The short answer
After the Temple's destruction (70 CE), Judaism was rebuilt around study, prayer, and law rather than sacrifice — the rabbis replaced the priests, the synagogue and study house replaced the Temple, and the Mishnah and Talmuds were produced. This is the foundation of rabbinic Judaism.
Why people ask this
This is the central transformation of Jewish history; it explains why Judaism is text- and law-centered today.
Key terms
- Rabbinic Judaism
- The Judaism of the rabbis that developed after 70 CE.
Jewish perspectives
- Traditional: the rabbis continued and developed the divine tradition.
- Academic: rabbinic Judaism was a creative reconstruction after the destruction.
Scholarly & historical context
The Temple's destruction forced a religion of sacrifice to become a religion of study and prayer — a transformation led by the rabbis.
What is agreed upon
Rabbinic Judaism rebuilt Jewish life after 70 CE.
Where the disagreement begins
How to describe the nature and authority of that rebuilding.
Practical consequences
Most of Judaism you encounter is rabbinic, built after the Temple.
Original sources
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