THE JEWS AFTER THE EXILE

1. It had been foretold by Jeremiah that the Jews would be allowed to return from captivity after a period of seventy years (Jer. 25:12). Isaiah had named Cyrus as the deliverer (Isa. 44:28). It is not improbable that he was induced to make his decree permitting them to return through the influence of the prophet Daniel, and it may well be that he was informed of Isaiah's prophecy. It was not only a good policy to so treat the peoples whom he conquered as to gain their good will, but there would be an advantage in having a friendly people on the frontier of his dominions. So the Jews were permitted to settle again in their own land.

The seventy years mentioned in the prophecy of Jeremiah is better understood as a round number, and not an exact one, just as in other instances seventy is named where we must suppose it used as a general number, perhaps equivalent to a generation.¹

The chief purpose in the return of the Jews as mentioned in the edict of Cyrus was to rebuild the temple. They were not to be an independent people, but were to be subject to the Persian power. They were given all needed help to accomplish this religious work.

2. Those who returned to Jerusalem according to the edict of Cyrus were evidently prompted by their feelings of fidelity to Jehovah. Some may have gone because of the hope of material gain, but the record is that those who were prompted to build the house of Jehovah went. It would not be just to conclude that all who remained were indifferent to the cause of Jehovah; for afterward there were some anxious about the honor of Jehovah who were still in Babylon. It is not possible to determine what proportion of the Jews remained away from their own land, but it is probable that many did. Their leader was Zerubbabel — called also Sheshbazzar. Some members of the northern tribes returned with the Jews, but not as tribes.

There is some difficulty in the genealogy of Zerubbabel. He was probably the descendant of David, but not the descendant of Solomon. He is named the son of Shealtiel because he succeeded him as the head of the royal line. No descendant of David was actual king of Judah after the exile. Zerubbabel was governor but not king.

3. Cedar for the temple was obtained from the Lebanon range as it had been in the days of Solomon. This was according to the grant of Cyrus. The altar was built and sacrifices offered before the temple was begun. When the foundations were laid there was great rejoicing among the Jews, but some mourned as they remembered the splendor of the temple that had been destroyed. Jeshua, or Joshua, was associated with Zerubbabel in this work of building.² Soon after the work was begun those dwelling in Samaria asked to be allowed to share in it on the ground that they were worshipers of the same God. They were refused, and then showed continued hostility to the Jews.

The Samaritans were a mixed race. It is probable that some Israelites remained in the land when Samaria was taken by Sargon. Afterward there were colonies brought from the East and placed in Samaria. These were idolatrous, though it is said they feared Jehovah, while at the same time they worshiped idols. The hatred between the Jews and Samaritans originated at this time. It is not improbable that among the enemies of the Jews at this period were some who had taken possession of the land belonging to Judah, and who consequently would not wish to see the Jews restored to their former power.

4. Cyrus died 529 B. C. After the decree authorizing the return of the Jews, he seems to have been engaged in establishing his widely extended power. His son Cambyses succeeded him, and was engaged most of his reign, 529-522, with his campaign in Egypt. He is regarded as identical with the Ahasuerus, mentioned in Ezra 4:6. He was succeeded by Gomates, who pretended that he was Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, whom Cambyses had secretly murdered. He is regarded as identical with the Artaxerxes mentioned in Ezra 4:7. It is probable that he assumed the latter title when he usurped the throne. He ruled but a short time, and was succeeded by Darius, son of Hystaspes, whose reign continued from 521 until 486 B. C. He was a mighty and just ruler. He extended the dominion of the Persian power far beyond what had been gained by Cyrus. This is the Darius who was defeated by the Greeks at Marathon. The appeals of the enemies of the Jews to Smerdis (Artaxerxes) resulted in a decree from that ruler forbidding the work of rebuilding to continue. How much it had been hindered before this time it is not easy to determine. It is possible that it might have been pushed with more zeal than was actually shown; for the Jews are condemned for giving more attention to their own houses than to the temple of Jehovah.

5. The two prophets Haggai and Zechariah were influential in getting the Jews to resume the work on the temple. The exact dates of the prophecies of Haggai are given, and we can see how soon the people responded to his exhortations. The Jews had not only become discouraged because of the opposition of their enemies, but they began to lose faith in the fulfillment of those promises made by the earlier prophets. They did not appreciate the fact that God's blessing had been withheld from them because of their neglect of his worship. The success of the new undertaking was assured because Darius repeated the decree of Cyrus when appealed to by the enemies of the Jews, and commanded the earnest help of all concerned in the matter.

Both Artaxerxes and Darius rely upon documents found in the government archives to guide them in their decision about the Jews; the one found that the city of Jerusalem had in former times rebelled against the authority of the power in Mesopotamia; the other found the decree that Cyrus had made. These facts are of great interest in showing with what care government affairs were recorded. The archives of the Babylonians were not destroyed at the accession of the Persians.

