PRESENT DAY SANHEDRIN SEEKS TO REVIVE ANCIENT TEMPLE RITUALS
UPDATED:
It's been nearly 2,000 years since
Jews celebrated Passover at the Temple in Jerusalem, but that will
change soon if a growing Orthodox Jewish movement in Israel has its
way....."The present-day Sanhedrin Court decided Tuesday to
purchase a herd of sheep for ritual sacrifice at the site of the Temple
on the eve of Passover, conditions on the Temple Mount permitting,"
the
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports this morning.
"The modern Sanhedrin was established
several years ago and is headed by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. It claims
to be renewing the ancient Jewish high court, which existed until
roughly 1600 years ago, and meets once a week. Professor Hillel
Weiss, a member of the Sanhedrin, told Haaretz on
Tuesday that the action, even if merely symbolic, is designed to demonstrate
in a way that is obvious to all that the expectation of Temple rituals
will resume is real, and not just talk.Several years ago, a number
of members of the various Temple movements performed a symbolic sacrifice
on Givat Hananya, which overlooks the Temple Mount
from Jerusalem's Abu Tur neighborhood. During the ceremony, participants
sacrificed a young goat that was donated by a resident
of Tekoa. The participants also built a special two-meter tall oven,
in accordance with halakha (Jewish law).The Passover sacrifice is
considered a simple ceremony, relative to other works performed in
the Temple."....numerous Biblical prophecies in the Old and New Testaments
indicate a new Temple will be built in the "last days," suggesting
such headlines have been foretold for centuries....several
Orthodox Jewish groups in Israel are currently making preparations
to build and outfit the Third Temple....some are developing
detailed architectural plans for the structure, while others are creating
the religious implements and clothing that would be used by Levitical
priests to carry out sacrifices once the Temple is in place.....tensions
over control of the Temple Mount are running high at the moment, with
Palestinians rioting several weeks ago to keep Israelis from building
a ramp so visitors can safely access the ancient holy site....for
more information on similar recent preparations in Israel, see Chapter
13 of Epicenter
-- "Future Headline: JEWS BUILD THIRD
TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM."