The Jerusalem Temple and Early Christian Identity

✍ Scribed by Timothy Wardle

• Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 299
• Series: Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, Band 291
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

In this volume, Timothy Wardle examines the central importance of the Jerusalem Temple during the Second Temple period and the motivating factors which led to the construction of several rival Jewish temples to that in Jerusalem: namely, the Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim, the Oniad Temple in Leontopolis, and the 'temple of men' at Qumran. Building upon these findings, Wardle then explores the early Christian decision to describe their own community in terms befitting a temple. He argues that the formation of a nascent Christian temple identity stretches back to the earliest layers of the Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem, and that, in line with the Samaritan, Oniad, and Qumran communities, this distinctive temple ideology was predicated upon an acrimonious relationship with the priestly leadership charged with oversight of the Jerusalem Temple.

✦ Table of Contents

Acknowledgements............................................................................................ V
Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................ 1
The Scope of the Project.................................................................................... 3
History of Research............................................................................................ 5
Outline of the Argument..................................................................................... 8
Methodological Issues....................................................................................... 11
Chapter 2: The Centrality of the Jerusalem Temple and
High Priesthood in Second Temple Judaism......................................... 13
Introduction....................................................................................................... 13
The Jerusalem Temple....................................................................................... 14
The Religious Significance of the Jerusalem Temple.................................. 15
Excursus on the Synagogue as a Religious Institution................................. 20
Economic Significance of the Jerusalem Temple........................................ 23
Socio-Political Significance of the Jerusalem Temple................................. 27
Summary Observations on the Role of the Temple..................................... 29
The High Priesthood in the Second Temple Period.......................................... 30
The Persian and Hellenistic Era…............................................................... 33
The Hasmonean Era..................................................................................... 38
The Roman Era............................................................................................. 40
Conclusion......................................................................................................... 45
Chapter 3: Reactions to the Influence of the Jerusalem Temple
And Priesthood............................................................................................. 46
Introduction...................................................................................................... 46
The Persian and Hellenistic Period.................................................................. 48
Exilic and Postexilic Biblical Literature..................................................... 48
The Hellenistic Period Prior to Antiochus Epiphanes................................. 50
Tobit............................................................................................................. 50
Enochic Literature: The Astronomical Book and the Book of the
Watchers...................................................................................................... 52
Aramaic Levi Document............................................................................. 56
Concluding Remarks on the Persian and Hellenistic Period....................... 57
Antiochus Epiphanes and the Early Maccabean Years................................... 60
Jubilees….................................................................................................... 60
The Animal Visions..................................................................................... 62
The Apocalypse of Weeks........................................................................... 64
Testament of Moses 1–5.............................................................................. 65
The Qumran Scrolls..................................................................................... 66
4QMMT....................................................................................................... 67
Damascus Document................................................................................... 69
Excursus: The Rise of Jewish Sects............................................................. 71
Concluding Remarks from the Period of Antiochus Epiphanes and
the Rise of the Maccabees........................................................................... 77
The Late Second Century B.C.E. to the end of the First Century C.E............. 80
Second Maccabees...................................................................................... 80
Testament of Levi….................................................................................... 82
Pesher Habakkuk......................................................................................... 84
Psalms of Solomon...................................................................................... 85
Testament of Moses 6–7.............................................................................. 88
Sibylline Oracles 3–5................................................................................... 89
4 Ezra and 2 Baruch..................................................................................... 91
Concluding Remarks on the Period from the Late Second Century
B.C.E. to the End of the First Century C.E................................................. 92
Concluding Observations................................................................................. 93
Chapter 4: The Emergence of Alternative Temples........................... 98
Introduction...................................................................................................... 98
The Samaritans and the Temple on Mount Gerizim......................................... 99
Sources and Terminology............................................................................ 99
The Relationship between Samaritans and Jews........................................ 102
Similarities between Samaritans and Jews................................................. 104
The Role of the Temple in the Dispute...................................................... 106
Recent Archaeological Evidence…........................................................... 110
Destruction of the Samaritan Temple........................................................ 114
What Gave Mount Gerizim Legitimacy, and Why Was It Destroyed?..... 114
The Oniad Temple at Leontopolis.................................................................. 120
Literary Sources for the Oniad Temple at Leontopolis............................. 121
The Jewish War......................................................................................... 123
The Jewish Antiquities............................................................................... 126
Archaeology of the Oniad Temple............................................................ 129
Description of the Oniad Temple/Tower................................................... 131
The Prophecy of Isaiah.............................................................................. 132
Onias’ Motivations for Building the Temple at Leontopolis..................... 136
The Idea of the Temple at Qumran................................................................. 139
Community Origins................................................................................... 140
Priestly Influence at Qumran..................................................................... 143
Qumran and Sacrifice in the Temple?....................................................... 145
Three Responses to Separation from the Jerusalem Temple..................... 150
The Eschatological Temple....................................................................... 150
Participation in the Heavenly Temple....................................................... 153
The Community as Temple....................................................................... 155
Concluding Thoughts……………................................................................. 162
Chapter 5: The Jerusalem Temple and Early Christian Identity.... 166
Introduction..................................................................................................... 166
A Note on the Use of the Gospels and Acts as Historical Sources................. 167
Jesus’ View of the Temple and Jerusalem Priesthood................................... 169
Jesus’ Demonstration in the Temple.......................................................... 172
Sayings Regardings the Future Destruction of the Temple....................... 182
Parable of the Vineyard and the Wicked Tenants...................................... 185
Concluding Observations on Jesus’ View of the Temple and Priesthood. 189
Acts, the Temple, and the First Followers of Jesus….................................... 191
Evidence of Early Christian Criticism of the Jerusalem Chief Priests...... 196
Stephen’s Speech: Critical of the Temple or the Jerusalem Priesthood?... 197
The Use of Psalm 118:22........................................................................... 202
The Community as a Temple in Earliest Christianity..................................... 206
Galatians 2 and Revelation 3...................................................................... 207
1 Corinthians 3:16–17 and 2 Corinthians 6:16–18.................................... 210
Ephesians 2:19–22 and 1 Peter 2:4–10...................................................... 215
A Shift in Emphasis: 1 Corinthians 6:19 and Individual Believers as
Temples...................................................................................................... 218
Jesus as the Temple.................................................................................... 220
Summary.................................................................................................... 221
Conclusions: Jesus and the Christian Community as a Temple..................... 223
Chapter 6: Concluding Reflections and Implications....................... 227
Summary of the Argument.............................................................................. 227
Implications..................................................................................................... 228
Bibliography................................................................................................... 235
Index of Ancient Sources................................................................................ 264
Index of Frequently Cited Authors................................................................. 282
Index of Subjects............................................................................................ 285