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The expulsion of the merchants from the temple el greco. Expulsion of merchants from the temple

(Cleansing the Temple)

(Matthew 21: 12-13; Mark 11: 15-19;

Luke 19: 45-46 John 2: 13-17)

(13) The Passover of the Jews was approaching, and Jesus came to Jerusalem (14) and I found that in the temple they sold oxen, sheep and doves, and that money changers were sitting.(15) And having made a whip of cords, he drove all out of the temple, also the sheep and the oxen; And he poured out the money of the money changers, and overthrew the tables. (16) And said selling doves: take it from here and do not do my Father's househome of trade. (17) At this, his disciples remembered what was written, Jealousy it eats me up in your house.

(John 2: 13-17)

All four evangelists tell the story of the cleansing of the temple from those who sell in it. However, for the forecasters, this action of Christ is one of His last acts, while according to John it is the beginning of His public ministry. The different location of this event in the life of Christ and some differences in the story of the synoptics, on the one hand, and John, on the other, gave reason to believe that Jesus twice attempted to cleanse the temple. The first cleansing came as a complete surprise to the people, while the second, which happened about three years later, became one of the immediate causes of His death (“The scribes and the chief priests heard this, and they looked for how to destroy Him” - Mark 11:18). The special significance of this plot is that Jesus here for the first time publicly proclaimed himself the Son of God, calling God his Father.

The sale of sacrificial animals was necessary mainly for foreigners who came to Jerusalem from afar and could not bring them with them. Even Moses foresaw this need (Num. 15: 13-15). Strictly speaking, money changers were also necessary, since foreign coins were not accepted either in the treasury or in payment of the tax collected for the temple (cf. A MIRACLE WITH A STATER; but not with Dinarium of Caesar- here is another file and another currency); the foreigners arriving in Jerusalem had little Jewish money, since they were not in circulation in other places, and the temple tax had to be paid with sacred shekels (shekels). In a word, there were a great multitude of money changers and merchants in Solomon's porch (according to the testimony of Josephus, 256,500 lambs were sold on one of the Passover described by him).

Monuments of fine art cannot answer the question whether the artist meant that there was one purification, or he believed that there were two of them. However, certain details that the artists depict shed light on which of the stories - forecasters or John - is illustrated by a given master. So, only John ( Giotto, El Greco).

Giotto. The expulsion of the merchants from the temple (1304-1306). Padua. Scrovegni Chapel.

El Greco. Cleansing of the Temple (c. 1600). London. National Gallery.

The artists were attracted by the opportunity to convey the dynamism of what was happening: scattering animals, traders defending themselves and dodging blows, upturned tables ... Some artists focused on the expulsion of traders in sacred animals (Giotto, El Greco), others - on the money changers ( Rembrandt).

Rembrandt. The expulsion of the merchants from the temple (1626). Moscow. Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts A.S. Pushkin

Interesting considerations about the painting by Rembrandt are given by M.S. Senenko: “When creating a composition, the artist was guided by engraving A. Durer from the series "Small Passions", in particular, the staging of the figure of Christ.<…>

Albrecht Durer. The expulsion of the merchants from the temple.

(From the series of engravings "Small Passions"). (C. 1509).

The money changer looking back at Christ is one of the permanent characters, the so-called "father of Rembrandt", depicted in many pictures of the Hleiden period "( Rembrandt, his predecessors and followers... M. 2006.S. 48)

In addition to those who were driven out, the disciples of Christ could also be depicted (reason for this: John 2:17) (Valentin) and the scribes with the high priests (Mark 11:18). In accordance with the symbolism of space on the left and right hand of Christ (for more details, see. CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST; SCARY COURT) the first were placed on the “good” side (on the right hand), the second on the “bad” side on the left ( Giotto). For the image in this scene of the blind men who saw their sight ( El Greco) the basis is found in Matthew: “And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them” (Matthew 21:14).

The expulsion of the merchants from the temple by Christ typologically implies the Old Testament expulsions, which, according to the medieval Christian concept, were included in this scene by the old masters. So, El Greco, in particular, as one of the bas-reliefs of the temple depicts the plot of the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Another exile, which was also considered a prototype of the Purification of the Temple, was the Exile of Iliodor (Iliodor, one of the dignitaries of the court of Seleucus Philopator, was sent to Jerusalem to rob the temple of Solomon; having appeared for this purpose in the temple, he was expelled from it by a "terrible rider" on a horse : "Riding quickly, he struck Iliodor with his front hooves, and the one sitting on him seemed to have a golden armor" - 2 Mac. 3:25).

