The Holy Temple Revisited

A detailed exploration of the Temple Mount and ancient Jerusalem, containing over 100 photographs, drawings and maps.

When thinking of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, one often conjures up images of animal sacrifice, pilgrimages to the Holy City on religious festivals, and the High Priest solemnly entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. Indeed, each of these observances was a staple of Temple ritual, but it is easy to lose sight of the Temple as it impacted, and impacts, upon the daily life of Jews and their physical and spiritual responsibilities. Building the Temple is not merely one commandment of many; it cannot be examined in isolation. This volume shows how the Temple relates to the notions of Shabbat, the land of Israel, monarchy, Jewish independence and sovereignty, education, justice, covenant, Sinai, the garden of Eden, the Jewish relationship to the gentile world, and the very way the Jew relates to God. From a biblical viewpoint, the Temple is not only the central institution of the ideal Jewish society but also the central concept that binds and organizes all others. The minutiae of the Temple as portrayed in the liturgy and in the Bible often seem tedious and overritualistic. Classical sources of all genres abound to explain a particular passage or a particular rite. This book identifies broad themes that animate the meaning of the Temple, its rites, and the biblical passages that describe it. Details are probed as a larger conceptual whole. Animal sacrifice, particularly problematic to many on moral grounds, is examined in a new and revealing light. Many Torah commandments stand unchanged for all time regardless of historical events. Not so the commandment to erect the Temple. Social, economic, political, and religious currents were integral to the Temple's construction, destruction, and reconstruction. By probing these currents from the Bible's perspective, one can gain insight into the meaning of the times in which we live; we are in a process of rebuilding, even though we are far from redemption.

Rabbi David Paskin's The Search for the Sacred is an articulate amplification of the Torah's command to be holy, to fully BE. How urgently needed this message in today's increasingly fragile world. How blessed we are to be granted access to this curated collection of wisdom from one of our great teachers! Menachem Creditor Rabbi, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley, CA Founder, Rabbis Against Gun Violence The search for the sacred has taken people of faith, and those still navigating the waters of belief, far and wide. We have built majestic cathedrals and meditated quietly as we've walked on the sea shores. We have found quiet moments in the hustle and bustle of our busy days and religiously attended communal prayer gatherings. In ""The Search for the Sacred,"" David explores the history of this search and how we can continue to find holiness in our lives today.

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE AND COMPELLING BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT THE SECRET SOCIETY THAT SHAPED THE MODERN WORLD. Freemasonry, with its arcane rituals, occult symbols, and labyrinthine hierarchy, has mystifi ed the outside world for centuries. But it has become apparent that even the most senior Freemasons do not understand its ancient origins or purpose. So what is this powerful and arcane organization really for? In this eye-opening account, two seasoned researchers show that today’s Freemasons are the spiritual descendants of an ancient priesthood that was forced to act in secrecy. They predicted the birth of the coming Messiah, and Jesus Christ was part of their mission. Soon after the Crucifi xion they were nearly wiped out by a program of mass genocide conducted by the Romans; later, in feudal Europe, they grew to a position of unparalleled power before being branded as heretics and forced underground. But they could not be stopped, and they continued to work in subtle, sometimes subversive, always anonymous, ways to pursue their objective—a new world order that put God above, and yet out of, human affairs.