Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses 85/1 (2009) 55-62. doi: 10.2143/ETL.85.1.2040694 © 2009 by Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses. All rights reserved.

Family and Community as Substitutes for the Temple after Its Destruction New Readings in 127 and 133

Elie ASSIS Bar Ilan University

Introduction

In 538 BCE, about 50 years after the catastrophe of the destruction of the Tem- ple and the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 BCE, Cyrus’ announced his permission to rebuild the Temple. The expectations of the people for an immedi- ate rebuilding of the Temple were very high. Despite these expectations, the Book of Ezra suggests that reality turned out to be very different for those who came back to settle in Zion. Although the sacrificial offerings in Jerusalem were renewed almost immediately (Ezra 3,1-7), the attempt of the people to build the Temple was frustrated by their neighbours. It took twenty years to commence the actual construction of the second Temple (Ezra 4,1-5). The inability to build the Temple generated a major theological problem. The process of the redemption of the people was supposed to coincide with the construction of the Temple, which would symbolise the return of God to His people in His full splendour. How did the nation contend with this immense disappointment and what was their theological explanation for their inability to build the Temple? How were the people able to maintain their identity without the Jerusalem Temple? In the absence of the Temple there was a need to develop real hope of redemption in the near future, and indeed the contemporary did much in this direction1. Alongside this, there was also a need to find “substitutes for the Temple”. Because the Temple and the institutions associated with it were so central, future promises were not sufficient. This was also the situation after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE. The nation wanted to continue living a Jewish life and maintaining their identity as God’s people. Nevertheless, because the Temple had played such a major role in the life of the nation, upon its destruction, the nation found substitutes for Temple worship. After its destruction, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, worked unceasingly for the survival of Judaism and the Jewish people. He maintained that one could offer charity instead of the Sin Offering in order to obtain absolution of sins. Avot of Rabbi Natan (Version A, the Schechter Edition, p. 21):

Once Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai left Jerusalem and with Rabbi Yehoshua following him, and he saw that the Temple had been destroyed. Rabbi Yehoshua said: “Woe

* I wish to acknowledge the generous support of “Beit Shalom”, Japan, for this research. 1. On this matter see e.g. A. RAINER, Israel in Exile: The History and Literature of the Sixth Century B.C.E., trans. D. GREEN (SBL, 3), Atlanta, GA, SBL, 2003, spec. pp. 166-203.

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unto us that it has been destroyed, the place where the sins of Israel were forgiven”. He said to him: “My son, do not feel so bad, we have an atonement which is very similar. And what is this? Charity, as it is written: ‘because loving kindness I sought and not sacrifices’ (Hos 6,6)”.

Prayer was also viewed as a substitute for the Temple sacrificial service2: Midrash Tanchuma Vayishlach, 9 (Jerusalem, Levine-Epstein, 1969, p. 43):

Said Rabbi Yitzhak: “Now we have no , no priest, no sacrifice, no Temple and no altar, who will give atonement for us? Even though the Temple has been destroyed, nothing will be left in our hands apart from this prayer”.

Midrash (Vilna) Chapter 18,21 (London, Soncino, 1939, vol. 2, p. 737):

When the Temple existed God said to Israel that we would offer up a sacrifice to atone for our sins and now we have nothing left other than to pray.

The need to find substitutes for the First Temple after its destruction in the sixth century BCE was certainly as great, if not greater, than after the destruction of the Second Temple. What could replace worship in the Temple, and Jerusalem and its institutions once they were destroyed? There are no biblical texts that answer these questions directly. The little material we have from this period does not provide us with an adequate picture of the reactions of the people to the destruc- tion, and therefore, any shred of information from that time is extremely valuable. I believe that Psalms 127 and 133 were meant to contend with the void that was created. Ps 127 and 133 are respectively the eighth and fourteenth in the series of the 15 Psalms of Ascents (Ps 120–134). Scholars are divided as to the meaning of the term “ascents”, and, moreover, dispute the historical background of these psalms3. Many understand that these psalms were recited by the pilgrims during their annual pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem4. I agree with those who argue that these psalms were created by those exiled to Babylon after the destruction of the Temple in the year 587 BCE, and that they reflect the thoughts and feelings during their exile and their return to Yehud. “Ascents” may be interpreted in the sense of one who ascends to Israel, as in Ezra 7,95. I propose that the purpose of Ps 127 and 133 is to suggest a substitute for the destroyed Temple.

