ABSTRACT
Jewish pilgrimage to Jerusalem was a massive phenomenon, especially in the last century of the Temple’s existence–the century that began with Herod the Great’s rise to power and ended with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 ce. Numerous sources convey this basic understanding of pilgrimage: pilgrims “go up” to Jerusalem in order to be near God, to worship Him at the Temple via the sacrificial cult that was available only there, and in turn to be blessed by Him and to reassure themselves of His protection. The pilgrimage and coming together of myriads of Jews in Jerusalem inevitably awakened memories and hopes of a sovereign state. In Antiquity, Israelites and Judeans had a number of cultic obligations that could be fulfilled only at the Temple of Jerusalem. Philo of Alexandria, who himself participated at least once in a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, offers in his Special Laws 1.68–70, a direct exposition of pilgrimage.