Another parallel to the Cleansing of the Temple was drawn by the humanists of the Renaissance. They saw a pagan prototype of him in the fifth feat of Hercules - the cleansing of the Augean stables. In the era of the Reformation, the cleansing of the temple by Jesus Christ was seen as an allusion to Luther's condemnation of the practice of selling papal indulgences ( Rembrandt; the emphasis on expulsion from the temple changed).

EXAMPLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS:

The story of the expulsion of traders and money changers from the Jerusalem temple by Jesus Christ (the story of the cleansing of the temple) is one of the most striking and memorable in the New Testament. We read about this story in the New Testament four times: in the Gospel of John (2: 13-17), in the Gospel of Matthew (21: 12-13), in the Gospel of Luke (19: 45-46), in the Gospel of Mark (11: 15-17).

Much has been written and said about the subject of the cleansing of the church by the Holy Fathers of the Church, theologians, writers, philosophers and other thinkers over the past two thousand years.

In the interpretations of the indicated passages from the Holy Scripture, it is said in detail: about the pernicious influence of the passion of love of money and money-grubbing on the soul of man; that Christ at that moment declared directly about his Divine origin (when he said about the temple: “my Father's house” - John 2:16); that Christ's expulsion of the merchants and money changers from the temple was the “last straw” that led the Pharisees and high priests to the decision to murder the Son of God; that it was Christ's protest against the transformation of the “house of prayer” into a “den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13), etc.

I would like to draw your attention to three points that seemed important to me, but for which I could not find exhaustive comments and explanations in the writings of the Holy Fathers, theologians, historians, philosophers.

The first moment. As you know, Christ during all three and a half years of His earthly ministry not only taught, but often denounced. He denounced first of all the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes. He denounced, i.e. revealed their evil thoughts, evaluated their evil deeds, explained the true meaning of their crafty speeches. He denounced, i.e. He acted with the word Rebuke, but at the same time showed humility and patience towards the sinners around Him. Back in the 7th century BC. the prophet Isaiah spoke of the coming Christ: “He will not break a broken reed, nor will he quench a smoking flax; will execute judgment in truth ”(Isa. 42: 3); these words of the prophet were reproduced in his Gospel by St. Matthew (Matthew 12:20).

But in the case of merchants and money changers, he acted not only and not so much by word as by force (overturned the benches of merchants, tables of money changers, drove them out of the temple). Perhaps by this He made it clear that one should fight such evils as huckstering and usury not only by word, but also by force.

If He just wanted to punish the merchants and money changers, He could use His word to do it. Let us remember that it was with the word of Christ that the barren fig tree withered. In many cases, Christ had the opportunity to use both word and power to fight very real (one might say, "physical") evil. Let us recall, for example, the scene of the arrest of Christ betrayed by Judas. People from the high priests and elders came to seize Christ, and Peter took out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. Christ then said to Peter: “... return your sword to its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword; or do you think that I cannot plead with My Father, and He will present to Me more than twelve legions of Angels? " (Matt. 26: 52-53).

And in the case of hucksters and money changers, he used not a word, but force, and not the power of ethereal angels, but his own physical strength, manifesting his human nature. True, instead of a sword, He took a whip made of ropes. Probably, by this act, he made us understand that in some cases it is necessary to fight evil not only by persuasion and reproof. Obviously, it is precisely the evil of huckstering and usury that belongs to such cases. I am not ready to immediately answer the question of what force and how can and should be used in modern conditions to fight the traders and usurers. But it would be wrong to avoid answering this question.

The second moment. If the Gospel of John deals with the expulsion of merchants and money changers from the temple at the beginning of his earthly ministry (the first Easter, which fell during the period of Christ's ministry), then the other three Gospels describe the expulsion of Christ's merchants and money changers from the same temple three years later, at the end His earthly ministry.

There is, however, an opinion that the evangelist John spoke about the same event as other evangelists. Some theologians draw attention to the fact that Saint John in his narration does not pursue the goal of a consistent, chronological presentation of the Gospel events, that based on the spiritual design of the narration, Saint John placed this plot, relating to the last days of the Savior's earthly life, at the beginning of his narration. However, most theologians still adhere to the point of view that there were two cleansing of the temple from speculators. This is how the Gospel story is interpreted, for example, by St. Theophan the Recluse and A. Lopukhin ("The Biblical History of the Old and New Testaments").

So, three years have passed. The terrible scene of expulsion from the temple began to fade in the memory of the money changers and merchants, the angry warning of Christ did not have the desired effect. Everything returned to normal. The craving for profits and interest turned out to be stronger for this public than the word of God. What does this mean? This suggests that the "virus" of bargaining and usury (or, more broadly, the "virus" of acquisitiveness) has penetrated deeply into the human organism, that this organism is sick and this "virus" will sit in this organism until the end of earthly history. I read from some Holy Father that the "virus" of acquisitiveness settled in a person at the time of his fall into paradise ...