2. See A. ADERET, From Destruction to Restoration: The Mode of Yavneh in Re-Estab- lishment of the Jewish People, Jerusalem, Magnes, 1997, pp. 86-111. 3. For an overview of the various understandings of the term and discussion, see E.G. BRIGGS, The Book of Psalms, vol. 1, Edinburgh, T&T Clark, 1906, pp. LXXIX-LXXX; L.C. ALLEN, Psalms 101–150 (WBC), Waco, TX, Word Books, 1983, pp. 219-221; L.D. CROW, The Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134): Their Place in Israelite History and Religion (SBL DS, 148), Atlanta, GA, Scholars Press, 1996, pp. 1-27.157-158. 4. See e.g. H. GUNKEL, Introduction to Psalms: The Genres of the Religious Lyric of Israel, trans. J.D. NOGALSKI, Macon, GA, Mercer University Press, 1998, p. 347; see also S. MOWINCKEL, The Psalms in Israel’s Worship, vol. 1, trans. D.R. AP-THOMAS, Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1962, p. 3; H.-J. KRAUS, Psalmen (BKAT), vol. 1, Neukirchen-Vluyn, Neu- kirchener Verlag, 1966, pp. XXI-XXII. 5. H. VIVIERS, The Coherence of the ma‘a lôt Psalms (Pss 120–134), in ZAW 106 (1994) 275-289, p. 288; M.D. GOULDER, The Psalms of Return (Book V, Psalms 107–150): Studies

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Community as a Substitute for the Temple: Psalm 133

[1] A Song of Ascents; of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together. [2] It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard; on the beard of , running down on the collar of his robes. [3] Like the dew of Hermon, that falls on the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore.

Though this psalm is among the shortest in the Book of Psalms, its historical value seems to be in reverse proportion to its size. The main thrust of this Psalm is v. 1b: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together”. Both the additional sentences, vv. 2-3, are images which describe the same good spoken about in verse 1b. In this psalm, the psalmist praises the dwelling of brothers together. The brotherhood and harmony that exist between them is com- mended. It may be that the psalmist is relating here to “brothers” in the narrow sense of the word, but more likely the word is being used in its wider sense that is found elsewhere in the , when it refers to the brotherhood between mem- bers of the same group, those belonging to the people of Israel (see, for example: Lev 19,17-18). The expression “how good and how pleasant” means, “exceptionally good”. It is not possible to quantify the praise in only one adjective. Instead a second adjective is used, in order to suggest that the good increases steadily. This style of superlative expresses a continually increasing glorification – a commendation of infinite dimension. The meaning of the phrase “how good” is that there is nothing better6.

in Psalter, IV (JSOT SS, 258), Sheffiled, Sheffield Academic Press, 1998, pp. 20-30. A.A. ANDERSON, The Book of Psalms (NCB), vol. 2, London, Oliphants, 1977, p. 867. For the connection of these psalms to Zion see also E. ZENGER, Die Komposition der Wallfahrts- psalmen Ps 120–134: Zum Programm der Psalterexegese, in M. EBNER – B. HEININGER (eds.), Paradigmen auf dem Prüfstand: Exegese wider den Strich. FS K. Müller (NTA, NF 47), Münster, Aschendorff, 2004, 173-198; E. ZENGER, Der Zion als Ort der Gottesnähe: Beobachtungen zum Weltlbild des Wallfahrtspsalters Ps 120–134, in G. EBERHARDT – K. LIESS (eds.), Gottes Nähe im Alten Testament (SBS, 202), Stuttgart, Katholisches Bibel- werk, 2004, 84-114; E. ZENGER, “Es segne dich JHWH vom Zion aus…” (Ps 134,3): Die Gottesmetaphorik in den Wallfahrtspsalmen Ps 120–134, in M. WITTE (ed.), Gott und Mensch im Dialog: Festschrift für Otto Kaiser zum 80 Geburtstag (BZAW, 345), Berlin, Gruyter, 2004, vol. 2, 601-621; T. WILLI, Das hvlyme riw: Zion und der Sitz im Leben der “Aufstiegslieder” Psalm 120–134, in B. HUWYLER – H.-P. MATHYS – B. WEBER (eds.), Prophetie und Psalmen: Festschrift für Klaus Seybold zum 65. Geburtstag (AOAT, 280), Münster, Ugarit-Verlag, 2001, 153-162. See also M. MILLARD, Die Komposition des Psal- ters: Ein formgeschichtlicher Ansatz (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, 9), Tübingen, Mohr, 1994, pp. 219-223. 6. See G. BRIN, The Significance of the Form MAH-TTOB, in VT 38 (1988) 462-465, p. 463.

