Jerusalem during the Second Temple period
History of Jerusalem from the return to Zion under Cyrus to the 70 CE siege of Jerusalem by Titus
Jerusalem during the Second Temple period describes the history of the city during the existence there of the Second Temple, from the return to Zion under Cyrus the Great (c. 538 BCE) to the siege and destruction of the city by Titus during the First Jewish–Roman War in 70 CE. During this period, which saw the region and city change hands several times, Jerusalem was the center of religious life for all Jews; even those who lived in the diaspora prayed towards Jerusalem on a daily basis and went there on pilgrimage during three annual religious festivals. Under Hasmonean and Herodian rule, Jerusalem served as a royal capital and the seat of all major national institutions. In Jerusalem, the Pharisees of Second Temple Judaism developed into the Tannaim and Judaism's post-Exilic religious identity as it continues today, and the Hebrew Bible was perhaps canonized, although exactly when this occurred remains disputed. It was also in Jerusalem during the later stages of this period that Christianity was born.
The 600 years of the Second Temple period can be divided into several periods, each with its own distinct political and social characteristics. The physical development of the city was greatly affected by the changing characteristics of each era, while at the same time influencing these periods themselves. The city's population was characterized by social stratification, both economic and religious, which grew more pronounced over the years. There existed in the city, for example, a clear distinction between a rich and cosmopolitan elite and the wider, more conservative population. Social strata also encompassed different religious outlooks, each with its different emphasis: some reliant on the Temple priests, while the majority were led by traditional non-priestly families, emphasizing Torah study and the development of law over the formal hierarchy established in the Temple.
Persian period (539–332 BCE)
At the time of the return to Zion from the Babylonian captivity, Jerusalem was very small and materially rather poor.
The public source identifies “Jerusalem during the Second Temple period” as history of Jerusalem from the return to Zion under Cyrus to the 70 CE siege of Jerusalem by Titus. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Jerusalem, during and Second.
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