Israel Museum, Model of Jerusalem, and the Dead Sea Scrolls

by Daniel Wellerstein,       12^th grade,         Berkeley CA

Recently, our Jewish History class went on a Tiyul to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and learned about Roman rule over the city during the Second Temple Period. At the time, Jerusalem had become the center of not just religion, but also culture for the Jewish people. It had developed a “cardo” or heart of merchants and stores that was of deep economic importance. We were actually given the opportunity to see exactly what Jerusalem might’ve looked like during this period in the form of a massive model of the city built in 1965, and now displayed at the Israel Museum.

One important detail is the large interior walls within the city that tower above any other building. These are the walls of the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit) which hold up the Beit HaMikdash; the Second Temple, which was indisputably the most important place for the Jewish people in Israel. Additionally, the outermost walls of the city were expanded significantly by the Romans, adding even more to the scale of Jerusalem. However, despite the expanses made by the Roman Empire, the city and the Jewish population had been divided into sects, or groups with differing ideologies and beliefs, especially about the religion.

giant model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Era on display at the Israel Museum

During this time, there were four major sects that the Jews were divided into: The, Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots.  The first group, the Sadducees were a rich, heavily Romanized group that benefited greatly from Roman rule in Judea. However, despite being Jewish, following the destruction of the Second Temple at the hands of the Romans the Sadducees disappeared since the center of their world was no longer in existence.  Next, the Zealots, were a group that was very adamant about their desire to rise up against the oppressive Romans. They believed that even other Jews who didn’t think similarly should be killed off, as in their minds, they were just as bad as the Romans.  Third were the Essenes, a highly religious and messianic group that believed in the coming of the savior at any given moment, and therefore found it necessary to constantly take part in the ritualistic practice of Mikveh; purifying oneself for the arrival of the Messiah. They lived far out of Jerusalem in Kumaran and most likely eventually died off in the desert, but are actually often credited with the writings known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

my classmate Micah acting out a role play of one of the sects of Jews in the Second Temple era

The Fourth and final group were the Pharisees, or as we know them today, the Rabbis. They weren’t only some of the poorest in Jerusalem, but were also treated terribly, essentially sanctioned in the lowest part of the city where sewage runoff would flow through. They are and were known for being extremely pragmatic which is also strongly credited as the reason they survived for so long. Following the destruction of the Second Temple, the Pharisees would go on to usher in the Rabbinic Era of Judaism or Modern Judaism as we know it today. This is also the group I identify with most, seeing as they brought about the culture and religion I grew up in, and because of their outlook on being ruled by the Romans. They didn’t entirely give up on who they were as Jews, but they were open-minded and understood the necessity of keeping their heads down when the time called for it. This, to me, is something that is very hard to do, and extremely admirable.

the famous Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum housing the Dead Sea Scrolls

For the final portion of our tiyul, we went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and many other ancient texts, including the book of Isaiah, the longest spanning book in the Tanakh (as seen above). While the architecture and history of the building and its contents were very interesting, the significance of the scrolls are entirely unmatched. These scrolls gave historians dates, and names; historicity in action, helping to solidify the Jewish timeline even more. These breakthroughs have revealed key facts about Rabbinic Judaism, the rise of Christianity, and many important religious relationships following the destruction of the Second Temple. These are some of the most important religious artifacts currently in possession, as they underline the idea that these stories and events were in fact, written and detailed by people.

the Book of Isaiah is the central item on display in the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit