How did the Babylonian exile affect the Hebrew scriptures?

Answer 1

The Jews were a sophisticated people at the time of the Babylonian exile, having established trading routes well into Asia and Africa. They were master vintners and gardeners which is why it's believed the Babylonians treated them in a unique way from other nations they invaded.

Unlike other cultures that were destroyed by the Babylonians, Jews were pretty much allowed to practice their religion freely with the one limitation that they weren't allowed to read/study the Torah. They were allowed to read and study the rest of the Tanach though. This is how the tradition of reading a Haftarah in addition to the Torah portion during Shabbat came about. Because the use of the Torah wasn't allowed, the sages of the time found sections of the Nevi'im (Prophets) section that corresponded with the Torah portion that was supposed to be read.

It was also the Babylonian exile that convinced the sages to record the Oral Torah for future generations. The fear was that this important information would be lost due to persecution at the hands of others.

Once the exile ended, and Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Israel, a large percentage of the Jewish population chose to stay and not return.

Answer 2

Prior to the Babylonian Exile, the Jews were an unsophisticated people with little knowledge of the outside world, other than as aggressors, conquerors and traders. The Exile made the Jewish people more outward-looking and receptive to new ideas, both secular and religious. And Second Isaiah, writing in the Book of Isaiah, demonstrates the affection that the previously insular Jews felt towards the Persian king.

Although it is believed that King Josiah had already introduced monotheism to Judah, the Babylonian Exile exposed the Jews to another great monotheistic faith, Zoroastrianism, and it was during this period that the religious leaders appear to have worked strenuously to eliminate polytheism among the Jews. Many subsequent Jewish religious beliefs originated during this period.

Answer 3

While the Torah, its commands and the principles and beliefs of Judaism remain unchanged, Judaism has evolved as circumstances have necessitated. Here are just a few examples:

1) After the end of prophecy (some 2350 years ago), the Tanakh was sealed by a special Sanhedrin (Rabbinical court). It was the same Sanhedrin which placed our prayers in their permanent form (see Talmud, Berakhot 33a).
2) Purim and Hanukkah were instituted after the relevant events.
3) Certain fasts were instituted in connection with the Destruction of the Temple.
4) After the Destruction of the Temple, the laws of sacrifices were suspended.
5) When circumstances made it impossible, the New Moon was no longer proclaimed by testimony; rather, the fixed calendar was instituted (around 360 CE).
6) The Talmud was put in writing (around 500 CE) when it became too hard to be learned by heart.
7) There are seven formal Rabbinical commands. These are:
Saying the blessings over food (and on various occasions)
Washing one's hands before eating bread
Lighting the Hanukkah-menorah
The Eruv
Saying the Hallel prayer on certain occasions
Lighting the Sabbath candles
Reading the Megillat Esther on Purim.
In addition, there are many Rabbinical decrees, mostly from the Men of the Great Assembly (4th century BCE), as well as later enactments.
The purpose of every one of these is to provide a "fence around the Torah," meaning to shore up something that can benefit from strengthening. An example: not handling electric appliances on the Sabbath, even if they are not connected to any electric socket.

Additional note:

Some have a misconception in describing Judaism as once having been centered around the Temple and sacrifices, and now being altered to center around prayer and good deeds. That is the wrong way to put it. Rather, Judaism centers around Torah-observance. This has never changed. The Torah contains many hundreds of commands, hundreds of which are applicable today too. When offering sacrifices was possible, they were offered; and when the Temple was destroyed, those particular commands of the Torah were suspended. It's like a man who lost his arms: he doesn't put tefillin on, but his Judaism hasn't changed.

Answer 4

To a certain extent, the diaspora caused the various Jewish communities to take on minor aspects of their host countries.
The religion itself was affected little, if at all, since all Jews share the same Torah and Talmud, and differences within halakhah (Jewish laws) are relatively small. In addition, the Jews were dissuaded from assimilating because the Romans were the polar opposite of Judaism; plus the fact that some of the greatest Roman, Christian and Muslim historians spewed diatribes of hate against the Jews.

Answer 5

The Jews were, for their era, an unsophisticated people. This is evidenced by their response on seeing the great ziggurat of Babylon, which they thought must have been intended to reach right up to heaven. The Babylonian Exile meant the end of the Judahite monarchy, with a theocracy taking its place. The Old Testament shows that the Jews suffered great hardships in Babylon, living as slaves and longing to return to Jerusalem.

