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Diversity in Judaism's Attachment to Jerusalem





I decided to do my presentation over Judaism’s attachment to Jerusalem for several reasons. The first reason largely relates to why I decided to take the course in the first place, as I saw Jerusalem as a place with rich historical, religious, and political significance. Similarly, Judaism’s deep roots reflect a diverse attachment that has been influenced by various cultures and rulers through the history of its connection with the sacred Jerusalem. Furthermore, coming from a Christian home, Judaism is a faith I am less familiar with. I observed that we focused less on Christianity, and was revered by Judaism’s attachment in particular. Using sites critical to Judaism’s attachment, as well as an analysis of influence from cultures. This is the essence of the faith’s attachment, one that is extremely diverse throughout history and one that has been shaped by influences from rulers in the First Temple Period through the Roman Period and beyond. With this in mind, I argued that Judaism’s attachment is one that is diverse because of the way it has been molded over time. 
            Firstly, I focused on the Temple Mount, a site of religious and historical importance to all three faiths with ties to Jerusalem. The Temple Mount that we can observe today does not necessarily have the same meaning that it did years ago, or that it did for a person of Jewish faith. Nonetheless, I began with the Temple Mount, because it served as a constancy of attachment and religious connection. Beginning with the First Temple Period of rule over Jerusalem, I discussed King Solomon’s influence, particularly how it shaped faith as a Jewish person. It has held sanctity for Jewish faith since its construction, but under King Solomon, a particular prayer made the site even more special. At the Temple’s dedication ceremony, Solomon prayed to God that the Temple he had built would be a place where prayers would be heard and one were Jews would come to supplicate God when He was angry with them. Similarly, he prayed that it would be a place where God’s glory would be revealed to the entire world. This type of reverence toward the Temple grounded Judaism’s attachment to Jerusalem in a way, because it gave them a location of connection with God. As the faith has been rooted in the Temple, it served as a place of prayer during the First Temple Period and importantly, a place of animal sacrifice. Solomon did so at the Temple’s dedication and actually had so many animals that needed to be slaughtered that he sanctified the floor of the Temple’s courtyard so that more space could be made for offerings. This was in order to accommodate the sheer volume of sacrifices. Solomon’s rule during this period shaped Judaism’s attachment by bringing the faith a central place of prayer and of animal sacrifice. These two events were characteristic of Judaism’s attachment to Jerusalem during this period. 
            The Babylonian Exile served as an influence to Judaism’s attachment to Jerusalem as well, as the people of Judea were forced to leave their historic homeland and even some Jewish people as well. Relocating to other parts of the Babylonian empire is critical to understanding the history of Jewish people and the diversity of Judaism’s attachment, Jewish identity had been tied directly to their homeland. The exile brought several significant changes to the way Judaism was practiced as well-many of which still effect Judaism and its attachment today. When the Jewish people were expelled from Judea, the Babylonians destroyed the Temple entirely, as we are all now familiar with. Because Jewish law stipulated that animal sacrifice (among other sacred events) could only be performed at the Temple in Jerusalem, Judaism and its attachment to Jerusalem adapted. Adaption occurred in such a way that Judaism could retain its religious identity and the Jewish people, their cultural identity, and attachment to the city. With the exile leading to the rise of the synagogue, Jewish connection to Jerusalem was not as stipulated as before. Religious focus appeared to shift from animal sacrifices, to the study and teaching of the Torah. This became the focal point of worship in such synagogues. 
            With the Second Temple Period marking the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem, a turning point occurred in Judaism’s attachment to the city. As the Jewish people were allowed to return under an edict issued by Cyrus King of Persia, Jewish residents started building the Second Temple, completing it by 515 BC. We see a shift in the attachment once again- the Temple becomes crucial to practicing Judaism, despite the other ways Jewish attachment to Jerusalem seemed to decline. Divided into three distinct periods, the Second Temple Period encompasses the Persian Period (from 586-332 BC), the Hellenistic Period (from 332-63 BC), and the Roman Period (from 63 BC-324 AD). Each period had a unique influence on Judaism’s practice and the faith’s attachment to the city. 
            Firstly, Persian influence or Zoroastrian influences on Judaism’s attachment to Jerusalem can be noted in later Hebrew works, such as Daniel and especially the intertestamental books. Satan as a a separate evil force in direct opposition to God, most likely came explicitly from the Zoroastrian belief in such an entity. Furthermore, Persia’s influence on Judaism’s attachment to the city is reflected in the change in Hebrew ethics guided by the idea of the corporate personality. This change was from the sins of the fathers visiting the sons, to the first Hebrew prophet speaking unequivocally in terms of individual moral responsibility-Ezekiel (a prophet of the Babylonian exile). 
            Hellenistic influence can first be marked by the passing of Phillip of Macedon and his giving away of his torch to his son and philosopher, Alexander the Great. This imbued Alexander with the Hellenist values that would begin to spread around the world and in particular, influence Judaism’s attachment to Jerusalem. The Septuagint, the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures from the original Hebrew, was created with Ptolemy Philadelphus of the Ptolemaic empire commanded 72 Jews to translate the Torah into Greek. Attachment to Jerusalem was largely Hellenist during this time. For example, The Pool of Bethesda serves as a testament to the Hellenization during this period. In addition, when Alexander the Great came to Jerusalem in ~329 BCE, he bowed to the high priest and was shown gratitude in doing so by the Jewish people naming all the children born that year, Alexander. Influence may have began rather innocent, such as giving Jewish children Greek names and learning the Greek language, but the Hellenistic Period brought influence to the point that Jewish people underwent painful cosmetic surgeries to reverse their circumcisions. 
            The Roman Period also influenced Judaism’s attachment to Jerusalem, as the name change of the city essentially erased the overt connections of the area to the Jewish people. The Roman period however, did raise conflicts about what it meant to be Jewish and about Jewish identity. In doing so, it arguably shaped the attachment to the city, as the faith had historically been rooted in Jerusalem. 

References

Adelman, M. (2007, January 24). King Solomon: The Story of His Reign and Kingdom. Retrieved from https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/463983/jewish/King-Solomon-The-Story-of-His-Reign-an
Armstrong, K. (2005). A history of Jerusalem: One city, three faiths. London: Harper Perennial.
Jerusalem History: The First and Second Temples. (2018, June 14). Retrieved from
Jewish Holy Sites Archives. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.itraveljerusalem.com/ent/?ent-type=jewish-holy-sites
Green, D. B. (2018, April 10). The history of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Retrieved from
Judaism develops. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/judaism/a/judaism-develops
The Iranian Impact on Judaism. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ngier/309/zorojud.htm
Hellenistic Judaism. (2019, April 12). Retrieved from
The Pool of Bethesda as Greek Asclepion - Israel Study Center. (2019, February 03). Retrieved from https://weekly.israelbiblecenter.com/was-bethesda-jewish-or-pagan/


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