65. B.C. 535 to 516

B.C. 535 to 516

ChapterII

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l. Animated by the impressions thus made upon his mind, Cyrus, in the very year that Babylon was taken, issued a decree, in which, after acknowledging the supremacy of the Lord, and that to Him he owed all his kingdoms, he gave full permission to the Jews, in any part of his dominions, to return to their own land, and to rebuild the city and Temple of Jerusalem. No sooner were the favorable dispositions of the king thus made known, than the members of the later captivity—those of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi—repaired in large numbers to Babylon from their different places of residence; some to make preparations for their journey; and others, who had no intention to return themselves, to assist those who had. Most of the existing race had been born in Babylonia, and in the course of years families had established themselves in the country, and formed connections, and gathered around them comforts which were not easily abandoned. Hence, only a zealous minority were disposed to avail themselves of the decree in their favor: the great bulk of the people choosing to remain in the land of their exile; and it has always been the opinion of the Jews, that the more illustrious portion of their nation remained in Chaldea.

2. The first return caravan was organized and directed by Zerubbabel, the grandson of king Jehoiachin, and by Jeshua, a grandson of the last high-priest Jozadak. The number of persons who joined them was about 50,000, including above 7000 male and female servants. Before they departed, Cyrus caused to be restored to them the more valuable of the sacred utensils, which had been removed by Nebuchadnezzar, and preserved by his successors, and which were now destined to be again employed in the service of the sanctuary. Zerubbabel was also entrusted with large contributions towards the expense of rebuilding the Temple, from the Jews who chose to remain behind. The beasts of burden in this caravan exceeded eight thousand. In the book of Ezra, the names of the families which returned in this first colony, and in those which followed are carefully given.

3. The incidents of the journey are not related. On reaching Palestine, the caravan repaired at once to Jerusalem, which they found utterly ruined and desolate. Before they separated to seek habitations for themselves, they raised a large sum by voluntary contributions towards the rebuilding of the Temple. They then employed themselves in securing dwellings and necessaries for their families; and at the ensuing Feast of Tabernacles again repaired to Jerusalem; where sacrifices were offered on an altar erected upon the ruins of the Temple. After this the people applied themselves zealously to the necessary preparations for the restoration of that edifice. In a year from the departure from Babylon the preparations were sufficiently advanced to allow the work to be commenced; and, accordingly, the foundations of the second Temple were then laid with great rejoicings and songs of thanksgiving. While the work proceeded, the Samaritans manifested a desire to assist in the work, and to claim a community of worship in the new Temple. This was declined by the Jews, on the ground that the decree of the Persian king extended only to the race of Israel.

4. Being thus frustrated in their design, the Samaritans employed every means they could devise to thwart the undertaking. Their origin appears to have given them considerable influence at the Persian court, and although they could not act openly against the plain decree of Cyrus, an unscrupulous use of their money and influence among the officers of the government enabled them to raise such obstructions that the people were much discouraged, and the work proceeded but languidly, and at length was suspended altogether. This was one cause of the enmity which always afterwards subsisted between the Jews and the Samaritans. The suspension of the work commenced in the time of Cyrus, and continued through the reigns of Cambyses and Smerdis, to the second year of Darius Hystaspes. In this long interval the people gradually lost all heart for the work, and were disposed to conclude that the set time for it had not yet arrived. From this lethargy they were roused by the exhortations and reproaches of the prophet Haggai; and the building was resumed with fresh zeal. This zeal was indeed somewhat damped by the discouraging regrets of the old men, who had seen in their youth the Temple of Solomon, and who clearly perceived that this would be a far inferior building. But to obviate this discouragement the prophet Haggai was commissioned to declare that the ultimate glory of this second Temple should greatly exceed that of the first—not by greater splendor of fabric, but by the presence within its walls of the Messiah, so long expected and foretold—“the desire of all nations.” Hag 2:1-9.

5. The renewal of the work roused afresh the opposition of the Samaritans, whose representations induced Tatnai, the Persian governor of Syria, to write home for instructions, stating that the Jews alleged the authority of a decree of Cyrus for their proceedings. The result was happy; for, after some search, the decree was found. It not only authorized the erection of the Temple, but directed the local government to afford assistance and supplies, which the Jews had not ventured to require, but which the rescript of Darius now commanded to be given. Under the impulse thus imparted the work proceeded with spirit; and, four years after, it was completed. The dedication was celebrated with great solemnity and joy; and soon after, it was made fit for the old ritual worship, which was resumed at the ensuing pass over.

6. The Jews being now in some sense restored to their own land, it is proper to mention the footing on which they stood as a people. Like all the surrounding nations, they were under tribute to the Persians, and subject to the general policy of that government. They appear to have been favorably considered by it, at first on account of Daniel, and afterwards on account of the hatred of idolatry which was common to the Jews and to the Persians.[*] They were allowed the free exercise of their religion and laws, and the internal government was directed by a governor of their own nation, or by the high-priest when there was no other governor. There was, in fact, a distinct commonwealth, with its own peculiar institutions; and although responsible to the Persian king, and to his deputy the governor-general of Syria, it was more secure under the protection of the Persian monarchy than, considering its feeble condition, it would have been in complete independence. With regard to religion, the dreadful lesson taught by the desolation of the land, the destruction of the Temple, and the captivity of the people, had effectually cured the Jews of that tendency to idolatry which had been their ruin. But, as time went on, the distortion of character which had been restrained in one direction broke forth in another; and although they no longer went formally astray from a religion which did not suit their carnal minds, they, by many vain and mischievous fancies, fabricated a religion suited to their own dispositions out of the ritual to which they formally adhered.

[*] The Persians worshipped the sun as a symbol of the Deity, and the fire as a symbol of the sun. They could not endure idolatrousimages.

7. Sacred Writers—The prophet Haggai was the first of the three prophets who were commissioned to make known the will of God to the Jews after their return from captivity. He is supposed to have been born at Babylon, and to have returned with Zerubbabel, under the edict of Cyrus. The object of his prophesy was to stimulate the building of the Temple—Zechariah was also one of the returned exiles; and his prophesies were delivered at the same time, and with the same object. He also speaks of more remote times—the coming of Christ, and the Roman war.

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