Competing Jewish Responses to the Destruction of the Temple Seminar

In 70 CE the Second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army. Jews made sense of this world-changing event in diverse ways. For the author of the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch (2 Baruch), the only way forward was through observance of Torah, trusting that vengeance would come through divine, not human means. For those fighting in the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–135 CE), it was the people who had to initiate retaliation, trusting that God would see them through to victory. This talk will explore these competing responses to the destruction of the temple and what conclusions can be drawn from such different responses.

About the Speaker

Shayna Sheinfeld (she/her) is Assistant Professor of Religion at Augsburg University (Minneapolis, USA). Her research emphasizes the vast diversity of Judaism in antiquity. Sheinfeld is the author of multiple articles and chapters on Jewish apocalypses, the early Jesus movement, and on constructions of gender. Most recently, Sheinfeld published Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean (with Sara Parks and Meredith J.C. Warren, 2022), winner of the 2023 Frank W. Beare Award.