You asked

what specific 'middle wall' was paul referring to in the temple that symbolized this division?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Ephesians 2:14

“For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, the enmity,”

Paul is writing to new followers of Jesus in Ephesus, likely around 60-62 CE, many of whom were not Jewish. He's explaining how their past separation from God and from Jewish people has been overcome through Jesus.

How might our understanding of reconciliation shift if we consider the 'middle wall' as not only a physical barrier but also an internal, relational one?

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Read alongside it

Acts 10:28
Peter's vision and visit to Cornelius illustrate the breaking down of social and religious barriers between Jews and Gentiles.
Galatians 3:28
Paul's assertion that 'there is no Jew nor Greek' further emphasizes the unity found in Christ, transcending identity categories.
Isaiah 56:7
This Old Testament prophecy foresees a future where God's house will be a 'house of prayer for all peoples,' hinting at universal inclusion.

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