The term Jewish Diaspora, the forced mass exile of the Jews from their native lands (Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan), is well-known to have started in late 8th Century BCE timeline, not declining until the early centuries of the CE. It is during this timeframe when the Jews revolted against their Roman conquerors and, as a result, were banished to different parts of Europe and Asia or sold as slaves across the vast Roman Empire (Grayzel, 1984).
Notable events in the Diaspora timeline
In the First Century, uprisings from various Jewish communities besieged the Roman Empire, the strongest being the Great Jewish Revolt (beginning in the 66 CE, ending late into the 73 CE). The Jews were defeated, and Jerusalem fell and was set ablaze by the Romans. The siege of Masada in the 73 CE was the final tragic event to the revolt (Josephus, c.75).
The Second Century witnessed a restart of the revolts from the Jewish communities, the most famous being the Kitos War that happened during the years 115-117 CE, and Bar Kochbas revolt during the 130s CE. Both ended with the defeat and annihilation of the Jewish population in Cyprus and Rome, respectively. The remaining Jewish population was banished out of Jerusalem, their Holy City (Hooker, n.d.).
There is not much said about the Third Century. It was devoid of any historical uprisings, but was instead filled with wrangling among rabbis on the editing of the text of the Talmud.
During the Fourth Century, the Jews were permitted to enter their Holy City on the anniversary of the Second Temples destruction. The Jews revolted against the Caesar Gallus during 351 CE, but was easily defeated. During the years 361-363 CE, the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate granted the return of the Jews to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Second Temple, but the plan failed when a strong earthquake struck in 363 CE. This could be considered the start of the end of the Jewish Diaspora.
The Fifth Century saw the Jews re-worshipping at the rebuilt Second Temple. More and more Jews returned to Jerusalem. And when the Sixth Century came, the Jewish communities were back into Jerusalem. Late in the 6th Century, the Jews were under the oppressive rule of the Byzantines, leading them to revolt once more.
Judaisms various denominations
It is during this timeline that we explore rabbinic Judaism and its fate during the Diaspora. Rabbinic Judaism has been the traditional voice of Judaism since the Jewish Diaspora, between the 2nd to 6th Century CE (Grayzel, 1984). It was, however, not the only voice making itself heard.
Among the various denominations present in the Jewish religion, we will only compare rabbinic Judaism with the more scripture-based Karaism and the more recent Liberal Judaism since these branches are the ones with the most glaringly conflicting theories. It should be noted that, among the three, only rabbinic Judaism and Karaism existed during the Diaspora.
Rabbinic Judaism, also termed Rabbinism by scholars, has always maintained that Moses received both the Written Torah and the oral law from Yahweh when he (Moses) ascended Mount Sinai. The oral law is believed to contain instructions from Yahweh about how to interpret the commandments in the Torah. This oral law, passed down from generation to generation, became the foundation for the Talmud and Mishnah and other written texts compiled by the rabbis (Stemberger, 1996).
But due to many contradicting passages in the Mishnah and other written interpretations of the Oral Torah, the Karaite Judaism denomination insists that only the Written Torah must have been handed down to Moses. They believe in the literal interpretation of the Tanakh canon alone, and disregard the written versions of the orally-handed-down Talmud and Mishnah as not binding (Polliack, 2004).
The Liberal movement, founded during the 20th Century under the Progressive Judaism school of thought, promotes a personal interpretation of the Written Torah. Leaving the past arguments between Rabbinism and Karaism, the Liberal Jews concentrate more on their perceived truth, as divined from the Torah, instead of the traditional interpretations in the written texts.
Evidence of Rabbinic Judaism in the Diaspora
Judaism underwent many challenges and changes during the Diaspora. Rabbinic Judaism, in particular, went under fire from the various denominations of Judaism that broke free from it. Questions on the legitimacy of the interpretations rocked the Jewish faith.
All throughout the Diaspora, Judaism was a much-debated topic. The Jews were divided among themselves, hence the emergence of the schisms in Judaism (30 CE) and the violence among the various denominations. This in turn led to the sacking of the Second Temple during the First Century. Redactions of the Mishnah (200 CE) and the Talmud of Jerusalem (450 CE) also occurred within the Diaspora.
Rachel Hachlili (1998) pointed out many evidences of Judaism during the Diaspora, though they were not entirely of rabbinic Judaism in nature. Two synagogues were excavated at Delos and Ostia, the one at Delos dating to the pre-70 CE. Rabbinical texts on the synagogues history were also discovered. Other synagogues showing rabbinic interpretations in their architecture and carvings were also discovered to have existed, an example being a rabbinical interpretation of the Exodus Passover scene. The scene contained soldiers, a figure uncommon in the more literal interpretations of the other denominations (Hachlili, 1998).
Due to the schism among the Jewish denominations, however, writer S.J.D. Cohen (1981) was led to observe that the Jews did not seek rabbinic leadership during the Diaspora. The Jews were not purely rabbinical, but neither were they solidly of another denomination.
