Hello Rabbi. I'm aware that most ancient religions had 'purity' rules, certainly the polytheistic Canaanites did, but do you think the extensive purity rules existed before the Babylonian exile, or were they adopted as a result of jewish priests interacting with the complex mythology of Babylon and Mesopotamia and of course the Zoroastrian beliefs of the Persians.
An interesting question - it does seem likely that they were not as rigid before the Exile, since religions often evolve towards "holier than thou" rather than less rigid and restrictive. However, I'm not sure that we have enough hard data to say much definitively about how stringent the purity rules were pre-Exile. Thanks for watching!
![Jewish History in Six Parts [PART 1 - THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD 1-500 BCE]](/img/n.gif)
boker tov rav adam! thanks for ur inspiring words.
Hello Rabbi. I'm aware that most ancient religions had 'purity' rules, certainly the polytheistic Canaanites did, but do you think the extensive purity rules existed before the Babylonian exile, or were they adopted as a result of jewish priests interacting with the complex mythology of Babylon and Mesopotamia and of course the Zoroastrian beliefs of the Persians.
An interesting question - it does seem likely that they were not as rigid before the Exile, since religions often evolve towards "holier than thou" rather than less rigid and restrictive. However, I'm not sure that we have enough hard data to say much definitively about how stringent the purity rules were pre-Exile. Thanks for watching!