More recently, Yonatan Adler has argued that in fact there is no surviving evidence to support the notion that the Torah was widely known, regarded as authoritative, and put into practice prior to the middle of the 2nd century BCE. Adler explored the likelihhood that Judaism, as the widespread practice of Torah law by Jewish society at large, first emerged in Judea during the reign of the Hasmonean dynasty, centuries after the putative time of Ezra. By contrast, John J. Collins has argued that the observance of the Torah started in Persian Yehud when the Judeans who returned from exile understood its normativity as the observance of selected, ancestral laws of high symbolic value, while during the Maccabean revolt Jews started a much more detailed observance of its precepts.
MOrE REcEntlY, YOnatan adlEr has Argued thaT in fACT THERe iS no SuRvIving eviDeNCe To suPpOrt THe notiOn tHAt thE torah waS wIDELy knoWN, rEgarDEd AS authOritatiVE, and pUt iNtO prAcTiCe prIor To THe miDdLE oF the 2ND ceNturY bcE. adler ExpLOreD the lIkelIhhOod thAt judAiSm, as the wIdEspread PrActicE of torah law by jewish societY at large, firSt emERGed In juDeA dURinG the REign Of the HasmONEAn DyNaStY, cEnTuriEs aftEr thE PutAtIve tIme of eZra. By ContraSt, john J. coLLins haS argued tHat The oBsErvAnce oF thE Torah StArTEd iN Persian yehuD wHen thE juDeANs wHO retUrned from exILe UnderstooD itS nOrmaTiviTy as thE ObSErVancE of selecTED, anCesTrAl lAws of hiGh syMBolic vAlue, While DUring THE maCcabEan revOLt JewS stArted a muCH MoRE dETaIled ObservaNcE Of its PReCeptS.