The Psalms were an important part of Jewish religious heritage. Their language could be used in worship, prayer, pilgrimage, thanksgiving, and times of distress.
Second Temple Judaism also produced additional hymns and songs, showing that religious poetry remained a living tradition.
Biblical psalmody originated over many centuries and became part of Israel's Scriptures. Temple worship had a strong musical tradition, while Second Temple writings demonstrate continued composition and use of hymnic material.
People could hear, remember, recite, or sing sacred poetry in communal and personal settings. The Psalms provided language suitable for many experiences of life.
Manuscripts from the Judean Desert preserve biblical Psalms and other hymnic compositions. Archaeology itself tells us less about exactly how ordinary villagers performed them.
The biblical Psalter, Second Temple manuscripts, Josephus, and the New Testament attest the continuing importance of psalms and praise.
The Book of Psalms contains songs of praise, lament, thanksgiving, royal hope, pilgrimage, repentance, and confidence in God.
The Gospels quote and allude to the Psalms repeatedly. Jesus and His disciples sing a hymn after the Last Supper before going to the Mount of Olives.
Psalms were deeply embedded in Jewish religious culture and were used in worship and devotion during the Second Temple period.
We cannot reconstruct the exact musical style or determine how frequently particular psalms were sung in every local synagogue.
Knowing the Psalms helps readers recognize the scriptural language that surrounds Jesus' ministry, suffering, worship, and messianic claims.