MODERN JUDAISM

OR

SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM

 

  Study Rationale: 

  1. Like all studies of major religious movements this study will attempt to be nothing more than an Introduction to, and survey of Second Temple and Modern Judaism.

  2. Although the development of Second Temple Judaism was an 'evolutionary" process which spread over many centuries (at least 400 years in its early stages) it is the form of Judaism we encounter in the New Testament.

  3. The religious movement  we know as The Dead Sea Covenanters (or possibly imprecisely as The Dead Sea Essenes) was a reaction to what many interpreted as the "heresy" of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes associated with the Temple ca 4 BC.

  4. At an appropriate point in the study of the many facets of Second Temple Judaism we will comment briefly on the development of Jewish Mysticism and its significance for contemporary studies in Judaism and New Testament Christianity.

  5. This slowly developing movement of redefining Judaism which began ca 167 with the Maccabean Revolt finally resulted ca 400 AD and 550 AD with the production of the Jerusalem (Palestinian) and Babylonian Talmuds.

  6. We refer to this period of religious rediscovery as Second Temple Judaism.

  7. Although we often do not realize this, Second Temple Judaism is considerably different from First Temple Judaism.

  8. In speaking of Second Temple Judaism we have in mind the development of Judaism from the close of the Old Testament era ca 400 BC through the development of the Talmud to the modern era of the 21st century AD.

  9. In this study of Second Temple Judaism and Modern Judaism we will explore the varied characteristics of Modern Judaism.

  10. We will examine briefly the historical circumstances that contributed to the development of Second Temple Judaism.

  11. We will also comment briefly on the nature of the literature of Second Temple Judaism, the circumstances responsible for the development of this literary repository, and the significance of this for contemporary studies of Judaism and New Testament Christianity.

  12. The many aspects of "denominational" Judaism will be briefly discussed.

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