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The image of constantly increasing good also characterises the two images that the psalmist uses to describe the aforementioned good. The first image is of the flow of pure oil from the head of a person that then drips upon his beard and onto his clothing. The second image is the dripping of the water from the Hermon to Jerusalem7. The flowing motif nicely expresses the feeling of ever-increasing abundance, abundance without end. What is the theme of this psalm? Most scholars consider it to be a Wisdom Psalm which acclaims good family life which is replete with unity and brother- hood8. But this approach does not take into account the national dimension of this Psalm, suggested by its reference to Jerusalem in v. 39. Not surprisingly many scholars deal with this inconsistency by proposing that the word “Zion” is a scribal error10. However, the reference to Aaron also does not easily fit into a Wisdom Psalm which contends with the brotherly relations between family mem- bers11. Because of its reference to Jerusalem there are those who explain the pslam in the context of the pilgrimage. In this context, the psalm is commending the brotherhood of the tribes in Jerusalem when making the pilgrimage to the city12. Berlin rejected the notion that this is a Wisdom Psalm, pointing instead to the subject of Jerusalem, and its religious and nationalistic message. In her opinion,

7. Watson finds three similes by separating v. 2a and 2b into two separate similes. See W.G.E. WATSON, The Hidden Simile in Psalm 133, in Biblica 60 (1979) 108-109. Against this suggestion see D.T. TSUMURA, Sorites in Psalm 133,2-3a, in Biblica 61 (1980) 416-417. 8. A. WEISER, The Psalms: A Commentary (OTL), London, SCM Press, 1962, p. 783. See also GUNKEL, Introduction to Psalms (n. 4), p. 303. H. SCHMIDT, Die Psalmen (HAT), Tübingen, Mohr, 1934, p. 236; K. SEYBOLD, Die Psalmen (HAT), Tübingen, Mohr, 1996, pp. 499-501; H.-J. KRAUS, Psalmen (BKAT), vol. 2, Neukirchen-Vluyn, Neukirchener Ver- lag, 1966, pp. 889-891; R.B.Y. SCOTT, The Way of Wisdom in the Old Testament, New York – London, Macmillan and Collier-Macmillan, 1971, p. 198; J.K. KUNTZ, The Canonical Wisdom Psalms of Ancient Israel: Their Rhetorical, Thematic and Formal Dimensions, in J.J. JACKSON – M. KESSLER (eds.), Rhetorical Criticism: Essays in Honor of J. Muilenberg, Pittsburgh, PA, Pickwick Press, 1974, pp. 208.210. See also M. BUTTENWIESER, The Psalms Chronologically Treated, New York, Ktav, 1969 (reprint, first published 1939), p. 807. For a detailed literary analysis focusing on the metaphorical content of the Psalm see B. DOYLE, Metaphora Interrupta: Psalm 133, in ETL 77 (2001) 5-22. He, too, sees the Song as a Wisdom Psalm. 9. ALLEN, Psalms 101–150 (n. 3), pp. 277-278. 10. For a summary of the various emendations see ibid., p. 277 and n. 3b. 11. Indeed, many scholars see “Aaron” as not connected to the original intention of the Psalm. See B. DUHM, Die Psalmen (KHAT), Leipzig – Tübingen, Mohr, 1899, p. 448; SCHMIDT, Die Psalmen (n. 8), p. 236; SEYBOLD, Die Psalmen (n. 8), p. 500. 12. BRIGGS, The Book of Psalms (n. 3), pp. 475-476. ALLEN, Psalms 101–150 (n. 3), p. 278; ANDERSON, The Book of Psalms (n. 5), p. 885; Similarly see O. KEEL, The Symbol- ism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms, trans. T.J. HALLETT, New York, Seabury, 1978, p. 335; See also T. BOOIJ, Psalm 133: “Behold, How Good and How Pleasant”, in Biblica 83 (2002) 258-267. On the connection between the Songs of Ascents and the Priestly benediction, and the Jerusalem cult see L.J. LIEBREICH, The Songs of Ascents and the Priestly Blessing, in JBL 74 (1955) 33-36. Zenger, too, understands the Psalm as a Song of Zion – see E. ZENGER, Vom Segen der Brüderlichkeit: Überlegungen zum Verständnis des 133 Psalms, in R. MOSIS – L. RUPPERT (eds.), Der Weg zum Menschen: Zur philosophischen und theologischen Anthropologie. Für Alfons Deissler, Freiburg im Breisgau, Herder, 1989, 173-182; CROW, The Songs of Ascents (n. 3), pp. 119-120.

