Describe the place of the temple in first-century Jerusalem’s social, economic, and political life.

[Austin]

1. The temple was a place where offerings could be made to God.
2. Socially people interacted and made connections to further their business or political careers.
3. It was economically important to small businesses to supply a large amount of goods to the temple.
4. It was politically important because of the ties to ruling authorities.

[Austin]

The was the epicenter of Jerusalem’s social, economic and political life. The people in Jerusalem depended on the temple economically to purchase the products of their trade: pottery, baking, wools, olive oil, carpentry, stone cutting, and the like. Many of the small shop owners probably would have gone out of business if not for the large number of pilgrims who frequented Jerusalem. Socially, the course structure was largely based on your relation to task performed for the temple or not. The poor were dependent on the welfare system that was administered by the temple. The political ruling course, the Sanhedrin, was headed by the high priest.

[Austin]

Everyday life was dependent on the temple. This included bankers, shopkeepers, traders, day labourers, ordinary priests; all made up a network revolving around it. Thousands of pilgrims came in purchasing goods and the poor were dependent on the welfare system administered by it. Wealthy landlords, priests and Levites were also dependent on it. Chief priests ran courses at the temple. There were also 9,600 singers, guards, doorkeepers making up perhaps a third of the population of Jerusalem.

[Austin]

Jerusalem at that time was something of a Vatican City, meaning that everything in their area’s social, economic, and political life revolved around the temple. Socially the city was made up of those who were very rich all the way down to those who were very poor, including slaves. In the middle course there were ordinary priests, small shopkeepers and trader and all came under an interconnected network involving the temple. Economically the temple tax affected everyone either because everyone had to pay or those who couldn’t pay lived on the welfare system funded by the tax. The wealthy landowners, who produce, livestock and other products were either used by the High Priests and the people who were employed by the temple, or they sold to those who could afford it and depended on the temple buying goods that supported the poor. Politically the power lay with the religious leaders, the largest political body being the Sanhedrin made up of 71 members and everyone, yes everyone knew on which side their bread was buttered. All of life revolved around this. Jerusalem was unlike any other city, busy, bustling, cross-cultural and, could we say corrupt?

[Austin]

Jerusalem at that time was something of a Vatican City, meaning that everything in their area’s social, economic, and political life revolved around the temple. Socially the city was made up of those who were very rich all the way down to those who were very poor, including slaves. In the middle course there were ordinary priests, small shopkeepers and trader and all came under an interconnected network involving the temple. Economically the temple tax affected everyone either because everyone had to pay or those who couldn’t pay lived on the welfare system funded by the tax. The wealthy landowners, who produce, livestock and other products were either used by the High Priests and the people who were employed by the temple, or they sold to those who could afford it and depended on the temple buying goods that supported the poor. Politically the power lay with the religious leaders, the largest political body being the Sanhedrim made up of 71 members and everyone, yes everyone knew on which side their bread was buttered. All of life revolved around this. Jerusalem was unlike any other city, busy, bustling, cross-cultural and, could we say corrupt?