Jerusalem: City of David and Judah

     A somewhat common theme that connects all the passages for this week is the worship of other gods. In the book of Haggai, the Temple was in disarray, and so, according to the book, the God of Israel told the prophet to work to improve it. Perhaps the fact that the Temple needed to be worked on is the author's way of saying that the beliefs of the people were more geared towards other gods. In chapters 1 and 2 of the book of Maccabees, the Greek rulers of the region ordered the Jews to sacrifice to pagan deities, which caused the revolt. In chapter 3 of Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, the author talked about how Solomon worshipped the gods of his wives. In chapter 4, the author describes how the religion of Israel changed after the Temple was built; how its people began to recognize YHWH as a creator-god and later as the only god. 

     Through reading these chapters and passages, one can see the evolution of Israel's religion and what shaped it into the Jewish faith that currently exists. Israel probably began as a society with a Henotheistic religion. Other gods could be worshipped, but YHWH was the most important one for Israel. However, when the Temple was built, YHWH became more prominent in the kingdom, even achieving status as a creator-god, which strengthened His religious influence even more. During the Babylonian exile, the Israelites saw Jerusalem and its Temple and god as a unifying cultural factor which lead its people to adopt a monotheistic stance on religion. 

     This narrative not only demonstrates the how YHWH went from being seen as simply the god of Israel to being an all-powerful creator, but it also shows how Jerusalem became more important. Before David conquered it, Jerusalem had no major significance. When the Temple was built, Jerusalem became not just a religious center, but the political heart of the kingdom. It would go on to become even more influential as time passed. Then, after the destruction of the Temple and the subsequent exile in Babylon, Jerusalem became a symbol of what the Israelites had lost, but also of their culture, which made the city a unifying beacon that brought the Jews closer together despite exile. In that sense, the story of how YHWH became Israel's only god parallels the way Jerusalem became more important to the Jews as time went on.

Sources:

- Chapters 3 and 4 of  Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, by Karen Armstrong.

- Haggai 1-2

-Maccabees 1-2