Biblical vs. Rabinical Judaism

[Magster]

Can someone explain to me the concepts of Biblical Judaism vs. Rabinical Judaism? I apologize for any mispellings.

 

[Fidelis]

The fact that you know that they are two seperate things shows you already know something about it. Biblical Judaism, based upon the sacrificial system found in Dueteronomy and Leviticus, ceased to exist with the destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans in 70 AD. No temple, no Jewish priesthood, no sacrifice. Christ’s once for all sacrifice on the cross, now remembered sacramentally on the altars in Catholic churches, has replaced this system.

The Jewish temple culture was suplanted by rabbinical Judaism which is synagogue based. It was was developed by the Pharisee school after the destruction of the temple. It is based less on ritual, and more on ethical monotheism and in passing on the traditions of Judaism.

 

[RebAvomai]

BS’D

“Rabbincal Judaism” is a term often used by those outside the realm of Judaism to describe the “Orthodoxy” of today. However, it’s a term adopted today by many.

Since there are explicit instructions on what to do when there isn’t a temple, within the Tanakh, I think it’s unfair not to call today’s Orthodoxy anything but Biblical Judaism and there are many proven Levites today that intently study temple practices so as to preform incase the temple is rebuilt in this life time.

 

[Magster]

Thanks so much for this information. I have heard the terms, but never knew to what they referred.

 

[Fed]

The Jews were without the Temple during the Babylonian exile, after Solomon’s Temple was destroyed and before the 2nd temple was built. They have some experience in maintaining the religion without a Temple. I presume (though I don’t know) that’s when Synagogues got started. Furthermore, there were a lot of Greek-speaking Jews outside the Holy Land long before Jesus. That’s why the LXX Greek translation of the Hebrew bible was made, for them to read because they did not speak Hebrew. They had an established Synagogue system going strong in the Greek speaking areas and also in the Holy Land itself, both inside and outside Jerusalem, even in the 2nd Temple period. Based on that, I don’t think there really is any sharp break between “Biblical” and “Rabinical” Judaism.

But I speak only as a Catholic who has done some reading about Judaism. I defer to any Jewish person who is better informed than I.