Remembrance of the Temple in the Mishnah: From Ritual to Text
A series on the memory of the Temple in the Mishnah, November 29–December 3, 2026, at Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem. We will examine how the Sages reshaped descriptions of the Temple.
How Is the Temple Remembered After Its Destruction?
Although the Mishnah was compiled only after the destruction of the Temple, it contains detailed descriptions of the Temple’s procedures: from its daily schedule and architecture, through the officials and the management of donations, to rituals such as holiday sacrifices.
At first glance, these descriptions seem to be a treasure trove of reliable information about the center of the Jewish people’s religious and public life until its destruction in 70 CE. However, a close examination of the Mishnah and comparison with other historical sources reveals how the historical Temple was reshaped within the scholarly and ideological world of the Sages.
In this series, we will discover how the Mishnah weaves fragmented memories of events, controversies, figures, and rituals into a harmonious Temple order, guided by the Sages and shaped according to their religious and theological outlook.
Throughout the series, we will examine the descriptions of the Temple in the Mishnah alongside sources from Second Temple literature, including the Book of Ben Sira, the writings of Josephus, and the Qumran literature, as well as descriptions of the Temple in the Bible and the New Testament.
Prof. Yair Furstenberg teaches in the Department of Talmud at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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