The current financial crisis is also a vivid testimony to the persistence of the "virus" of huckstering and usury in human society. In the fall of 2008, when many banking giants on Wall Street began to fall, some spiritually sensitive people quite rightly remarked that this was similar to God's punishment (by the way, “crisis” in Greek means “judgment”). A number of government officials and business representatives began to speak the right words about the spiritual and moral causes of the crisis. But now a little more than two years have passed, some stabilization appeared (of course, temporary, artificial, due to the "pumping" of the world financial system with additional trillions of dollars; the crisis did not end, but only just passed its initial phase), and the fear of world traders and usurers began to evaporate like morning fog. Some of them are no longer there (they have gone bankrupt), but the rest (as well as some "newcomers" who have replaced the bankrupt) again sat down in orderly rows in the narthex of the church and started their old craft.

The effect of the "whip" of the financial crisis turned out to be very short-term, even more short-lived than the post-exchange crash in October 1929 in the United States, when a certain restructuring took place in the Western economy and for about half a century it functioned on the basis of the principles of J. Keynes (state regulation of the economy and certain restrictions on greed financial oligarchy). This testifies, on the one hand, to the growing insensibility and recklessness of the world financial oligarchy; on the other hand, about the progressive inability of society to resist the greed of this oligarchy.

If God was unable to enlighten the money-loving and acquisitive Jews, then it is unlikely that we, the weak and sinful, will be able to save humanity from this disease. We must soberly assess the spiritual and moral state of mankind and understand: we, weak in spirit, can only weaken this disease. And if we dare to treat it, then we must remember that it is contagious and that we, with our weak spiritual immunity, can ourselves replenish the contingent of those who suffer from this disease of acquisitiveness and avarice.

Suffice it to recall how Martin Luther and other Protestants vigorously began to fight the infection of usury and acquisitiveness within the Catholic Church. And it ended with the fact that in the bosom of Protestantism this infection ceased to be considered a disease and even became a sign of "God's chosenness." How can one fail to recall the words from the Gospel about the fact that one demon can be driven out, and ten even more evil demons will take his place.

The third moment. Expelling the merchants and money changers from the temple, Christ swung first of all not at those merchants and money changers who were in the narthex of the temple, but at the highest authority in Judea in the person of the high priests and their closest circle.

Unfortunately, in explaining this Gospel story, its interpreters do not always focus on this.

Sometimes this marketplace in the vestibule of the Jerusalem Temple is described as a banal bazaar, which is not much different from other bazaars in the East. Let us give an example of such an interpretation: “Thus, the courtyard of the pagans (that part of the territory of the temple where merchants and money changers were located. - V.K.) over time turned into simply a marketplace with noise, din, hustle and bustle, disputes, deceptions - which is so inappropriate was within the walls of buildings that were classified as temples. All trade had the character of personal gain, bargaining in items necessary for sacrifices was made not from the temple, but on the personal initiative of private traders who pursued exclusively selfish calculations. " (“Gospel Conversations for every day of the year according to church conceptions.” - M .: Rule of Faith, 1999. - P. 322). Further, it is concluded that "this bargaining was no different from the usual bazaar" (ibid.). It is difficult to agree with such an interpretation.

Thank God, there are interpretations, succinctly but convincingly explaining who was the true organizer of the marketplace on the territory of the Jerusalem Temple. More than a century and a half ago, St. Innocent of Kherson (Borisov) wrote in his wonderful work "The Last Days of the Earthly Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ ..." Below, at the foot of the mountain on which the temple stood, and beyond its fence, there was enough empty space where the traders could sit. But there they hoped for less benefits and not so much and high payment for the right to trade for the elders of the temple; and in this last thing was the matter. Self-interest was the soul of disorder, which, under the auspices of the bosses themselves, intensified to the highest degree "(italics mine. - V.K.) (Saint Innocent of Kherson (Borisov). Evangelists. Part II. - Odessa, 1857. - P. 10).

Christ challenged the Jewish elite, which actually organized a trade and usurious business under the roof of the Jerusalem Temple and was fabulously rich in this business. The merchants and money changers in the narthex of the temple were only a small part of that ramified financial and trading system, which went beyond not only the temple, but also Jerusalem and all of ancient Judea.

