Statement

How to explain this adaptability? The authors are not sure, but they point to changes before 70. Some Jews had already turned away from the Temple and its priests, like the Dead Sea community, which, having broken with Jerusalem, prayed instead of sacrificing. They may not have meant to replace the cult, but they created options that many others would take up after the destruction.

References

1. p. 108

   supports · main text · ch. 4

   Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.

   Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text