Through the Fall
The beginning of the reading we enter to a completely decimated temple and Jerusalem. The temple symbolized the Jewish relationship to God now that the temple is gone does that mean the relationship is gone? The fact that the rebellion was started to maintain Jewish law simply adds insult to the injury of the crushed temple and connection. With the fall of the temple, there was a fall in the Jewish faith. Armstrong said, "now life had neither value nor significance, and it seems in these dark days many Jews lost their faith" (Armstrong 155). This destruction symbolized the loss of connection to God. The temple was the one place where Jews could make sacrifices and reach God. If this holy place was not saved by God then why did any of it matter.
In Chapter 8 Armstrong also shows how Jerusalem not only connects Jews and Christians by physical space but by a shared space. As Jews were no longer in the main parts of Jerusalem they began to interact with Jewish Christians. This allowed for a level of religious exchange. Of course, due to the faith crisis, some turned towards Paul's Jesus (Armstrong 155) while others did not. Even if there was not, conversion there was most certainly exchange between the two groups of people. One major example of this is the Jews moving away from religion being so central to a temple, and more towards being able to worship God anywhere like Christians believed.
While Jewish faith did falter it also began to evolve and grow some of its fundamental pillars that Jews believe in today. The law was so focused on the centrality of the temple, but now the temple was gone. Armstrong describes that the rabbi's encouraged a move towards charity and giving over sacrifices (Armstrong 156). Because of the tragedy of the fall of the temple, Jews were forced to adapt in order to maintain their religion. It seems ironically biblical to be able to view this tragedy and disconnection from God as a way for the faith to grow, but nevertheless, it did. I believe the most important thing that we can learn from this reading is that the pillars of the religions we are studying are not always divinely given. There are instances where maybe God or more likely the religious leaders need to adapt in order to maintain the religion.
In Chapter 8 Armstrong also shows how Jerusalem not only connects Jews and Christians by physical space but by a shared space. As Jews were no longer in the main parts of Jerusalem they began to interact with Jewish Christians. This allowed for a level of religious exchange. Of course, due to the faith crisis, some turned towards Paul's Jesus (Armstrong 155) while others did not. Even if there was not, conversion there was most certainly exchange between the two groups of people. One major example of this is the Jews moving away from religion being so central to a temple, and more towards being able to worship God anywhere like Christians believed.
While Jewish faith did falter it also began to evolve and grow some of its fundamental pillars that Jews believe in today. The law was so focused on the centrality of the temple, but now the temple was gone. Armstrong describes that the rabbi's encouraged a move towards charity and giving over sacrifices (Armstrong 156). Because of the tragedy of the fall of the temple, Jews were forced to adapt in order to maintain their religion. It seems ironically biblical to be able to view this tragedy and disconnection from God as a way for the faith to grow, but nevertheless, it did. I believe the most important thing that we can learn from this reading is that the pillars of the religions we are studying are not always divinely given. There are instances where maybe God or more likely the religious leaders need to adapt in order to maintain the religion.
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