Probably, to the readers of the Gospel who lived in the first centuries after the Nativity of Christ, many New Testament plots, including the plot we are considering, did not need to be specially explained. But for the modern reader of the Gospel, the plot of the Savior's cleansing of the temple from speculators requires additional clarification. Understanding the individual details of the gospel (biblical) stories greatly enlivens the perception of these stories. As a result, modern man (who, unlike our ancestors, is accustomed to a concrete-objective comprehension of truths) begins to perceive more sharply and vividly what happened two thousand years ago. Inevitably, he begins to draw certain parallels with modernity. Ultimately, this helps him to better comprehend the spiritual meaning of biblical events, the metaphysics of world history.

Two thousand years ago, ordinary Jews came into contact with the unbridled revelry of speculators and traders only in a limited space of the courtyard of the Jerusalem Temple, and this contact for a common Jew, as a rule, took place only once a year. A modern person has to deal with all sorts of merchants and money changers every day, while they filled our entire living space and made our life unbearable. With this in mind, the above three points of the Gospel story can be practically important in answering the question: "How can we live?"

We will be grateful if, on the first two points, our readers will help us find the necessary interpretations and comments of the Holy Fathers and theologians, and modern theologians, priests and laity will express their opinions. Such judgments will be especially valuable if they are tied to the realities of today.

As for the third point, it requires scrupulous work with historical and archaeological sources. Too great our remoteness from the events of that time will inevitably require the use of the method of historical reconstruction. This will allow us to understand more deeply by whom and how the trade and usury activity in the Jerusalem Temple was organized; what place did it occupy in the then economic system of Judea and the entire Roman Empire; what was the scale of this activity; how these activities generally influenced the lives of people in Judea and beyond. We will try to present our understanding of the third point (without claims to be exhaustive) in the near future in a special article.

How can you comment on the words about. Andrey Kuraev on the expulsion of the merchants from the temple by Christ, i.e. after all, why were they kicked out? "the exchanger in the temple was a) necessary; b) it was a product of religious logic, not greed. And therefore this act of Christ turned out to be all the more unexpected. And it was all the more strange that the enemies of Christ were, rather, the non-trading priests of that temple ( it is they who will soon pass judgment on Him) than the money changers. But He does not drive out the priests, but these merchants. In general, the actions and decisions of Christ are very unpredictable. " Svetlana.

Priest Anthony Skrynnikov answers:

Hello Svetlana!

There are several points of view as to why Christ did this. I stick with the following. As you know, traditional Israeli society was divided into four groups: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots. The latter were a closed society of terrorists who regularly revolted against Roman rule. Their last uprising ended very sadly. The Roman emperor Titus laid siege to Jerusalem and completely destroyed it.
To engage in subversive activities, both then and now, material resources are needed. And the zealots earned money for their activities by selling sacrificial animals in the Jerusalem temple. That is why the Lord says that His house has become a den of robbers. When he drove out the merchants, He drove out the robbers, not the sellers.
You can get acquainted with other points of view.

Respectfully yours, Priest Anthony Skrynnikov.

Gospel story

The described event is an episode of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. At the Passover feast in Jerusalem, the Jews were obliged to “ slay the passover lambs and offer sacrifices to God", In connection with which they drove the sacrificial cattle into the temple and set up shops to sell everything necessary for the sacrifices. There were also change offices: Roman coins were in common use, and taxes to the temple were legally paid by Jewish shekels.

The point of view of the Jews

From the Jewish point of view, Jesus could not drive out the merchants at all, since the exchange of money and trade were outside the Temple - on the Temple Mount.

Mark Abramovich. "Jesus, a Jew from Galilee":

The temple lived its own life, established by the laws of the Torah and consecrated by a thousand-year tradition. These laws were carefully followed. Numerous pilgrims, who filled the Temple from morning until late at night, were sent by the vigilant temple guards along the established path. The guards met everyone at the gate and gave the unfamiliar with the rules exact instructions on where and how to go, so as not to violate the sanctity of the place: with a sacrifice of animals - along the same path, to the altar, with a monetary offering - to the treasury. It was forbidden to enter the territory of the Temple with a wallet and with ordinary "everyday" money. Money was left at home, only donations were brought to the territory of the Temple and animals intended for sacrifice were brought. Therefore, all preliminary activities were carried out outside the Temple. The sacrificial animals were sold and bought at the Sheep Market, near the Sheep Gate, northwest of Anthony's Tower. A lot of people crowded there: they bargained, bought, using the advice of the Levites, animals for sacrifice. Right there, in the Sheep Pool (according to the Gospels "Bethesda"), the Levites thoroughly washed the sacrificial animals. Noise, din, shouts of merchants, bleating and bellowing of animals - in a word, an oriental bazaar.

