Clarification on Jewish Temple Faith, please

juantoo3

juantoo3

....whys guy.... ʎʇıɹoɥʇnɐ uoıʇsǝnb
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At the request of RabbiO, I have a couple of general questions I am hoping can be clarified.

During the late Temple period, just prior to the Roman destruction, as I understand; in Israel was the tribe of Judah, half of the tribe of Levi (the other half having gone into exile with the other tribes), and the remnant of the tribe of Benjamin (decimated previously in a family quarrel, because of which the remainder came under the safekeeping of Judah).

Any of this may be clarified if I am not spot on, but I think I'm pretty close. I have a nagging feeling I'm forgetting somebody, but it isn't coming to mind at this moment.

Now, the priesthood since Aaron (the <half?> brother of Moses) was hereditary, and this is why the tribe of Levi was not awarded any land or "possessions," G-d was to be their possession. Specifically as I understand, the family Cohen, also known as Kohen, is the direct line of the Levitical Temple Priests.

So my question, were those of the tribes of Judah or Benjamin (or any other tribe I'm forgetting) allowed to participate in religious instruction in some capacity? Were Rabbis limited to the tribe of Levi? or could a person born of the tribe of Judah or Benjamin also serve as a Rabbi or some other religious or Temple capacity?

I also have to account for the original destruction of the Temple (Nebuchadnezzar?) during the Chaldean captivity, and the reconstruction under Ezra and Nehemiah, during which time I have heard possibility of some alteration of the Temple Priesthood structure, but that was not clarified for me (and understandably the information isn't readily available). So any help clarifying this would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
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I wish that I still had contact with mom's family in Chattanooga (they are/were a mixture of Kohanim, Levites and "Israelites".) They could answer almost any of your questions (even questions that you didn't know you had!)

Then there's the possibility that the answers might be on one of my favourite websites JewFaq.org, a Judaism 101 site. :)

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine (and :kitty: delegation)
 
juantoo3 said:
At the request of RabbiO, I have a couple of general questions I am hoping can be clarified.

During the late Temple period, just prior to the Roman destruction, as I understand; in Israel was the tribe of Judah, half of the tribe of Levi (the other half having gone into exile with the other tribes), and the remnant of the tribe of Benjamin (decimated previously in a family quarrel, because of which the remainder came under the safekeeping of Judah).

Any of this may be clarified if I am not spot on, but I think I'm pretty close. I have a nagging feeling I'm forgetting somebody, but it isn't coming to mind at this moment.

Now, the priesthood since Aaron (the <half?> brother of Moses) was hereditary, and this is why the tribe of Levi was not awarded any land or "possessions," G-d was to be their possession. Specifically as I understand, the family Cohen, also known as Kohen, is the direct line of the Levitical Temple Priests.

So my question, were those of the tribes of Judah or Benjamin (or any other tribe I'm forgetting) allowed to participate in religious instruction in some capacity? Were Rabbis limited to the tribe of Levi? or could a person born of the tribe of Judah or Benjamin also serve as a Rabbi or some other religious or Temple capacity?

I also have to account for the original destruction of the Temple (Nebuchadnezzar?) during the Chaldean captivity, and the reconstruction under Ezra and Nehemiah, during which time I have heard possibility of some alteration of the Temple Priesthood structure, but that was not clarified for me (and understandably the information isn't readily available). So any help clarifying this would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
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How can Aaron and Moses be half-brothers when they were both born of the same parents, "Jochebed and her nephew Amram". Exodus 6:20.

כ וַיִּקַּח עַמְרָם אֶת-יוֹכֶבֶד דֹּדָתוֹ, לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה, וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ, אֶת-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת-מֹשֶׁה; וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי עַמְרָם, שֶׁבַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה.20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty and seven years.
 
Im new here and I’m totally not the best source, but I will attempt an answer.

During the late Temple period, just prior to the Roman destruction, as I understand; in Israel was the tribe of Judah, half of the tribe of Levi (the other half having gone into exile with the other tribes), and the remnant of the tribe of Benjamin (decimated previously in a family quarrel, because of which the remainder came under the safekeeping of Judah).

I believe, also, that there were also still remnants of all 12 tribes, who had fled the Assyrians centuries earlier. Without a tie to the land, they had lost their identity and were subsumed by the tribe of Judah. The only tribe that retained a unique identity was Levi, because of their hereditary religious obligations.

