The Memory of the Temple and the Making of the Rabbis
Keywords
book review, temples, Near East, religion
Abstract
As John Lundquist already pointed out years ago, ancient temples served as “the central, organizing, unifying institution in ancient Near Eastern society.”1 For many of the monarchies that populated the ancient Near East and the empires that dominated later antiquity, the temple undergirded and supported the kingship in its political as well as religious roles. This system worked very well when the groups in power controlled the temple and were able to use its authority to support their own rule and authority. However, because temples can be destroyed or sidelined in the vagaries of war and the development of societies, groups are not always able to maintain a direct connection between their authority and the temple. But in the midst of such changes to cultures and societies, it is still possible for a group to support and maintain its authority by appealing to the temple, even if that temple no longer stands.
Original Publication Citation
“Temple and Authority: A Review Essay.” Review of Naftali Cohn, The Memory of the Temple and the Making of the Rabbis. BYU Studies Quarterly57:1 (2018): 206–212.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Shannon, Avram R., "The Memory of the Temple and the Making of the Rabbis" (2018). Faculty Publications. 4313.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/4313
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2018
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7121
Publisher
BYU Studies Quarterly
Language
English
College
Religious Education
Department
Ancient Scripture
Copyright Use Information
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/