On the Temple Mount (but not on the territory of the Temple!), In a special place chosen since ancient times, according to legend, near a high cypress there were cages with pigeons intended for sacrifice. Pigeons were in special demand, since they were available to the poorest people who wanted to sacrifice to the Lord: “If he is not able to bring sheep, then, as a tribute for his sin, let him bring to the Lord two turtledoves or two young doves, one for a sin offering, and another for a burnt offering "(Leviticus 5: 7). In fulfillment of another commandment: “This is the law of a peace sacrifice, which is brought to the Lord: if someone brings it in gratitude, then in the sacrifice of gratitude he must bring bread mixed with oil, and unleavened cakes anointed with oil, and wheat flour nourished with oil ... ”(Leviticus 7:11 - 12), oil was sold here, which was tested for ritual purity.

On the territory of the Temple, a solemn silence reigned, broken only by ritual exclamations of priests and prayers of pilgrims. Any transgressor would be immediately seized by the temple guards and roughly punished. It is inconceivable that someone could use a scourge to establish their own order on the territory of the Temple and expel anyone. To argue that money changers and merchants, and even more so oxen and sheep, could have been on the territory of the Temple - this means absolutely not knowing the laws!

The money changers, in all likelihood, belonged to the temple service, since it is difficult to imagine that the high priest would provide anyone with such a lucrative activity as the exchange of money. We have already said that the only legalized coin on the territory of the Temple was the shekel. The money changers were required to take their places on the Temple Mount (not in the Temple!) On the territory allocated for this three weeks before the onset of the main holidays: Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot (M Shkalim 13). Since the time of the construction of the Second Temple, a territory was specially allocated for this purpose, and this traditional situation did not cause any protest from any of the believers.

The plot in painting

Image Expulsion of the merchants from the temple became widespread in the visual arts, sometimes included in the cycle of the Passion of Christ. The action usually takes place in the portico of the Jerusalem Temple, from where Jesus, with a scourge from ropes, drives out the merchants and money changers.

Notes (edit)

Literature

Zuffi S. Episodes and characters of the Gospel in works of art. - M .: Omega, 2007. - ISBN 978-5-465-01501-1

Links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

The expulsion of merchants from the Temple

"And when He entered Jerusalem, the whole city began to move and said: Who is this? The people said: This is Jesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables money changers and benches selling doves, and he said to them: It is written, “My house will be called a house of prayer; and you have made it a den of robbers (Matt. 21: 10-13).

"They came to Jerusalem. Jesus, entering the temple, began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple; and overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those who sold doves; and did not allow anyone to carry any thing through the temple. And he taught them, saying: It is not written whether: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? and you have made it a den of robbers "(Mark 11:15:17).

"And when he approached the city, looking at it, he wept for it and said: oh, if only you knew on this day that you serve your world! But this is now hidden from your eyes, for they will come upon you. the days when your enemies will lay over you with trenches and surround you, and oppress you from everywhere, and ruin you, and beat your children in you, and leave no stone unturned in you because you did not recognize the time of your visit. into the temple, he began to drive out those selling and buying in it, saying to them: It is written: My house is a house of prayer, and you made it a den of robbers "(Luke 19:41:46).

"The Passover of the Jews was approaching, and Jesus came to Jerusalem and found that in the temple they were selling oxen, sheep and doves, and money changers were sitting. And making a whip of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple, also the sheep and oxen; He scattered them, and knocked over their tables. And he said to those who sold doves: Take this from here, and do not make My Father's house a house of commerce. At this, His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for Your house is eating me up. " (John 2: 13-19).

