Page 81 - Biblical Backgrounds

goddesses through prayers and sacrifices. Diviners also took center stage predominantly in temples and
royal courts with their personal gods. (Dan. 2:10) It appears the Jews were able to maintain their own
forms of worship because of this tolerance of personal religion.

Meanwhile, God raised men such as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who openly denounced
the worship of other gods besides Jehovah to be an example and encouragement to the Hebrew people.
Through His designated faithful leaders, Jehovah preserved the religion of His people. The synagogue
probably originated during the Exile in Babylonia. It may have begun as a gathering for communal
worship and mutual support and perhaps for observance of the Sabbath and Hebrew religious festivals.
We get some idea of what happened behind the scenes from Ezekiel 8:1, when Ezekiel was with the
elders of Judah in his house, or when Ezekiel was “among the captive by the River Chebar” (Ezekiel
1:1) 110

Social life

The king and his officials obviously stood at the apex of society. Two great social divisions dominated
Babylonian society and, in the country, at large during the Neo-Babylonian Empire. One division was
between free persons and slaves, and the other between temple personnel and laypersons. 111 The main
social markers in the Babylonian society were as follows: occupation, housing, diet, and clothing.
Temples occupied nearly half of Babylonia. The day-to-day operations of temples were a big deal.
Temple officers were influential and could sometimes even find themselves among the King’s officials.
Farmers rented Temple farms. Temple slaves worked in temple farms, but some private slaves worked in
industrial or business establishments of their masters. Young slave girls commonly worked as house
maids or concubines for the master or an adult son. Private slaves who had wealthy masters and good
relations with them enjoyed better lives than temple slaves or even some freepersons. An average
freeperson involved themselves with crafts or other professions within a limited range of choices.

A son generally followed in his father’s footsteps, and he learned the trade from his father, or possibly
by an apprenticeship arrangement with another. From Daniel 1:4, it can be concluded that formal
education was available in Babylonia. This seems to be mainly meant for those who took care of
government business, foreign relations, and royal representation. Temples and religious systems also
seem to provide formal education, but there is scant evidence.

Building materials and the sizes of houses often distinguished the rich from the poor. Usually, bigger
courtyards and houses indicated a big family. Big, well-built houses, however, were an indication of
wealth. Two-story buildings were spotted mainly in towns. Houses of the wealthy were built using burnt
bricks. These bricks and sometimes bitumen made up the floors. Unburnt bricks and mud were the main
building materials for the poor. These easily crumbled, which could explain why there are not many
excavations for these kinds of settlements. Although not many Hebrews lived in Babylon, these housing
standards applied almost everywhere across Babylonia. Hebrew artisans undoubtedly made significant
contributions to the design and creation of household utensils and furniture.

110 Ibid
111 Ibid

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