Jewish Theocracy at the Biblical Barbeque: The Role of Third Temple Activism and Sacrificial Reenactments in Shaping Self and State

• Published in: Contemporary Jewry Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 431 - 452
• Main Author: Feldman, Rachel Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-09-2020; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Activism; Animals; Anthropology; Fasts and feasts; Judaism; Religious buildings; Religious Studies; Rituals; Social Sciences; Socialization; Sociology of Religion; Spectators; Theocracy; Zionism; Zionism; Sacrifices; Israel; Third temple; Theocracy
• ISSN: 0147-1694; 1876-5165
• DOI: 10.1007/s12397-020-09321-7

The Passover sacrifice event, conducted since 2000, is one of the Third Temple Movement's annual tirgulim (exercises), where activists "practice" offering animal sacrifices in preparation for the rebuilding of the Third Temple and advent of the messianic era. During these events, Jewish indigeneity is choreographed and embodied by the kohanim, Third Temple priests in training, who perform the sacrificial ritual onstage for hundreds of spectators. How should we place the Third Temple Movement, and the renewed desire for animal sacrifice, into the history of "socializing natives" in Israel? What kind of indigeneity is this? This paper aims to expand research on the Third Temple Movement, which has largely focused on the messianic Zionist ideologies of leading activists, by focusing on what the Passover sacrifice event has come to mean for participants, as they engage in these socialization exercises aimed at preparing them for a post-Zionist theocratic future.