A resource created to support the Religious Education Curriculum from the Archdiocese of Brisbane
The destruction of the Temple in 70CE (Common Era)
What happens to a large group of people if the extraordinary building that was the centre of their religious and cultural identity no longer exists? How does one continue to offer sacrifices if the Temple no longer exists? How does one become ritually clean again? Where does one go to worship? Unlike Christianity, there was only one building for all the Jewish people which was used for key cultural and religious rituals. This one building was also a magnificent architectural achievement, which arguably has no equivalent in our world today. This was a legacy of King Herod's building empire.
​
Important to keep in mind is that Judaism did not reflect just one group of people. Within Judaism were multiple movements, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes. As tensions with the Romans rose, the Zealot movement emerged. References to these different groups within Judaism can be found throughout all four Gospels, and an understanding of what was going on historically at the time leads Christians to a greater understanding of the conflicts and tensions Jesus faced and challenged. Jesus did not set out to start Catholicism. Jesus wanted to reform Judaism.
​
After the destruction of the Temple a shift in priorities occurred from Temple Judaism to Rabbinic Judaism. A way of life emerged which was focused on Torah and Jewish law instead of Temple worship and political power.
​
Keep in mind that Jesus' life ended decades before the destruction of the Temple. However, most scholars believe at least three of the Gospels were constructed after the destruction of the Temple. This would be like someone writing about World War I or II today, who was born after these events but who wanted to capture stories they had heard and shape them to have particular meaning for the community today. Imagine this happening in four different communities at various times over the next fifty years. Historical accuracy becomes less relevant and theological meaning becomes more relevant. One event, perhaps shaped loosely on history, will take shape in four different ways depending upon the writer's purpose of shaping the story for their particular community, to highlight the key meaning and message they want to convey to their particular community. In Australia, a story from World War II could be shaped very differently if it were written by four different authors in four different communities such as the Torres Strait Islands; the Daly River Indigenous Community; an inner city Parish community in Brisbane, or a parish in Melbourne with a high percentage of migrants and refugees in the community.
​
What did the Temple look like?
The links below will take you on a virtual guided tour of the Temple.
Did Jesus say this or did the Gospels authors put these words in Jesus' mouth?
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. (Lk 13:34–35a // Mt 23:37–39)
​
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation. (Mt 23:35)
​
As neither author personally knew Jesus, they clearly did not hear Jesus say these statements. We will never have a historical answer to this question, but we can read the text discerningly and look for clues as to why the authors included these texts. What difference would these statements make to a suffering community? How would these statements help people make sense of their lives and answer the question of God's faithfulness? The destruction of the Temple raised enormous questions of power, faithfulness and God. It is worth noting that even the historian Josephus turns to theology in writing his history of the Jewish war. This political, social and theological disaster of catastrophic proportions did not mean the end of Judaism. Through the lens of Scripture, Josephus and the Gospel authors found answers. God had never abandoned the Jewish people, through all their traumatic events of history. If the destruction of the Temple could be seen retrospectively as part of God's bigger plan, new strength would emerge for people, along with a new vision about how God called people to live their faith. Temple Judaism gave way to Rabbinic Judaism. The followers of Jesus also grew in numbers.