TEMPLE SACRIFICE

Sacrifice:

People throughout the Middle East have always made sacrifices as a way of acknowledging and experiencing the spiritual powers of life and death.  Ancient desert dwellers would kill one of their goats or camels and leave it outside the camp so that desert demons, spirits, and jackals would eat the sacrifice and leave them alone.   In the cities of Egypt and Mesopotamia temple priests sacrificed animals and sometimes people atop their ziggurats. The prophets of the Bible also made sacrifices in order to mark a covenant or agreement with God.

In one story, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Abraham led Isaac up the hillside, but at the last minute an angel visited Abraham and told him not to sacrifice Isaac. Instead Abraham sacrificed a mountain sheep.

Later King Solomon built the Temple on the same spot that Abraham had almost sacrificed his son.  The Temple was an expression of God’s relationship with the tribes of Israel, a relationship defined by sacrifice and willingness to sacrifice.

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Temple Sacrifice:

During the time of Jesus the Temple in Jerusalem was the most important building in Judea.  Every day special temple priests from the tribe of Levi would make sacrifices there.  Animals’ throats were cut and the sacred blood was poured on the altar and in the ground.  The meat of the animals was eaten by the priests or burnt on the altar.  Most days a huge plume of smoke rose from the Temple, which could be seen from miles away.

People sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats.  Poor people could also sacrifice doves.  These sacrifices were offered when someone had broken a commandment, in order to atone for sin and return to purity.  They were also offered as a blessing when a child was born or some other great event had occurred.  Finally they were offered at regular holidays like Passover, in order to thank God for his continued blessing of the people of Judea.

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Temple Structure:

The Temple was huge and covered in gold.   In the center was a room which contained the Ark of the Covenant, which held the tablets on which Moses received the commandments.  Only a few Priests were allowed in this room. Around this room was the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard contained the altar and the fire pits.  This is where the Priests would make the sacrifices.  Outside was the outer courtyard.  This is where people bought animals for sacrifice.

The priests would not let visitors sacrifice any animal. They had to buy an animal that the priests had inspected to ensure it was free of blemishes.  Visitors could not use the impure Roman coins to buy animals so money changers also did business in this courtyard.  Outside, on the Temple steps, the Scribes instructed visitors about how to fulfill the commandments, remain pure, and make appropriate sacrifices.