jgress wrote:According to rabbinical law, all Jews are ritually unclean since no sacrifices are being made on their behalf. That's the motivation for rebuilding the temple. I think the rabbis have traditionally been against rebuilding it because of uncertainty over where the Holy of Holies lies, and they interpret the Messianic prophecies to mean that the Messiah will instruct them how to rebuild the Temple. It was the Muslims who obliterated most of the Temple ruins; before the Muslims conquered Jerusalem, I think you could still tell from the ruins where the Holy of Holies was located. The Christian rulers left the ruins alone as a sign of the passing of the Old Law, though they forbade the Jews from rebuilding the Temple. The Jews did attempt to rebuild it under Julian the Apostate, but they were prevented from completing it by an earthquake.
Are you sure about this, Jonathon? I was taught that "ritually unclean" referred to certain animals, dead bodies, menstruating women, etc. A Jew is made unclean by contact with one of these things, but this is a temporary state. For example, a menstruating woman is clean after her period is over and she takes a mikvah(ritual bath). I don't think the Kohanim are considered unclean unless they violate one of these purity laws.
Also, wasn't there a second temple in Samaria during Our Saviour's time on earth? This is why the Samaritans and the Jews were enemies. Maybe the Samaritans could rebuild their temple as well.