Conflict in the Temple

The Temple sometimes became a site of conflict and violence. Josephus writes of a number of instances in which political and religious conflicts erupt into violence on the pilgrimage festivals, when massive crowds gather at the Temple (see also “Archelaus’ Rise to Power”). The Mishnah and Tosefta include variant accounts of a conflict between priests that results in violence. Accounts like these may have served as a way of asserting rabbinic authority over ritual.