Evidence and interpretation -- The face of the Persian Empire and its administration -- Yahwism and the question of government in Yehud -- Concepts of theocracy -- Was Yehud a theocracy?
Summary
Among the variety of social-political reconstructions of Persian-period Yehud, one consensus stands out - one which states that the Jerusalem priesthood enjoyed a prominent level of authority, symbolized in the Jerusalem temple. Unfortunately, this leads easily into conclusions of a theocracy in Yehud. The problem, in part, is due to the immediate association of priests assumed to be authoritative with that of a theocratic governing structure. To address this problem, at least three aspects of Yehud's governing structure(s) require further attention: (1) the social implications of a particular
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 194-211) and index
