Robert Hayward offers a careful analysis of surviving accounts of the Temple and its service. All the central texts are provided in translation, with a detailed commentary. While descriptions of the Temple and its service are available, discussions of the meaning of these things are less easily found. This study clearly illustrates how the Temple was seen as a meeting point between heaven and earth, its service being an earthly representation of heavenly reality. Jews regarded the Temple service therefore as having significance for the whole created world. The Jewish Temple offers a valuable collection of materials both for those looking for an introduction to the topic and for the scholar interested in grasping the meanings beyond those texts.

Preface. Abbreviations. Introduction. 1. Hecataeus of Abdera 2. The Epistle of Aristeas 3. The Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sira in Hebrew 4. The Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sira in Greek 5. The Book of Jubilees 6. The Writings of Philo 7. The Writings of Josephus 8. Pseudo-Philo's Book of Biblical Antiquities Index.