Discuss the relationship between the people of Jerusalem and the neighboring cultures (Phoenicians, Samaritans, “”the people of the land”) from the time of the refoundation of the city in the reign of Cyrus the Great through the Persian period. How does the community as envisioned in the Book of Ezra view this relationship? What are the potential advantages and threats posed by neighboring peoples? How does the literary view of the city and temple community in Jerusalem mesh with the archaeological evidence?
From Cyrus to Herod (with a few exceptions) the Jews were ruled by kings. Some were viewed as benevolent agents of God; some were despised as impious tyrants. This characterization extends to both foreign and indigenous kings alike. How did this experience shape the religious and communal life of the Jews? What did it take to be a good king? How did these figures shape the increasingly differing views on the relationship of Judaism to temporal power, the role of the priestly elite, and the conduct of everyday life?
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