1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom, and also in a written edict declared- 2 ‘Thus says King […]
From the point of view of Judaism as a religion, there can be no doubt of the historical importance of the restoration of the sacrificial ritual in approximately 520 B.C.E. Written soon after the destruction of the First Temple, the Book of Ezekiel held up the dream of a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, including an enlarged Temple complex, […]
Shortly after 538 B.C.E. the Davidic scion Sheshbazzar set out from Babylon at the head of a group of returning Judeans and soon arrived in the Land of Israel. He apparently had the title pehah, governor, as did his successor, Zerubbabel. Sheshbazzar must have immediately taken steps to begin rebuilding the Temple, but the Bible credits Zerubbabel with […]
In the fall of 539 B.C.E., Cyrus (II) the Great, already king of Persia and Medea, vanquished the Babylonian army and gained control of the entire area of Mesopotamia. He immediately adopted a policy which was to be characteristic of his reign – he encouraged the repatriation of exiles and the rebuilding of shrines, motivated by a benevolence which […]
From Text to Tradition Historical and Archaeological Background Political Affairs The Second Temple Historical Surveys James D. Purvis, and Eric Meyers. “Exile and Return- From the Babylonian Destruction to the Reconstruction of the Jewish State.” Primary sources Ezra 1-1-4- Inaugurating the Return from Babylonia The Declaration of Cyrus – The Rebuilding of Ancient Shrines Ezra […]
Overview- Jews in the Persian Period (520-332 BCE) Historical Background and Political History (520-332 BCE) Jewish Literature and Culture in the Persian Period (520-332 BCE) Jewish-Samaritan Relations (520 BCE-7th Century CE)
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down, there we grieved, when we remembered Zion. –Psalm 137 Would the religion of Israel survive the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and Judea in 586 BCE? Were the leaders of Judea, taken into exile in a distant land, destined to diminish and disappear—as was the case of […]