Purity

• Divisions of impurity
Impurities can naturally be divided according to their sources. In addition, several other divisions are being upheld: permitted and prohibited, ritual and moral, very and slightly contagious, cotagious by touching or contact (air etc.) and otherwise contagious.

Some questions pursued:
— Perceptions of the different divisions in the second temple Judaism.
— Philo’s rationales on ritual impurities.
— Impurities not contagious by contact.

• Purity without the temple
The ultimate source of purity was the temple. In many cases, however, additional means  of purification were needed that were not dependent on the temple, physically at least. And  sometimes temple was not required at all.

Some questions pursued:
— Miqveot not in the vicinity of the temple.
— Purity at Qumran.
— Purity halakhot not based on the Torah.

• Purity at the eschatological age
The eschatological age would see purity enhanced and enlarged beyond its usual properties and areas. Thereby, the Jewish particularism, largely upheld through the purity paradigm, would open up to yield to the universalistic tendencies of Judaism.

Some questions pursued:
— “The salvaged will be pure” or “The pure will be salvaged”.
— The role of the altar and other means of purification.
— K^enaʿani of Zecharias 14.