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The Temple: Its Symbolism and Meaning Then and Now
When thinking of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, one often conjures up images of animal sacrifice, pilgrimages to the Holy City on religious festivals, and the High Priest solemnly entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. Indeed, each of these observances was a staple of Temple ritual, but it is easy to lose sight of the Temple as it impacted, and impacts, upon the daily life of Jews and their physical and spiritual responsibilities. Building the Temple is not merely one commandment of many; it cannot be examined in isolation. This volume shows how the Temple relates to the notions of Shabbat, the land of Israel, monarchy, Jewish independence and sovereignty, education, justice, covenant, Sinai, the garden of Eden, the Jewish relationship to the gentile world, and the very way the Jew relates to God. From a biblical viewpoint, the Temple is not only the central institution of the ideal Jewish society but also the central concept that binds and organizes all others. Many Torah commandments remain unchanged for all time regardless of historical events, but this is not so for the commandment to erect the Temple. Social, economic, political, and religious currents were integral to the Temple's construction, destruction, and reconstruction. By probing these currents from the Bible's perspective, one can gain insight into the meaning of the time in which we live; we are in a process of rebuilding, even though we are far from redemption.
- GenresChristian
Hardcover
Published July 7, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 19, 2024
This book is written for Jews, but is approachable for non Jews. From a Christian perspective it was valuable to have the significance and symbolism of the Temple (Eden, Sinai, and place for God’s name to be renowned by the world). The explanation of the sacrifices also helped me understand the significance of New Testament mentions of sacrifices.
I found the epilogue helpful in so far as it helped me understand Zionism (not the derogatory use of the word) as a movement to revitalize Israel as a state and the Jewish people as a whole to a state of covenant obedience and social justice that is sufficient for God’s name to be renowned by the world. Now, from a Christian perspective, one could argue the mission of making God’s name great has been taken up by the Church in the gospel. But nonetheless, it’s helpful to understand this Jewish way of thinking.
Overall, this book is most helpful for pastors and theologically interested laymen who want to both understand the New Testament significance of the Church in light of comparisons to the Temple and have a resource to explain such things to others
I found the epilogue helpful in so far as it helped me understand Zionism (not the derogatory use of the word) as a movement to revitalize Israel as a state and the Jewish people as a whole to a state of covenant obedience and social justice that is sufficient for God’s name to be renowned by the world. Now, from a Christian perspective, one could argue the mission of making God’s name great has been taken up by the Church in the gospel. But nonetheless, it’s helpful to understand this Jewish way of thinking.
Overall, this book is most helpful for pastors and theologically interested laymen who want to both understand the New Testament significance of the Church in light of comparisons to the Temple and have a resource to explain such things to others
September 8, 2018
This book has given me an excellent understanding of the ancient Jewish Temple. As its title suggests it focusses on the Temple's symbolism and meaning, including the meaning of the associated sacrifices that took place therein. Although the book is academic in nature, Berman writes in a very accessible style. I found myself laying aside other books on my shelf as this one engrossed me more and more. The book is written from a Jewish perspective (Berman is a rabbi). His familiarity with both biblical texts and rabbinic literature opens up a world of new understanding for Christian readers like me. I really loved this book and it has made me want to read more from this author.
August 18, 2022
What I found most encouraging about this book is that Joshua Berman, a Jewish scholar, so agrees with the Christian works I've read on the Temple. It shows a harmony in the purpose and significance of the Temple, even if there is not agreement on the ultimate end.
May 9, 2023
The target readership for "The Temple: Its Symbolism and Meaning Then and Now" is Torah-knowledgeable Jews. It may also be of interest to less knowledgeable Jews, and even to Christians who want a better understanding of the meaning of the Temple in the time of Jesus.
The author argues, persuasively in my view, that the Temple was far more than the locus of a sacrificial cult. It served as the symbolic center of the Jewish nation, and in particular as the symbol of the covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish people. To offer a dim comparison (להבדיל): The Capital building in Washington is not just the place where congressional representatives meet to vote on legislature. It is the symbol of national self-governance and liberty. That is one reason why its invasion by a mob on January 6, 2021, evoked more shock and anger than, say, the occupation and disruption of the Wisconsin legislature ten years earlier.
The author presents a credible thesis concerning the delay between the entry of the Children of Israel into the Promised Land and the construction, over 400 years later, of the Temple. Since a major purpose of the Temple, he argues, is to publicize the greatness of God's name, that could not be accomplished until the monarchy was well established and the national power evident. The monarchy could not be considered to be well established until the rule had been passed from father to son. That is why the Temple could not be built during the reigns of Saul or David, but could only be achieved with the ascension to the throne of David’s son Solomon. A mouse does not roar.
