Early Configurations of Jewish Prayer

Abstract The argument of this article is that there are remarkable affinities between early configurations of Jewish prayer in the Second Temple period and the later rabbinic liturgical system. The article examines Greek and Hebrew sources that exhibit a process of deepening and purification in which sacrificial worship is reinterpreted and relegated to other domains of non-sacrificial worship and service. Furthermore, the article explores elements of the sacrificial cult that are incorporated into prayers from the Second Temple period. My argument relies on both textual and material evidence, including the works of Philo of Alexandria, the Dead Sea Scrolls, excerpted texts and tefillin, and the Septuagint of Daniel.