Monday, July 3, 2017

history - How long did the Second Temple stand?


The classic Jewish sources (Seder Olam, accepted and cited Bavli in several locations; for example, see the discussion on Avoda Zara 9a) state that Bayis Sheini (the Second Temple) stood for 420 years. I have a vague recollection that other (accepted!) Jewish sources give other numbers, but I cannot remember which sources or what numbers they give. Can anyone help out?


Please note I am asking for specifically (traditional) Jewish sources. I know many secular historians like the number 586; that's not what I'm looking for.


Update: Although I accepted @Joelk's answer, this question (like many that may be asked on Mi Yodea) can have more than one valid answer; specifically, other numbers cited by other sources.



Answer





  1. Don Yitzchak Abravanel in his Haggadah Zevach Pesach on the passage of Baruch Shomer Havtachato (page 2 in the linked pdf) writes:



    ועמד הבית השני בבנינו תכ"ה שנה



    And the Second Temple stood built for 425 years.





  2. Ralbag writes in his commentary to chapter 7 of the book of Daniel (page 325 in the linked scanned copy):



    ובית שני עמד ארבע מאות ושבע ושלושים שנה וחצי


    And the Second Temple stood for 437 and a half years.






  3. R. Azariah dei Rossi writes in Me'or Einayim, Imrei Binah chapter 36 that, apart from these two sources, he found very few who argued explicitly on Chazal's chronology.


    However, he does infer that R. Yehudah HaLevi and R. Eshtori HaParchi necessarily hold of a period longer than 420 years.


    They both write that the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah only started 40 years after the building of the Second Temple. Shimon HaTzaddik is said to have been active at the end of the period of the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah, and was present when Alexander the Great conquered Judea from the Persians, which took place 380 years (or possibly 386 years) before the destruction of the Second Temple. Thus, if these Rishonim held that the Second Temple lasted for only 420 years, there would be no time during which the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah were active (because 40 + 380 = 420).




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