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the psalm reflects the hope for the re-unification of the two parts of the country, the Northern Kingdom and the Kingdom of Judah13. This explanation is based on the phrase “dwelling together” that appears several times in Gen 13,6; 36,7; Deut 25,5. In Berlin’s opinion, in these references the meaning is “an undivided country”. However, it appears that in all these sources that Berlin refers to, the reference is not to an undivided country, but to people who are living on a joint parcel of land. There is nothing in the psalm relating to the unification of coun- tries, nor to the unification of land under one sovereignty. Instead, this psalm relates to the good feeling that people have when they are united14.

A New Approach

The images of flowing oil and water express a good feeling, one of abundance and prosperity. Aromatic oil on a person’s body was considered to be good for the body. Moreover, it provided an agreeable and invigorating feeling (Ps 104,15; Deut 28,40, and especially Ps 23,5 which also talks about oil on a person’s head)15. Oil was also part of human perfumery and played its part in sexual attraction (see, for example: Song 1,3.12; Est 2,12). The dew that forms on the ground expresses the fertility of the soil, and the prosperity of those who live on the land. This probably the reason the psalm ends with a blessing of everlasting life. The image of the oil dripping onto a person’s head relates, on the religious and national plane, to the oil that dropped on the beard of Aaron, and on his garments. This image coheres with the anointing of Aaron and his being sanctified as a priest (Ex 29,7.21; Lev 8,12.30)16. Most scholars explain that these images relate to good, refined things, of which the good feeling of brothers dwelling together is an example. But usually they do not attempt to explain in what way do these images illustrate the concept of dwelling together17? I suggest that the proposed psalm’s historical background provides an explana- tion for the connection between its parts, and the use of its particular images. It is widely accepted that the time period of this psalm is after the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 587 BCE18. The psalm expresses the standpoint of those living outside of Judah, for it speaks about it as “there” (v. 3). The psalm relates to Aaron as the representative of the priesthood that had been deposed following the destruction of the Temple. These events had created deep despair among both those living in Babylon and those who had remained in Yehud. How could the

13. A. BERLIN, On the Interpretation of Psalm 133, in E.R. FOLLIS (ed.), Directions in Biblical Hebrew Poetry (JSOT SS, 40), Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press, 1987, 141-147. 14. It is interesting to note that Ezekiel 37,15-28, that most explicitly discusses the unity between the northern and southern kingdoms does not shear any terminology with Ps 133. 15. H. RINGGREN, fmw, in TDOT, vol. 15, Grand Rapids, MI – Cambridge, Eerdmans, 2006, pp. 249-253. 16. Ibid. 17. See for instance Dahood who admits: “One cannot pinpoint the connection which the psalmist saw when drawing these comparisons …” (M. DAHOOD, Psalms III: 101–150 [AB], New York, Doubleday, 1970, p. 250). 18. A. HURVITZ, The Transition Period in Biblical Hebrew: A Study in Post-Exilic Hebrew and Its Implications for the Dating of the Psalms, Jerusalem, Bialik Institute, 1972, pp. 156-160 (Hebrew).

