Patterns of Daily Prayer in Second Temple Period Judaism

Abstract

<p>This dissertation examines the origins and development of daily prayer, particularly the establishment offixed times for daily prayer that emerged in Second Temple period Judaism. In this historical period, fixed daily prayer was becoming popular, but since it lacked explicit biblical warrant, a number of strategies emerge at this time to legitimize and promote this custom as an important religious practice. This was accomplished through making times of prayer analogous to fixed patterns of time already entrenched within, and integral to, Jewish daily life.</p> <p>Through a survey of the relevant Second Temple textual material, I found three different strategies for fixing patterns of daily prayer: 1) in some cases daily prayer was coordinated with, and made analogous to, daily cultic sacrifice. 2) In other cases, daily prayer was legitimized by identifying its origins in sacred scripture, either through the exegesis of a certain verse (Deut 6:7), or by finding a biblical exemplar (Moses) within a historical narrative. Lastly, 3) in some contexts daily prayer was coordinated with the daily cycles of the heavenly luminaries. A Weltbild in which the heavenly luminaries and divine beings coalesce provided the impetus for the third pattern.</p> <p>These strategies were derived from how daily prayer was understood and experienced, and they give us some insight into the different social and geographical settings in which daily prayers were recited. In sources that utilize scripture to legitimate daily prayer, the household was an important place. While these sources imply that all Jews should pray daily, the custom espoused by this pattern does not require the participation of a congregation in a set location. Fixed daily prayer was recited in communal settings where we see a higher degree of ritual expression, such as in the Qumran community. In this context, prayer based on the cycles of the luminaries was the preferred pattern, not only because it is more apt for praying communally, but also because it was rich in cosmic symbolism that was easily utilized.</p>