Bible Overview
Israel’s Return
The temple is rebuilt
[Ezra]
In
Cyrus’
first
year
of
reign
in
Babylon,
he
makes
a
proclamation
to
permit
the
Israelites
to
return
to
Jerusalem
and
rebuild
the
temple.
Among the thousands who return is Ezra, a priest and descendant of Aaron.
Th
e
Samaritans,
having
been
refused
their
offer
to
help,
make
trouble
for
the
Israelites
with
the
result
that
Artaxerxes
commands
the
Israelites
to
stop
their
building
work.
Encouraged
by
the
prophets
Haggai
and
Zechariah,
the
Israelites
resume
building
the
temple
and Darius issues a fresh decree enabling the works to be completed over the next four years.
Having
returned
to
Babylon
at
some
point,
Ezra,
supported
by
a
decree
from
Artaxerxes,
along
with
the
provision
of
finances,
prepares
to
go
to
Jerusalem
for
a
second
time
to
teach
and
re-establish
the
priestly
system
of
judges
and
God’s
laws.
Israel
is
now
able
to return to her full way of spiritual life.
Many
of
the
Israelites
had
married
foreign
wives,
expressly
forbidden
by
their
law.
Ezra
is
grieved
and
confesses
their
sins
to
God
with
shame
and
embarrassment.
A
proposal
is
made
that
those
who
have
married
foreign
wives
should
divorce
them
and
separate
themselves from them and their children. Those who separate from their foreign wives and children are recorded in the book of Ezra
.
The walls and gates are rebuilt
[Nehemiah]
About
eleven
years
after
Ezra
had
gone
to
Jerusalem,
its
walls
and
gates
are
still
in
the
same
condition
as
when
Nebuchadnezzer
had
left them. Artaxerxes gives Nehemiah, his cup bearer, permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild them.
The walls and gates
now being completed, Ezra reads the book of the law from a pulpit along with thirteen Levites.
Nehemiah
governs
Jerusalem
for
about
twelve
years
before
returning
to
the
court
of
Artaxerxes
in
Babylon.
Some
time
later
he
comes back to Jerusalem and has to adopt strong measures to deal with abuses that have arisen.
Extermination of the Jews prevented
[Esther]
Looking
back
to
the
time
when
the
first
wave
of
people
returned
to
Jerusalem
under
Zerubbabel,
and
before
the
second
wave
with
Ezra,
Ahasuerus,
king
of
Persia,
had
held
a
great
feast
for
all
the
dignitaries
of
his
kingdom.
Queen
Vashti
refuses
his
request
to
appear
unveiled
and
is
consequently
deposed.
A
new
queen
is
sought
and
twelve
months
later
Esther
is
chosen.
From
her
position
as
queen,
she is able to foil a plot by Haman to exterminate the Israelites, resulting in Haman’s execution.
Because
their
law
did
not
allow
a
decree
to
be
cancelled,
a
new
decree
is
made
giving
the
Israelites
authority
to
defend
themselves
and even to slay those that rise against them, enabling them to survive the plot.
This is celebrated today by the Jews as the festival of Purim.