6. The temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius, 515 B. C. About fifty -seven years after this Ezra went from Babylon to Jerusalem in order that he might secure the Letter observance of the Law among the Jews, he being especially familiar with its teachings. A large number of Jews went with him. He was given authority to appoint judges and magistrates who should see that the Law was enforced. It seems from his course after arriving at Jerusalem that he was not so much concerned with the observance of the ceremonial law of sacrifices, as with those regulations by which the Jews were to be distinguished as a separate people. It is to be observed that the people recognized their obligation to obey the Law which Ezra urged upon them. It was not some unheard of thing. The, confess that they had transgressed.

The act of the people at this time in putting away their strange wives was a most significant one. It shows how thoroughly they had learned the lesson taught by the captivity. They recognize now more readily than in earlier times the necessity of strict obedience to what Jehovah required of them. From this time they held firmly to the belief that they were to be a separate people, even going sc far afterward in this view as to suppose that God was little concerned about any people but themselves.

The Artaxerxes who was ruling over the Persian kingdom at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, was Artaxerxes Longimanus, son of Xerxes the Great. The latter had succeeded his father, Darius, 486, and ruled until 465, when he in turn was succeeded by Artaxerxes. The latter reigned until 425 B. C. It may be that the Egyptian revolt from Persian supremacy in his reign led him to accede to the wishes of Ezra and Nehemiah, since a strong friendly power on his frontier would be serviceable to him.

7. Nehemiah received permission to go to Jerusalem in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes. His purpose in going was to build the walls of the city. It is claimed by some that these had been rebuilt after the return of the exiles under Zerubbabel, but there is no proof of this, and it seems that there had been no attempt, up to the visit of Nehemiah, to do anything more than to restore the religious institutions of Israel. The object of Nehemiah is rather the restoration of the political status of the people. He did not seek to make them independent of the Persian power, but to remove the disgrace of their weak condition in the eyes of those about them. It is worthy of note that Nehemiah, though a Jew, occupied a prominent position in the Persian court. He had permission to be absent from his office twelve years (Neh. 2:1, 6; 13:6). At the end of that time he returned, and after some time, perhaps some years, he again went to Jerusalem.

The weakness of the Jews is clearly shown in the difficulty they had in building the walls in the face of the opposition from their persistent enemies. The Jews at this time see in to have regarded it more desirable to live elsewhere than at Jerusalem. To offer to live there was a special favor.

8. Nehemiah found other things demanding his attention besides the walls of the city. Abuses similar to those mentioned in the book of Ezra had appeared again, so that it was necessary to rebuke those who had intermarried with the heathen. The desecration of the Sabbath was likewise corrected by him. The lack of the people in supporting the priests and Levites was rebuked, and a covenant made to faithfully bring all the offerings demanded by the Law. Nehemiah shares with Ezra the honor of having checked the tendency of the Jews after their return to depart again from Jehovah. Had it not been for the work done by these two men it is difficult to say what might have been the fate of this chosen people.

9. According to a Jewish tradition Ezra did much toward the collection and preservation of the books of the Old Testament. These claims are not altogether trustworthy, yet it is quite likely that he was largely concerned with the arrangement of the books as we have them. It is quite evident that the Israelites had long before this time taken a deep interest in their sacred books. There is no reason for doubting that they had distinguished them from other writings from the first. The final isolation of these writings, and the formation of the Old Testament canon, took place soon after the days of Ezra, if indeed he did not himself accomplish this.

In addition to closing the canon of the Old Testament, the Jewish tradition asserts that Ezra reproduced all the writings of the Old Testament which had been destroyed by the captivity, and that he added the vowel points to the Hebrew language. There is no reason to suppose that any of the inspired writings were lost by the captivity; and it is certain that the vowels were not added to the Hebrew writing until after the sixth century A. D.

10. At the close of the period of the history of the Israelites covered by the historical books the chosen people are subjects of the Persian power, having little strength to con tend even against the smaller powers about them. Only comparatively few of them were dwelling on the land given chem. for an inheritance. The rest were scattered widely, very many living in the country of their captivity. Those in Judea at least had been led to be zealous for the Law. The influential order of scribes had arisen who were destined to have a marked control over the future of this people. The germs of the religious sects, afterward to play so important a part in the history of the Jews, had already begun to grow. The line of the prophets was ended. Four centuries were to pass before God would reveal himself more fully in Christ.

SUMMARY.

1. Decree of Cyrus permitting Jews to return. The seventy years a round number; chief object of return to build the temple.

2. Those returning prompted by zeal for Jehovah; number left; Zerubbabel's descent.

3. The temple begun; source of material; foundation laid; Samaritans' request refused. Who the Samaritans were. Hatred generated and confirmed.

4. Succession of Persian rulers; Cyrus; Cambyses; Gomates; Darius. Building hindered; lack of zeal.

5. Work of Haggai and Zechariah; causes of discouragement; Darius' favor. Persian documents.

6. Ezra goes to Jerusalem; his work; wrongs corrected. Separation from foreigners. Reign of Artaxerxes.

7. Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem; his chief work; his office. The weakness of the Jews.

8. Reforms by Nehemiah; intermarriage; Sabbath desecration; neglect of priests.

9. Traditions about Ezra; collection of the canon. Untrustworthy traditions.

10. Condition of people at close of Old Testament; politically; religiously.

1) Cf. Isa, 23:15.

2) Cf. Ezra 3:2; Matt. 1:12 and 1 Chron 3:19.