16. Some Trends In Temple Studies From The Renaissance To The Enlightenment

Abstract

During the early modern period, at a time of transition from medieval to modern thinking, the Temple and its meanings became a particularly common topic of study among Christians and Jews. In this chapter, the author hopes to present some general trends reflecting the changes in Temple studies in early modern Europe. The focus on texts was itself part of a trend developing at the end of the Middle Ages toward an improved sense of historical perspective. The greatest problems in medieval Christian Temple studies were anachronism and inaccuracy. These problems continued into the early modern era, even as better knowledge was being generated. Rene Taylor, in one of the most famous articles on the history of architecture, argued that the design of the Spanish royal residence, El Escorial, built in the late sixteenth century, was based on the design of Solomon's Temple. Keywords: christian temple studies; early modern era; Jews; Solomon