Was it a wandering preacher named Yeshua, the only one who saw the desecration of the Temple and foresaw its destruction? No.
The prophet Jeremiah, who lived six centuries before Jesus, speaks merciless words: “Do not rely on deceitful words:“ here is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. ”But if you completely correct your ways and your deeds, if you will correctly execute judgment between a person and a rival him, you will not oppress a foreigner, orphans and widows, and shed innocent blood in this place, and you will not follow other gods to your misfortune, then I will leave you to live in this place, on this land that I gave to your fathers in generations Behold, you are hoping for deceitful words that will not do you any good. face my face in this house, over which my name is called, and say: "we are saved" in order to continue to do all these abominations. Has not this house become a den of robbers in your eyes, over which my name is called? "(Jer. 7: 4-11).
Jesus' contemporaries "sons of light" also considered the Temple desecrated by the priests: "the last priests of Jerusalem, who collect riches and spoils from the plundered from the nations, but at the end of days their wealth, along with their booty, will be given into the hands of the Kitty army, for they are" the rest nations "...." God will condemn him (the impious priest) to destruction, as he (himself) planned to destroy the poor. And regarding the fact that he (the prophet Habakkuk) said: "For the blood of the city and violence against the country," it means: "the city" is Jerusalem, in which the wicked priest did vile deeds and desecrated the temple of God, and "violence against country "- these are the cities of Judea, in which he (the impious priest) robbed the property of the poor" (Com. on the book of Habakkuk).
Thirty years after Jesus, whose name was Yeshua in his native tongue, another Yeshua (a very interesting coincidence) announced that God would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. The Jewish authorities arrested this troublemaker, just like Christ, and handed him over to the Roman procurator, who scourged him, but released him, considering the preacher possessed by a demon or a sick person: “The following fact is even more significant. years before the war, when deep peace and complete prosperity reigned in the city, he arrived there for that holiday, when, according to custom, all Jews build tabernacles to honor God, and near the temple he suddenly began to proclaim: “A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from four winds, a voice crying over Jerusalem and the temple, a voice crying over grooms and brides, a voice crying over all the people! " Day and night he exclaimed the same thing, running through all the streets of the city. Some noble citizens, in annoyance at this ominous cry, seized him and punished him with blows very cruelly. But without saying anything in his defense, or especially against his torturers, he continued The representatives of the people thought, as it was and in reality, that this man was led by some higher power, and they brought him to the Roman procurator, but even there, being torn to the bone with whips, he did not utter a request for mercy, not a tear, but in the most pitiful voice he repeated only after each blow: "Woe to you, Jerusalem!" When Albin was so called, the procurator interrogated him: "Who is he, where and why is he crying out like that," he did not give any answer to this either and continued to call grief on the city. Albin, believing that this man was possessed by a special mania, let go his "(Jude. War book. 6. Ch. 5: 3).
Early traditions tell that Jesus not only went into conflict with Jewish teachers of the law, mainly the Pharisees and Sadducees, but criticized the central place of worship that unites the entire Jewish people, including pilgrims from different countries who come to worship and offer sacrifices. The temple was not only the concentration of the religious life of the Jews, but also political and, importantly, financial. Significant funds were received in the Jerusalem Temple. Every adult, free Jew both in Eretz Yisrael and in the Diaspora paid a temple tax - half a shekel. Wealthy people donated significant sums to the Temple. Caesar Augustus authorized the collection of the temple tax throughout the Roman Empire and send it to Jerusalem. Even rulers often covered temple expenses from the royal treasury and sent rich gifts to the Temple. Thus, Darius donated the money needed to complete the construction of the Second Temple and for regular temple sacrifices (Ezra 7: 20-23). Ptolemy Philadelphus presented the Temple with a golden table and magnificent golden vessels; Seleucus IV, like other Hellenistic rulers, allocated funds for regular temple sacrifices; Antiochus III donated twenty thousand shekels for sacrifices, large quantities of flour, grain, salt and building materials, including Lebanese cedar, needed to renovate the building. The Roman rulers also sent all kinds of gifts to the Temple.
Temple Square included not only the Temple building, but also administrative premises, warehouses and markets. The Temple trade was intended for pilgrims. The archaeological excavations of Professor B. Mazar convincingly proved that the tables of the money changers were located in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the temple. The money changers exchanged pilgrims' coins for the shekel, the only legitimate temple currency. The money changers were at their stalls three weeks before the start of the three holidays on which the pilgrims came - Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. Those who were unable to pay the tax were given an IOU. In addition to temple expenses, the money raised went to the city needs of Jerusalem. In the words of Josephus Flavius: "The Temple was the main repository of all Jewish wealth" (War 6: 282).
So, Jesus Christ accused the temple workers of deceiving and desecrating the Temple. Perhaps he saw a noisy bargaining, cheating money in relation to pilgrims who arrived from distant countries. The Jews who arrived from afar could not bring the sacrificial animals with them, so the temple attendants made it possible to purchase animals on the spot, but it was forbidden to buy them for Roman coins with the image of Caesar, it was necessary to exchange Roman money for temple shekels, hence the need for money changers.
At first glance, it can be assumed that Jesus was really a jealous of the Temple, which in the eyes of pilgrims (not only from among the people of Israel) served as the personification of the presence of the God of Israel, and also contributed to the attraction of foreigners, and a respectful attitude towards the religion of the Jews. And therefore, faced on the temple square with the exchange of Roman money for a temple shekel, accompanied by deception, heard the hum of cattle, which are being led to the slaughter, and numerous animal impurities, Jesus decided to cleanse the Temple of filth. He twisted a scourge from the ropes and drove out of the temple square the cattle intended for slaughter, demanded to remove the sacrificial pigeons and overturned the tables of the money changers. In doing so, he referred to his predecessor, the prophet Jeremiah.

