exile into the land
God's people living in Judah had been carried into exile by the Babylonians. They went in several waves, until there were only a few people left to care for the land. The Temple and the city of Jerusalem had been completely destroyed (587 BCE). In 539 BCE the Persian Empire led by Cyrus overwhelmed the Babylonians and ended their domination of the Near East. The Persians were much more tolerant of the native religions of the people living in their Empires. Because of this the Jews living in exile were not only allowed to return home and rebuild, but they were assisted in so doing.
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah recount this return. They detail the difficulties and the joys. The issue with these two books is that their chronologies are not always accurate and portions of one are often contained in the other.
In addition to Ezra and Nehemiah there are several prophetic books, or portions of books which are believed to have been written either as the exiles returned home or after they had reestablished themselves in the land. All of these will be examined in this section.
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah recount this return. They detail the difficulties and the joys. The issue with these two books is that their chronologies are not always accurate and portions of one are often contained in the other.
In addition to Ezra and Nehemiah there are several prophetic books, or portions of books which are believed to have been written either as the exiles returned home or after they had reestablished themselves in the land. All of these will be examined in this section.