Now, the priesthood since Aaron (the <half?> brother of Moses) was hereditary, and this is why the tribe of Levi was not awarded any land or "possessions," G-d was to be their possession. Specifically as I understand, the family Cohen, also known as Kohen, is the direct line of the Levitical Temple Priests

Correct. Kohanim (plural for cohen/kohen in Hebrew) are traditionally direct male descendants of Aaron. Levites are males from the tribe of Levi.

A quick aside: from modern genetic studies we know that not everyone named Cohen today is a Cohen. And many people are Kohanim who are not named Cohen.

So my question, were those of the tribes of Judah or Benjamin (or any other tribe I'm forgetting) allowed to participate in religious instruction in some capacity? Were Rabbis limited to the tribe of Levi? or could a person born of the tribe of Judah or Benjamin also serve as a Rabbi or some other religious or Temple capacity?

The member of any tribe could be a Rabbi. Levi had pretty much exclusive access to the temple system but the Rabbinic tradition (teachers of/from the common people) came out of the Pharisaic sect (Sadducees controlled the priesthood at the time). After the Romans destroyed the temple, the Pharisees were the only ones left so Rabbinic Judaism became the only Judaism.
 
Fusgeyer said:
Now, the priesthood since Aaron (the <half?> brother of Moses) was hereditary, and this is why the tribe of Levi was not awarded any land or "possessions," G-d was to be their possession. Specifically as I understand, the family Cohen, also known as Kohen, is the direct line of the Levitical Temple Priests
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Exodus 6; 20; Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.

Please explain how two brothers born of the same parents can be half-brothers.

כ וַיִּקַּח עַמְרָם אֶת-יוֹכֶבֶד דֹּדָתוֹ, לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה, וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ, אֶת-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת-מֹשֶׁה; וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי עַמְרָם, שֶׁבַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה.20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty and seven years.
 
The Anointed said:
Exodus 6; 20; Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.

Please explain how two brothers born of the same parents can be half-brothers.

כ וַיִּקַּח עַמְרָם אֶת-יוֹכֶבֶד דֹּדָתוֹ, לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה, וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ, אֶת-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת-מֹשֶׁה; וּשְׁנֵי חַיֵּי עַמְרָם, שֶׁבַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה.20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty and seven years.
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Not sure. I didn’t say they were half brothers, I was quoting the OP.
 
Fusgeyer said:
Not sure. I didn’t say they were half brothers, I was quoting the OP.
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That's all right, but I'm sure that next time you will check before you quote another. If the OP makes a glaring mistake like that, how much of what has been said is reliable.
 
wil said:
At a minimum either change or live upto your self annointer bar/moniker
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If there is any need for change, LIFE will do it. What I was yesterday has made me what I am today, and what I am today will determine who i will be tomorrow.

So now my friend, come soar with me
To the outer limits of reality
This universe, though wide it seems
Is but the shadow of our dreams
We are nought but knowledge in these tents
Refined through pain and punishment
We're the hive of man and neath His rod
We are one, we're the Son of God
The past, the present, the future is He
He was, He is, and He will be
And heaven is but a point in time
To where the spirit in man must climb
Eventually when He's there at last
And stands and gazes on His past
And takes the throne prepared in heaven
Then all His past will be forgiven.
I am who I am, the die is cast
For I was created by my past
And we who we are this very day
Determines His future in every way
If my past were changed, then who would I be?
One thing is certain, I wouldn't be me......... The Anointed.
 
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wil said:
All good, welcome to life!
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I have life within me my friend.

I’ve left them in the desert, on the beach and in the snow
On the mountain tops, the river beds, in fact everywhere I go
Tiny footprints,. . . . . indentations to mark the pathways that I’ve trod
And yet they vanish from the sight all, except the piercing eyes of God

And he’s always been inside me, since the day I ceased to crawl
He watched me take my first small step, saw me stumble, he saw me fall
'LIFE' lets me make me own mistakes, and god, how many have I made
But thank the Lord I’ve learnt from them, that’s how 'LIFE'S' game is played

The life I’ve lived, the guilt, the shame, but I wouldn’t change a dot
Cos it’s made me who I am today, and to me that means a lot
I’ll never be an Einstein, a Rembrandt or Khayyam
But I’ve gained a greater inner peace, and I’m content with who I am

Undoubtedly I’ll fall again, mistakes will knock me off my feet
But they’ll be new encounters mate, past sins I’ll not repeat
For I store the memory of my crimes, like others store their gold
And my treasure house keeps growing as my future life unfolds.... The Anointed.
 
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