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people continue to exist without Jerusalem and its Temple? The Temple in Jeru- salem held such a central place in the nation’s theology that continued existence as a nation could have seemed impossible without it. This Psalm is designed to contend with this problem, and to suggest alternatives to and substitutions for the Temple. In my opinion, Ps 133 suggests a temporary alternative to living in Judah, in Jerusalem, where God bestowed a blessing of everlasting life. As a substitute for living in Judah, and in the vicinity of Jerusalem, the psalmist suggests to those living in exile, v. 1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together”. Good communal life in exile is a temporary substitute for living in Judah, near Jerusalem, the Temple and its priests. The psalmist considers it a good thing, and a pleasant thing, for brothers to live together, united as one group. The people were not organised as one autonomous national entity. On the contrary, in exile, the nation was dispersed, lived with little tranquillity, and wandered from place to place. But the psalmist suggests that those living in the exile should band together as a group, and appreciate living together. Indeed, it is interesting to note that in the two other verses in which the adjec- tives “good” (tov) and “pleasant” (na‘im) appear, it is in a similar context of Jeru- salem and the Temple. In Ps 135,2-3 we read: “You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good (†ov); sing praises to his name for it is pleasant (na‘im)”. And in Ps 147,1-2 we have again: “Hallelujah; for it is a good (†ov) to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant (na‘im) to sing glorious praise. The Lord builds Jerusalem, he gath- ers together the dispersed of Israel”. Ps 147 talks about the very ingathering of the exiles about which, Ps 133, as I have posited, speaks about. The words “good” and “pleasant” express the feeling of people being in the Temple in Jerusalem. These are feelings that, presumably, one cannot have in the absence of the Temple. Nevertheless, according to the author of Ps 133, the experience of “brothers dwell- ing together” provides this same feeling. It is for this reason that the psalmist can imagine community life as a substitute for the Temple, as oil on the head, on the head of Aaron, and the abundance of the land, at the centre of which is Jerusalem. The connection between Ps 133 and Ps 27,4 once again reinforces this new understanding of the former psalm:

Ps 133,1.3 Ps 27,4 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is One thing I ask of the Lord only that I seek. that brothers dwell together. That I dwell in the house of the Lord all Like the dew of Hermon, that falls on the the days of my life, mountains of Zion; for there the Lord has To behold the pleasantness of the Lord, commanded the blessing, life for ever more. and to visit in His Temple.

Ps 133 is concerned with the dwelling of brothers together, and Ps 27,4 talks about dwelling in the house of the Lord. Ps 133 refers to the blessing of “everlast- ing life”, and similarly Ps 27,4 speaks about dwelling in the Temple “all the days of my life”. Ps 27,4 speaks about dwelling in the house of the Lord, whereas Ps 133 talks about the dwelling of brothers together in the absence of the Temple. Ps 27 speaks about the “pleasantness” that is in the Temple, whereas Ps 133 speaks about the pleasantness of living together. This parallel reinforces the interpretation

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that Ps 133 is suggesting communal brotherhood and living together as a substitute for the Temple.

Family as a Substitute for the Temple: Psalm 127

In my opinion, Ps 127, too, suggests an alternative to the ruined Temple in Jerusalem19.