The Jewish Diaspora greatly affected Judaism, creating rips in the mainstream rabbinic Judaism and dividing Judaism into a plethora of denominations. Its effects continue in present Judaism. Yet despite all the separations, Rabbinic Judaism remains to be the most common form of Judaism in the world today.
Notable events in the Diaspora timeline
In the First Century, uprisings from various Jewish communities besieged the Roman Empire, the strongest being the Great Jewish Revolt (beginning in the 66 CE, ending late into the 73 CE). The Jews were defeated, and Jerusalem fell and was set ablaze by the Romans. The siege of Masada in the 73 CE was the final tragic event to the revolt (Josephus, c.75).
The Second Century witnessed a restart of the revolts from the Jewish communities, the most famous being the Kitos War that happened during the years 115-117 CE, and Bar Kochbas revolt during the 130s CE. Both ended with the defeat and annihilation of the Jewish population in Cyprus and Rome, respectively. The remaining Jewish population was banished out of Jerusalem, their Holy City (Hooker, n.d.).
There is not much said about the Third Century. It was devoid of any historical uprisings, but was instead filled with wrangling among rabbis on the editing of the text of the Talmud.
During the Fourth Century, the Jews were permitted to enter their Holy City on the anniversary of the Second Temples destruction. The Jews revolted against the Caesar Gallus during 351 CE, but was easily defeated. During the years 361-363 CE, the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate granted the return of the Jews to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Second Temple, but the plan failed when a strong earthquake struck in 363 CE. This could be considered the start of the end of the Jewish Diaspora.
The Fifth Century saw the Jews re-worshipping at the rebuilt Second Temple. More and more Jews returned to Jerusalem. And when the Sixth Century came, the Jewish communities were back into Jerusalem. Late in the 6th Century, the Jews were under the oppressive rule of the Byzantines, leading them to revolt once more.
Judaisms various denominations
It is during this timeline that we explore rabbinic Judaism and its fate during the Diaspora. Rabbinic Judaism has been the traditional voice of Judaism since the Jewish Diaspora, between the 2nd to 6th Century CE (Grayzel, 1984). It was, however, not the only voice making itself heard.
Among the various denominations present in the Jewish religion, we will only compare rabbinic Judaism with the more scripture-based Karaism and the more recent Liberal Judaism since these branches are the ones with the most glaringly conflicting theories. It should be noted that, among the three, only rabbinic Judaism and Karaism existed during the Diaspora.
Rabbinic Judaism, also termed Rabbinism by scholars, has always maintained that Moses received both the Written Torah and the oral law from Yahweh when he (Moses) ascended Mount Sinai. The oral law is believed to contain instructions from Yahweh about how to interpret the commandments in the Torah. This oral law, passed down from generation to generation, became the foundation for the Talmud and Mishnah and other written texts compiled by the rabbis (Stemberger, 1996).
But due to many contradicting passages in the Mishnah and other written interpretations of the Oral Torah, the Karaite Judaism denomination insists that only the Written Torah must have been handed down to Moses. They believe in the literal interpretation of the Tanakh canon alone, and disregard the written versions of the orally-handed-down Talmud and Mishnah as not binding (Polliack, 2004).
The Liberal movement, founded during the 20th Century under the Progressive Judaism school of thought, promotes a personal interpretation of the Written Torah. Leaving the past arguments between Rabbinism and Karaism, the Liberal Jews concentrate more on their perceived truth, as divined from the Torah, instead of the traditional interpretations in the written texts.
Evidence of Rabbinic Judaism in the Diaspora
Judaism underwent many challenges and changes during the Diaspora. Rabbinic Judaism, in particular, went under fire from the various denominations of Judaism that broke free from it. Questions on the legitimacy of the interpretations rocked the Jewish faith.
All throughout the Diaspora, Judaism was a much-debated topic. The Jews were divided among themselves, hence the emergence of the schisms in Judaism (30 CE) and the violence among the various denominations. This in turn led to the sacking of the Second Temple during the First Century. Redactions of the Mishnah (200 CE) and the Talmud of Jerusalem (450 CE) also occurred within the Diaspora.
Rachel Hachlili (1998) pointed out many evidences of Judaism during the Diaspora, though they were not entirely of rabbinic Judaism in nature. Two synagogues were excavated at Delos and Ostia, the one at Delos dating to the pre-70 CE. Rabbinical texts on the synagogues history were also discovered. Other synagogues showing rabbinic interpretations in their architecture and carvings were also discovered to have existed, an example being a rabbinical interpretation of the Exodus Passover scene. The scene contained soldiers, a figure uncommon in the more literal interpretations of the other denominations (Hachlili, 1998).
Due to the schism among the Jewish denominations, however, writer S.J.D. Cohen (1981) was led to observe that the Jews did not seek rabbinic leadership during the Diaspora. The Jews were not purely rabbinical, but neither were they solidly of another denomination.
The Jewish Diaspora greatly affected Judaism, creating rips in the mainstream rabbinic Judaism and dividing Judaism into a plethora of denominations. Its effects continue in present Judaism. Yet despite all the separations, Rabbinic Judaism remains to be the most common form of Judaism in the world today.
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