The Second Temple was the Temple of Jerusalem, rebuilt in 515 AEC after the Captivité of Babylon, as brought back in the Livre of Néhémie, and destroyed in 70 EC. by the Romans, at the end of a revolt having lasted four ans.
During this period, it was the pertaining to worship and spiritual center Judaïsme, and the place of the ritual sacrifices ( Korban ot ).
Il made following the First Temple, also known under the name of Temple of Solomon, destroyed in 586 AEC, both at the same date according to the Jewish tradition: the 9 Av.

A reorganized nation

After the return of captivity, under the crook of Zorobabel, grandson of Joaquin appointed governor of Judaea, and the High priest Yeshoua, of arrangements quasi-immédiatement are quasi-immédiatement taken to earlier raise and return its size to the Royaume of Juda, devastated and given up 70 years.
Les pilgrims, 42,360 including children, comes to traverse a long voyage testing four months, since banks of the Euphrate until Jerusalem. The religious enthusiasm which animates them their order to restore the place of worship, by rebuilding the destroyed Temple and by re-establishing the ritual of the sacrifices ( Korban ).
At the instigation of Zorobabel, which is lightened personally of 1000 dariques of gold (inter alia present), the people promptly offers his goods in order to fill the crowned treasure (Ezra 2).

They set up the furnace bridge of God on his old precise site, and remove the site from the First Temple of the remains. In the second month of the second year, 535 AEC), the foundations of the Second Temple are posed, in the middle of great demonstrations of joy (in accordance with the Psaumes 116; 117; 118).
Ce movement was followed with great interest, although with variable reactions, by the spectators of these events, i.e. the not-exiled population of Judaea (Aggée 2:3; Zacharie 4:10).

Meanwhile, the Persan government, frightened by the zeal of Judéens, preferred to point out Zorobabel, whose davidic ascent raised Messianic hopes considerable.

The offer of the Samaritans

The Samaritain S offered their co-operation to the reconstruction project, but they essuient a formal refusal on behalf of Zorobabel, Yeshoua and the Old ones, estimating that the Judaea must rebuild its Temple without assistance. Malevolent rumors towards the Jews are spread immediately. According to Ezra 4:5, the Samaritans sought with " to frustrate to them but" , sending messages to Ecbatane and Suse, which caused to suspend work.

Monarchs

Seven years after these facts, Cyrus Large the, which had ordered and declared the rebuilding of the Temple, dies (2 Chronicles 36:22 - 23). His/her son Cambyse {{II}} succeeds to him. With died of this last, the " forgery Smerdis " , an impostor, usurps the throne for seven to eight month, before being isolated by Darius, established in 522 AEC).

It is during the second year of reign of this monarch that rebuilding works of the Temple began again and succeeded (Ezra 5:6 - 17; 6:1 - 15), under the injunctions, councils and additions of the prophets Aggée and Zacharie.
Le Temple was ready to be devoted during the spring of 515 AEC, more than twenty years after the return of the Babylonian captivity.

Differences between the two Temples

The Second Temple could not have the gloss of the first. Moreover, certain elements had been destroyed or lost, and could not be replaced: the Ark of the Covenant, the Ourim and Thoummim, holy oil, crowned fire, tables of the Decalog, the pot of Basket, and the Stick of Aaron.

As in the Gate vault, there was in the Second Temple one Chandelier of gold for the holy place, bread a table of presentation, the incense furnace bridge with gold censers. Many gold containers which had belonged to the First Temple and had been carried in Babylon, had been returned by Cyrus (Ezra 1:7 - 11).

The Second Temple was also distinguished from the Prime Minister by its " trees planted in the courses of Seigneur" , whereas the Prime Minister did not have any. The Second Temple also had, once again with the difference in the Prime Minister, part of the external court in which could request the Prosélyte S, which venerated God, but were not subjected to the laws of the Judaism.

Completion of the Second Temple

Once construction of temple completed, it was devoted and sacrifice S began again, in the middle of large demonstrations of joy of unit of people (Ezra 6:16), although it appeared in an obvious way that the Jews were not any more one people independent, but subjected to an external capacity, although autonomous.
Le delivers of Aggée comprises a prediction (2: 9) that the glory of the Second Temple would exceed that of the Prime Minister. This temple, during the various periods of its existence, is often regarded by the believers as only one House, the only House of Dieu.
Toutefois, certain commentators, as Abravanel estimates that this Temple was only one pale copy of old, one of the vicissitudes of the exile, which lasts according to him since the destruction of the Temple of Solomon.

Christian interpretations

Many Christians support that the glory predicted by Aggée was spiritual and nonmaterial, in what Jesus would be present during his life in the Second Temple.

For the catholics, the Temple was transformed into the Church. In New Testament, Jesus speaks about his mystical and eucharistic Body as being the true temple. See the encyclical Mediator Dei of Pie XII.

Other Christians interpret prophecy differently: in Aggée 2:3, the " glory ancienne" house clearly refers to the Temple built by Solomon. Therefore, like the glory of the place called " this Maison" in the verse 2:9 is not not that of the Second Temple but of the Prime Minister , there is no necessarily reason to think that glory to come is that of the Second -- it could be a question of that of the Troisième, prophesied by Ezéchiel. In light, the prophecy of Aggée would refer to the Temple which will be set up at the time of the Messianic Kingdom.
Si this explanation is common among holding of the doctrines dispentionnalists and premillienalists, it is rejected by those of the amillenialism and the postmillenialism.

Restoration under Hérode

Towards 19 AEC, Hérode Large the undertook a restoration and massive expansion of the Second Temple. The monument while resulting is sometimes called the Temple of Hérode, not to confuse with the Third Temple.

Destruction

See also: First war judéo-Roman

In 66 EC., the Juive population rebelled against the Romain Empire. Four years later, in 70 EC., the Roman legions carried out by Titus reconquered and détruirent Jerusalem, including the Second Temple. This event, particularly painful in the history of the Jews, is commemorated each year the 9 Av.

See too

• First Temple

• Temple of Hérode
• Third Temple
• Temple of Jerusalem
• Tisha BeAv
• Shekhina