In this volume, Timothy Wardle examines the central importance of the Jerusalem Temple during the Second Temple period and the motivating factors which led to the construction of several rival Jewish temples to that in Jerusalem: namely, the Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim, the Oniad Temple in Leontopolis, and the 'temple of men' at Qumran. Building upon these findings, Wardle then explores the early Christian decision to describe their own community in terms befitting a temple. He argues that the formation of a nascent Christian temple identity stretches back to the earliest layers of the Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem, and that, in line with the Samaritan, Oniad, and Qumran communities, this distinctive temple ideology was predicated upon an acrimonious relationship with the priestly leadership charged with oversight of the Jerusalem Temple.

Born 1974; 1997 B.A. in History and Biblical Studies from Wheaton College (IL); 2002 M.A. in Religious Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; 2008 Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University; since 2008 adjunct assistant professor at Wake Forest University and Elon University.

Autorentext

Born 1974; 1997 B.A. in History and Biblical Studies from Wheaton College (IL); 2002 M.A. in Religious Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; 2008 Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University; since 2008 adjunct assistant professor at Wake Forest University and Elon University.

Zusammenfassung
Timothy Wardle untersucht die zentrale Bedeutung des Jerusalemer Tempels im antiken Judentum und die Motivation hinter dem Bau diverser rivalisierender jüdischer Tempel: dem Tempel der Samariter auf dem Berg Garizim, dem der Oniaden in Leotopolis und dem "Tempel des Volkes" in Qumran. Auf diesen Untersuchungen aufbauend geht der Autor der Entscheidung der frühen Christen nach, ihre eigene Gemeinschaft mit Worten zu beschreiben, die zu einem Tempel passen. Er zeigt, dass die Wurzeln dieser aufkeimenden Tempel-Identität auf die früheste jüdisch-christliche Gemeinde in Jerusalem zurückgeht und sich - wie die der Gemeinden in Samaria, Leotopolis und Qumran - aus einer verbitterten Beziehung zu den Priestern speiste, die die Aufsicht im Jerusalemer Tempel führten.