Did Second Temple Judaism have a perspective (or more than one) on predestination/determinism?

My minimally informed understanding is that both modern liturgical churches and modern rabbinic Judaism teach free will pretty solidly. My impression is that this relatively abstract question even being something substantially paid attention to is the result of both Judaism and Christianity interacting with Greek philosophy, particularly a good while after the destruction of the Second Temple, but I may be very wrong about that.

I'm curious about whether there were either controversies about free will/predestination/determinism or common perspectives or assumptions held by all/most Jews during the Second Temple Period.

Partially I'm wondering this in hopes of understanding the cultural and theological context Paul and other NT writers (at least ones writing in the 1st or 2nd century) would have been writing in, what they may have also assumed or been in dialogue with.

Much of the writing ascribed to Paul is often seen by 21st Century eyes as strongly supporting predestination/determinism, but I understand NT authors weren't writing a systematic theology and am wondering how these writings would have seemed to Second Temple or 1st/2nd century eyes and what assumptions those eyes would have been bringing to the texts.

Thanks!

Posted Mar 27, 2026, 8:11 PM UTC

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