However, the story of the expulsion of the merchants from the Temple, Jesus' jealousy about the Temple, contradicts our understanding of the thoughts and actions of this person. As far as is known, he was jealous of the spiritual Temple, strove for the perfection of the spirit, but did not admire the buildings created by human hands, believing that there was no point in investing in a business doomed to destruction: “And when he left the temple, one of his disciples told him “Teacher, look at what stones and what buildings!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings?
When asked by a Samaritan woman about a place of worship, Jesus talks about spiritual ministry:
"The woman says to Him: Lord, I see that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you say that the place where they should worship is in Jerusalem. Jesus says to her: believe Me that the time is coming when it is not on woe, and you will not worship the Father in Jerusalem. You do not know what you bow to, but we know what we bow to, for salvation is from the Jews. The Father seeks to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth "(John 4: 19-24).
The easiest way to judge is this: if such aggressive behavior contradicts the way of thinking of the main character of the chronicle, then the story is fictitious and cited as some kind of ideological factor or is an allegory that has an instructive meaning.
According to the synoptics - Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus entered the Temple and expelled the merchants after his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He was glorified as the king of the Jews, he entered the Temple as having authority and began by cleansing the Temple.
Peter in his epistle wrote that judgment will begin with the temple of God: "For the time has come for judgment to begin with the house of God; if it begins with us first, then what is the end of those who disobey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17) That is, "house of God" is a symbolic name for believers: "For you are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people "(2 Cor. 6:16).
John also hints at the symbolic meaning of the expulsion of the merchants:
"To this the Jews said: With what sign will You prove to us that you have the authority to do this? Jesus answered them: Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days. To this the Jews said: This temple was being built forty-six years, and You in three days will you raise it up? And He spoke of the temple of His body "(John 2: 18-21).

Many believe that Jesus was filled with a prophetic spirit and could not commit meaningless acts. He performs a symbolic act:
1. He shows the sign of a new era, which will not tolerate trade in a holy place.
2. The temple is the soul of the believer, and next to the divine there should be no self-interest, deception and vanity.
3. Purification will begin with those close to Holiness ie temple ministers or believers.

But such an interpretation does not prove that the story with the cleansing of the Temple is a fiction, on the contrary, confirms it, since an acceptable explanation for the strange action has been found.
And if we assume that the expulsion of cattle from the territory belonging to the Temple took place at an early stage in Jesus' activity, at a time when his knowledge of the truth did not reach the abstract understanding of perfection? At this time, he still believed in the divine presence in the holy place and was he really jealous of the desecration of holiness?
Often, pilgrims who come to the temple mountain and climb it, to this day (the author of these lines is no exception) feel a kind of delight, joy, comfort and peace, filled with special energy. It is curious that the radius in which such amazing things happen is very limited.
Mystics call such places - places of power.
Did Jesus act naively, hoping to change the state of affairs by expelling the traders? I do not deny that he was really jealous, as he treated the Temple with great reverence. This is evidenced by the story of Mark about how Jesus did not allow "to carry any thing through the temple" (Mark 11:16).
According to the treatise Berakhot, entry into the temple was prohibited with shoes on, carrying a stick, a bag, etc. "The premises of the temple should not serve as a shortcut for a person" (Berakhot IX5).
Even if at an early stage of his activity he was full of hope, but seeing the desecration of a unique place, Jesus indignant at the blindness of feelings and greed, completely unacceptable in relation to the shrine, decided to put an end to the atrocities encouraged by the high priests. However, faced with resistance to higher ideas, he realized that humanity is not ready to accept spiritual worship of God.

