WI: Hadrian rebuilds the Jewish Temple

Mort the Reaper

Ever since the Second Temple was destroyed by Titus in 70 CE, many Jews have dreamed of building a third temple on the traditional site. These wishes were seemingly granted when Hadrian promised to build a new temple. But Hadrian went back on his word, building a Colonia called Aelia Capitolina on the ruins of Jerusalem and put a temple to Jupiter Capitolinus on the Temple Mount. This offense helped spark the Bar Kokhba revolt.

But what if Hadrian kept his promise to the Jews? How would things have changed?
 

Tonifranz

Mort the Reaper said:
Ever since the Second Temple was destroyed by Titus in 70 CE, many Jews have dreamed of building a third temple on the traditional site. These wishes were seemingly granted when Hadrian promised to build a new temple. But Hadrian went back on his word, building a Colonia called Aelia Capitolina on the ruins of Jerusalem and put a temple to Jupiter Capitolinus on the Temple Mount. This offense helped spark the Bar Kokhba revolt.

But what if Hadrian kept his promise to the Jews? How would things have changed?
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Maybe the Jews should not have revolted in 115?
 
Marc

Marc

Donor
Tonifranz said:
Maybe the Jews should not have revolted in 115?
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If not then, then later. Jews suffered the Roman Empire very poorly.
Even after the end of the Jewish-Roman wars there were sporadic outbreaks at late as 351–352, and one final one in 613-614 before Rome left Palaestina some years later.
 

Philip

Donor
Mort the Reaper said:
OK, but what if Hadrian rebuilt the temple? What impact would it have on relations between the Jews and the Roman authorities?
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It's not entirely clear. Some groups will be appeased. Other groups will characterise these groups as collaborators. Messianic theology will still be strong as Rome remains in power over Jerusalem.

Overall I'm not optimistic. Perhaps a few years of calm, but eventually the unrest that led to the Bar Kokhba Revolt will boil over.
 

mjwebb76

Actually, I would suggest this would have profound impacts. Most scholarship suggests that the destruction of the temple had profound impacts on the emergence of "Rabbinic Judaism". Specifically, the Temple formed a key aspect of Jewish religious practice and particularly the way to atone for sin. When the Temple was destroyed this created an "existential" question for Judaism. Indeed, there was a plausible argument that without the Temple Judaism could not exist. Over the succeeding generations attention was focused on developing the Talmud and focusing on a faith of the mind rather than a faith based on animal sacrifice. I would suggest this occurred because there was no alternative. If the temple is rebuilt in say 120 CE you know have serious competition. More traditional Jews move away from Rabbis and toward the Temple (worshiping as their grandparents had done). Arguably the Talmud is not completed or is completed in a very different form. It may also strengthen Jewish-Christians (i.e. the followers of James the Just of Jerusalem) relative to the Gentile Christians of Peter and Paul. If the followers of James can return to the type of Temple worship that the Gospels discuss Jesus engaging in this may keep them from dying out.

Now, on the question of how plausible it is for Hadrian to actually rebuild the temple, I think that is a different question. However, given the assumption that he does, the impacts will be profound.
 
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