publication . Article . 2018

“Holiness, War, and Peace”: Ancient Jewish Traditions Concerning the Landscape and Ecology of Jerusalem and Its Environs in the Second Temple Period

Abraham Ofir Shemesh;
Open Access English
  • Published: 09 Aug 2018 Journal: Religions (issn: 2077-1444, Copyright policy)
  • Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Abstract
s zenith, the Jewish sages introduced special ecological regulations pertaining to its overall urban landscape. One of them was a prohibition against growing plants within the city in order to prevent undesirable odors or litter and thus maintain the city&rsquo
s respectable image. The prohibition against growing plants within the city did not apply to rose gardens, maybe because of ecological reasons, i.e., their contribution to aesthetics and to improving bad odors in a crowded city. In the city&rsquo
) around the city of Jerusalem. Haggadic-Talmudic tradition tries to endow Jerusalem with a metaphysical uniqueness by describing fantastic plants that allegedly grew in it in the past but disappeared as a result of its destruction.
s status is its flora and ecology. The current study aims to address the historical events and the Talmudic traditions concerning the flora and landscape of Jerusalem. In the city&rsquo
The Second Temple period is considered both a pinnacle and a low point in the history of Jerusalem. One manifestation of the sharp fluctuations in Jerusalem&rsquo
s decline, its agricultural crops and natural vegetation were destroyed when the beleaguered inhabitants were defeated by Titus&rsquo
army. One Talmudic tradition voices hope for the rehabilitation of the flora (&ldquo
shitim&rdquo
Persistent Identifiers

doi: 10.3390/rel9080241

Fields of Science and Technology classification (FOS)
01 natural sciences, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, 010506 paleontology, 06 humanities and the arts, 0601 history and archaeology, 060102 archaeology
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
11. Sustainability
Subjects
free text keywords: Second Temple period, Jerusalem’s sanctity, Flavius Josephus, ancient landscapes, ecology of holiness, religious regulations, the Great Revolt, rose gardens, Jerusalem’s flora, geography of sacred cities, Religious studies, lcsh:Religions. Mythology. Rationalism, lcsh:BL1-2790, Josephus, Flora, Agricultural crops, Metaphysics, Order (virtue), Second Temple period, Judaism, History, Ecology, Ecology (disciplines)
Related Organizations
Communities
  • Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage
  • Social Science and Humanities
Download fromView all 3 versions
Open Access
Religions
Article . 2018
Providers: DOAJ-Articles
Open Access
Religions
Article
Providers: UnpayWall
Open Access
Religions
Other literature type . Article . 2018
Providers: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute; Crossref
80 references, page 1 of 6

Alon, Gedalya. 1975. The History of the Jews in Eretz Israel in the Mishnaic and Talmudic Period. Tel Aviv: Hakibbutz Hameuchad.

Amar, Zohar. 1999. Agricultural Products in the Lachish Relief. Beit Mikra 159: 350-56.

Amar, Zohar. 2002. The Book of Incense. Tel Aviv: Eretz.

Amar, Zohar. 2012. The Plants of the Bible. Jerusalem: Reuven Mass.

Babylonian Talmud, Vilna ed. Vilna: Reem, 1882.

Bar-Oz, Guy, Ram Bouchnik, Ehud Weiss, Lior Weissbrod, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer, and Ronny Reich. 2007. “Holy Garbage”: A Quantitative Study of the City-Dump of Early Roman Period Jerusalem. Levant 39: 1-12. [CrossRef]

Baruch, Eyal. 1999. The Agricultural Hinterland of Jerusalem during the Herodian Period. Cathedra 89: 41-62.

Ber, Yitzhak. 1952. The Historical Foundations of the Halakha. Zion 17: 1-55.

Bereshit Rabbah. Vilna: Reem, 1885-1887.

Bidwell, Paul T. 2005. The systems of obstacles on Hadrian's Wall: their extent, date and purpose. Arbeia Journal 8: 53-76.

Bouchnick, Ram, Guy Bar-Oz, and Ronny Reich. 2010. On the Importance of Poultry in the Animal Economy of Judea in the Late Second Temple Period. New Studies on Jerusalem 16: 119-40.

Buchler, Abraham. 1906. Der Galilaische Am-ha-Ares, Des Zweiten Jahrunderts. Wien: Holder.

Carmichael, David L., Hubert Jane, Reeves Brian, and Schanche Audhild, eds. 1997. Sacred Sites, Sacred Places, One World Archaeology. London: Routledge, vol. 23.

Casson, Lionel. 1984. Ancient Trade and Society. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.

Chizik, Baruch. 1952. Otsar ha-Tsmahim [=A Treasury of Plants]. Herzlia: Chizik, Baruch.

80 references, page 1 of 6
graphPowered by OpenAIRE Research Graph
Any information missing or wrong?Report an Issue