True, forecasters report that the expulsion of the merchants took place at the very end of Jesus' ministry, and was one of the reasons for the accusation before the Roman authorities: "They came to Jerusalem. Jesus, entering the temple, began to drive out those who sell and buy in the temple; He knocked over the doves, and did not allow anyone to carry any thing through the temple. And he taught them, saying: Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? And you made it a den of robbers. The scribes and the chief priests heard this, and they looked for a way to destroy Him, for they were afraid of Him, because all the people were amazed at His teachings "(Mark 11: 15-18).
Only John, by the way, is a direct witness of those events, reports that the expulsion of the merchants took place precisely at the early stage of the Preacher's activities. Like other evangelists, he says that this event took place on the eve of the first Passover of his ministry, and not the last.
"So Jesus laid the foundation for miracles in Cana of Galilee and showed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He came to Capernaum, Himself and His mother, and his brothers, and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days. The Passover of the Jews was approaching. And Jesus came to Jerusalem and found that in the temple they were selling oxen, sheep and doves, and the money changers were sitting. And making a scourge of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple, also the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the money of the money changers, and the tables overturned them "(John 2: 11-15).
So who is right, John or Matthew, Mark and Luke? Obviously, the forecasters used one source, since all three repeat a certain sequence:
1 - entered the temple, 2 - drove out the sellers, 3 - drove out the buyers, 4 - overturned the tables of the money changers, 5 - overturned the benches of the selling pigeons.
"And Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those who sold doves" (Matthew 21:12).
"Jesus, entering the temple, began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple; and overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those who sold doves ..." (Mark 11:15).
“And entering the temple, he began to drive out those who sold and bought in it” (Luke 19:45).
The sequence of actions in the Gospel of John is completely different and the description is more detailed. Some details are mentioned that are not reported by forecasters, for example: a scourge, sacrificial animals according to the importance of the sacrifice (oxen, sheep and pigeons), money changers.
1 - saw the sale of animals for sacrifices, 2 - saw the money changers, 3 - made a scourge, 4 - drove everyone out of the temple, 5 - drove out the sheep and oxen, 6 - scattered the money of the money changers, 7 - overturned the tables of the money changers.
"And he found that in the temple they were selling oxen, sheep and doves, and the money changers were sitting. And, making a whip of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple, also the sheep and oxen; and he poured out the money of the money changers, and overturned their tables" (Jn . 2: 14-15).
John informs about the correct sequence of actions - the expulsion of people in order to protect them from the fleeing oxen. Then the expulsion of the sheep, so that they would not suffer from the oxen, and then the oxen themselves.
Yet, when did Jesus expel the merchants from the Temple grounds? At the beginning of your ministry or at the end?
At first glance, it is quite logical to assume that it is at the end that the forecasters are right - the solemn entry into Jerusalem, the recognition of its powers by the people, the shouts of "Hosanna". And if no one prevented him from committing a pogrom in the Temple, it means that at that time he had the approval and support of the people.
But according to the Gospel of John, they did not know Jesus in Jerusalem, since he had not yet performed amazing deeds in Judea, they were known only in Galilee. Is it possible, without the support of the people, to come to the Temple, without meeting the resistance of the temple guards, to expel from there the merchants who had a legitimate right to their activities?
It can be assumed that they heard about the Preacher from John the Diver (Baptist), who confirmed his supreme authority and by the time of his arrival in Jerusalem Jesus was known to many: "And I saw and testified that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34) ...
Perhaps at that time the spiritual teachers of Israel assumed that he was possibly the expected Messiah and therefore approached him with caution, asking if he could confirm his authority with a sign. One of the most significant teachers of the law Nakdimon (Nicodemus) is sent to him to find out if he is really the same. Therefore, it is likely that the high priests did not allow the temple guards to intervene, not being sure who they were dealing with.
However, almost all gospel scholars believe that the expulsion took place at the end of Jesus' ministry and the forecasters are correct, not John. For violation of public order, the troublemaker should have been arrested and brought to trial, since any such provocation at that time and in that place was considered the cause of rebellion and disobedience. Therefore, the Roman authorities issued a decree to capture the troublemaker. The version deserves respect, and most likely it is correct, especially since it relies on the testimony of the three evangelists.
But due to the above reasons about the character and preaching of Jesus and the testimony of John, (a direct participant in the events, whose disciples wrote down the words of the teacher and, based on the memoirs of the apostle, compiled the gospel called from John), there is room for doubt.
It can be assumed that the expulsion of the merchants was not the only act, and there was a second act, precisely during the ceremonial entry into Jerusalem, which John did not report. But this is strange, because Jesus did not agree to expel the merchants every time. And why such a long period of time - almost three years from the first exile to the second.
One can fantasize, supposing that Jesus, expelling the merchants precisely at the beginning of his ministry, wanted to show the coming of a new time, was full of faith in the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God: "From that time Jesus began to preach and say: repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near" (Matt 4:17) "As you walk, preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 10:17).
At the end of his ministry, he realized that the coming of the Kingdom of God was postponed to a later date, since his preaching was rejected by Jerusalem, otherwise there would not have been so much sadness and disappointment in his words: “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! sent to you! how many times have I wanted to gather your children, like a bird her chicks under her wings, and you did not want! Behold, your house is left empty. I tell you that you will not see me until the time comes when you say: blessed is the One Coming in the name of the Lord! " (Luke 13: 34-35).
The exiled merchants most likely immediately returned to their places, since the temple ceremonial service is impossible without them. After that, Jesus more than once came to the Temple and no longer tried to drive them out. However, there is a rule: what cannot be improved is destroyed.
"And Jesus went out of the temple; and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. Jesus said to them: do you see all this? Truly I say to you, there will be no stone left here; everything will be destroyed" (Matt. 24: 1-2).
Forty years later, the prophecy came true ...