[1a] A Song of Ascents; of Solomon. [1b] Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain on it. [1c] Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps vigil in vain. [2a] In vain do you rise early and stay up late, [2b] eating the bread of anxious toil; He gives sleep to his beloved. [3] Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. [4] Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of one’s youth. [5a] Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them; [5b] They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

There have been different interpretations of the word “house” in this psalm20. If the background of this psalm is the return to Judea after Cyrus’ decree, as some scholars believe21, the “house” here could be understood as “the House of God”22. Following this interpretation, it may be understood that Ps 127 opens with a theo- logical declaration that if God does not desire the construction of the Temple, then it will not be possible to construct it. In this way, the psalmist is trying to pacify the people, in attributing the impossibility of rebuilding the Temple to God. The declaration that God does not at present wish to see the construction of the Tem- ple, allows the people to accept reality for what it is. They are being told that they should not expect that which is impossible to achieve; but to accept the concept that this, the non-rebuilding of the Temple, reflects God’s plan. On the other hand, the second part of the psalm, vv. 3-5, suggests that the people should not sit around passively. On the contrary, the psalmist suggests that they raise children while they are young, and that their children will constitute the nation’s future power base. Instead of building the Temple, the psalmist suggests that they strengthen the family unit23. Ps 127 places family values as a temporary substitute for the Temple in its absence.

19. This interpretation is given in a detailed analysis of Ps 127 due to be published in ZAW: E. ASSIS, Psalm 127 and the Polemic of the Rebuilding of the Temple in the Post Exilic Period. 20. Some understand the word house as “family”, see SCHMIDT, Die Psalmen (n. 8), p. 228; E. LIPINSKI, Macarismes et psaumes de congratulation, in RB 75 (1968) 321-367, p. 352. 21. H. VIVIERS, Coherence (n. 5), p. 288; GOULDER, The Psalms of Return (n. 5), pp. 20-30; WILLI, Das hvlyme riw (n. 5), pp. 153-162. 22. ; Ibn Ezra; Radak; Mitrani; P.D. MILLER, Psalm 127: The House that Yahweh Builds, in JSOT 22 (1982) 119-132, p. 128; D.E. FLEMING, “House” / “City”: An Unrecog- nized Parallel Word Pair, in JBL 105 (1986) 689-697; ID., Psalm 127: Sleep for the Fearful, and Security in Sons, in ZAW 107 (1995) 435-444. 23. On the increasing importance of the Israelite family as a result of the low state of the Temple after the catastrophe of the exile, see ZENGER, “Es segne dich JHWH vom Zion aus…” (n. 5), pp. 601-621.

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Conclusion

The Jerusalem Temple held a central position in the relationship between the people of Yehud and their God and its destruction created a major theological challenge for them. How were they to continue their religion and maintain their identity as a people without the Jerusalem Temple? There was an urgent and essential need to discover what could serve as a substitute for the Temple so long as it remained destroyed and unusable. It seems that Ps 133 and 127 follow a similar trend in contending with the nation’s despair after the destruction of the Temple. In both these psalms, the psalmist wishes to fill the void felt by the nation after the destruction of the Tem- ple, and in both of them an alternative to the Temple is suggested. Ps 127 suggests that the people should concentrate their efforts on strengthening and developing the family. This will serve as a temporary substitute for involvement in the rebuild- ing of the Temple. In Ps 133, maintaining the community is an adequate substitute for the nation gathering in the Temple in Jerusalem. The family and the commu- nity are the temporary alternatives for the Temple and Jerusalem.

Bar Ilan University Elie ASSIS Department of Bible Studies 52900 Ramat-Gan Israel

ABSTRACT. — Psalms 127 and 133 offer temporary substitutes for living in Judah and in the vicinity of Jerusalem. In Ps 127 the psalmist suggests that instead of constructing the Temple the people should invest their energies in the developing and building the family unit, and raising children while they are young, for the future of the nation. Ps 127 views family values as an adequate, if temporary, substitute for the Temple in its absence. The nation in exile was not organised as an autonomous national entity, but was dispersed, living without tranquillity, and wandering from place to place. As a substitute for living in Judah in the vicinity of Jerusalem and the Temple, the psalmist, in Ps 133, suggests that those living in exile band together as a group and enjoy living together as a community. Thus, values of family and community were suggested by these psalms as a temporary alternative for the devastated Temple.

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