The first chapter of Genesis was written by the Priestly source, apparently during the Exile and loosely based on Babylonian beliefs about creation. After the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia, the Old Testament, for the first time, shows genuine affection for non-Jewish people. The Jews also came into contact with the Zoroastrian religion and may have absorbed many of the concepts of modern Judaism during this period. The Exile ended when the Persian king allowed those people who wished to do so, to return to their own homelands.

Answer 6

The false prophets, at long last, were silenced forever. They had predicted that Judah would remain independent of Babylonia (Jeremiah ch.27) and no Destruction would take place.
Also, the lure of idolatry finally weakened, since the Destruction and Exile happened exactly as predicted by the true Prophets, who were the same ones who had spoken ceaselessly against dabbling in idolatry. Judaism itself was affected little, if at all, since all Jews share the same Torah, Prophets and laws, and differences within the laws are relatively small. However, in secondary matters of culture such as pronunciation, mannerisms, and introduction of new vocabulary, every community is influenced somewhat by the others among whom they dwell; so some traits of our regions of residence have rubbed off on us.

See also:

The Diaspora

Reasons for the Babylonian Exile

The JEPD Hypothesis

Was Judaism influenced by Zoroastrianism?

No, the two are quite different.Judaism, according to tradition, has always been monotheistic. Even at the height of the unfortunate spread of idolatry among the less-loyal Ten Tribes, there were thousands who remained loyal to God (1 Kings 19:18).

The Zoroastrians, however, believed in two gods, not one. The Jewish Sages who redacted the Talmud in the early centuries of the Common Era lived in Babylonia, witnessed the practices of the Zoroastrians, and recorded this fact (Talmud, Sanhedrin 39a). In addition, Zoroastrianism is unlike Judaism in that:

• its deity is not immanent
• it believes in worship through intermediaries, who are themselves "worthy of worship"
• evil has its own creator, Angra Mainyu or Ahriman, which had always existed
• some of its adherents believe in a self-creating universe
• some modern scholars see it as a form of pantheism
• it has "fire-temples," with worship in the presence of flame
• its adherents are not required to marry within their faith
• some Zoroastrians dispose of their dead through ritual exposure to the open sky, while some others cremate the dead
• dogs are considered sacred
• such creatures as snakes, ants and flies were "not created by the creator of good"
• it includes a virgin birth, in which its messiah will be conceived without sexual penetration.

Compare: What do Jews believe God is like?

Answer 7

A large proportion of the Hebrew scriptures were written either during or after the Babylonian Exile. Even those books of the Hebrew Bible that already existed were added to or heavily redacted during the Exile.

For example, the Book of Genesis already existed in a prototype form, beginning at what is now verse 2:4b, with the second creation story in our Bibles. The Priestly Source, writing during the Babylonian Exile, added the first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:4a) in front of the older creation story. The Book of Psalms, long considered to date from the time of Kings David and Solomon, was written over a period of more than two hundred years , mainly during and after the Babylonian Exile.

Answer 8

1) Several chapters (in Daniel and Ezra) were written in Aramaic.

2) The following Books were written at that time:

Kings, Jeremiah (slightly before the Exile, and during it), Lamentations, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Daniel, Esther.

All the other Books of the Hebrew Bible were written before that period, with some of them already a thousand years old by that time.

See also:

Refuting secular assessments of the Hebrew Bible's dating

History of the Hebrew Bible

Answer 9

To a certain extent, the diaspora caused the various Jewish communities to take on minor aspects of their host countries.
The religion itself was affected little, if at all, since all Jews share the same Torah and Talmud, and differences within halakhah (Jewish laws) are relatively small. In addition, the Jews were dissuaded from assimilating because the Romans were the polar opposite of Judaism; plus the fact that some of the greatest Roman, Christian and Muslim historians spewed diatribes of hate against the Jews.

• Link: Contrasting Romans and Jews

However, in secondary matters of culture such as pronunciation, mannerisms, and introduction of new vocabulary, every community is influenced somewhat by the others among whom they dwell; so some traits of our regions of residence have rubbed off on us. Examples are the differences in pronunciation and accent (for the Hebrew alphabet), differences in dress, and minor differences in customs.

See also the other Related Links.

Link: Did Judaism change during the exile?

Link: Maintaining Judaism during the exile

Answer 10

Normal