James Carroll

The Israelite temple tradition was recorded in painstaking detail. It included specific architectural forms, enigmatic cultic objects, and complex rituals. To the modern reader, this can be one of the most jarring and sometimes confusing aspects of the Biblical text. But to its ancient authors and audience, these aspects would have felt very familiar. 

Israelite culture did not appear in a vacuum. They were surrounded by larger and older civilizations including Mesopotamia to the east, the Hittites to the North, and the Egyptians to the South. And they were directly imbedded within the culture of the older culture of the Canaanites. All of these societies worshiped in temples, and the forms of their temple worship are very similar to what we find in Ancient Israel. 

Therefore, whether we believe that ancient Israelite religion was a natural evolution from these earlier beliefs, or whether we believe it was revealed to them by God, it is essential to understand the temple traditions that surrounded the Israelites, in order to understand what message Israelite temple worship was intended to convey to the people of the time. 

We will survey some of these related traditions, their temples, texts, and traditions. Of particular note will be the Daily Temple liturgy from Karnack, Iron age Syrian temples of Tell Tayinat and Ain Dara, as well as the excavation of Israelite temples at Tell es-Seba, Lachish, and Arad.

We will explore their implications for the appearance, significance, and meaning of Israelite temple worship.