Because the Temple was meant to represent the covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish people, its architectural design reflected that purpose. The various courtyards duplicated the various encampments of the different tribes during the 40 years in the wilderness. The Ark of the Covenant was placed within the Holy of Holies, just as it had been in the mobile Tabernacle [mishkan] before the construction of the Temple. The incense arising within it was evocative of the smoke which covered Mt. Sinai at the time of the theophany and giving of the Law there.
The author tackles the question of animal sacrifice, one of the most difficult concepts for the modern reader. He presents the idea that the sacrifices were in essence covenantal meals. Again, by weak comparison, meetings of heads of state are often marked by state dinners to express the concord among the attendees. That the meat of many of the animal sacrifices had to be shared with others led to an amity among the people, a point not lost on the author. The Hebrew word usually translated as "sacrifice" is "korban." "Korban" is etymologically derived from the root word for "being close."
When it stood, the Temple was not limited to worship by Jews. As the prophet Isaiah said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Occupying gentile hegemons and other non-Jews were famously permitted to offer sacrifices (if the animal were unblemished) at the Temple. Even now, Christianity has adopted this concept of covenantal meal via the sacrament of the Eucharist. Most Christian sects teach that the wafer and wine do not merely symbolize the flesh and blood of Jesus, but rather that (to degrees about which there is not unanimity) his flesh and blood are actually present in those apparently mundane objects. Like the consumption of the sacrificed animal by its owner or priests in the Temple, the Christian's consumption of the Eucharist meal is an act indicating that the sacrifice has been performed for his benefit, and is the mechanism of his approaching closer to proper relationship with God.
For twenty centuries the daily prayer of Jews has included supplication that the Temple be rebuilt, and its sacrificial services re-established. For us moderns, that is sometimes a difficult prayer to say wholeheartedly. I compare our situation to that of an orphan from birth. He has never known what it means to have parents, but he may have an understanding, however vague, that he is missing something important in his life.
The author argues, persuasively in my view, that the Temple was far more than the locus of a sacrificial cult. It served as the symbolic center of the Jewish nation, and in particular as the symbol of the covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish people. To offer a dim comparison (להבדיל): The Capital building in Washington is not just the place where congressional representatives meet to vote on legislature. It is the symbol of national self-governance and liberty. That is one reason why its invasion by a mob on January 6, 2021, evoked more shock and anger than, say, the occupation and disruption of the Wisconsin legislature ten years earlier.
The author presents a credible thesis concerning the delay between the entry of the Children of Israel into the Promised Land and the construction, over 400 years later, of the Temple. Since a major purpose of the Temple, he argues, is to publicize the greatness of God's name, that could not be accomplished until the monarchy was well established and the national power evident. The monarchy could not be considered to be well established until the rule had been passed from father to son. That is why the Temple could not be built during the reigns of Saul or David, but could only be achieved with the ascension to the throne of David’s son Solomon. A mouse does not roar.
Because the Temple was meant to represent the covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish people, its architectural design reflected that purpose. The various courtyards duplicated the various encampments of the different tribes during the 40 years in the wilderness. The Ark of the Covenant was placed within the Holy of Holies, just as it had been in the mobile Tabernacle [mishkan] before the construction of the Temple. The incense arising within it was evocative of the smoke which covered Mt. Sinai at the time of the theophany and giving of the Law there.
The author tackles the question of animal sacrifice, one of the most difficult concepts for the modern reader. He presents the idea that the sacrifices were in essence covenantal meals. Again, by weak comparison, meetings of heads of state are often marked by state dinners to express the concord among the attendees. That the meat of many of the animal sacrifices had to be shared with others led to an amity among the people, a point not lost on the author. The Hebrew word usually translated as "sacrifice" is "korban." "Korban" is etymologically derived from the root word for "being close."
When it stood, the Temple was not limited to worship by Jews. As the prophet Isaiah said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Occupying gentile hegemons and other non-Jews were famously permitted to offer sacrifices (if the animal were unblemished) at the Temple. Even now, Christianity has adopted this concept of covenantal meal via the sacrament of the Eucharist. Most Christian sects teach that the wafer and wine do not merely symbolize the flesh and blood of Jesus, but rather that (to degrees about which there is not unanimity) his flesh and blood are actually present in those apparently mundane objects. Like the consumption of the sacrificed animal by its owner or priests in the Temple, the Christian's consumption of the Eucharist meal is an act indicating that the sacrifice has been performed for his benefit, and is the mechanism of his approaching closer to proper relationship with God.
For twenty centuries the daily prayer of Jews has included supplication that the Temple be rebuilt, and its sacrificial services re-established. For us moderns, that is sometimes a difficult prayer to say wholeheartedly. I compare our situation to that of an orphan from birth. He has never known what it means to have parents, but he may have an understanding, however vague, that he is missing something important in his life.
April 30, 2012
An amazing book on the significance of the Jewish Temple in daily life.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews