Portion For Reading Ezra 1-4 Cyrus and the Rise of Persia
Just as Babylon was weakened by internal dissension, a new threat emerged on the scene of world history. Cyrus the Persian had managed to unify warring tribes and by 550 had conquered the Median Empire. With the Medes and Persians now united, Cyrus launched an ambitious campaign to expand his holdings to the west. In spite of a Babylonian alliance with Egypt, Cyrus drove around the northern edges of Babylonian territory and pushed through Asia Minor to the Aegean Sea, shifting those areas from Babylonian to Persian control. Cyrus then returned to campaign to the east and south, and within a few years left Babylon surrounded and helpless.
Persian Rule and Return from Exile
Following his policy of allowing a great deal of freedom among conquered peoples, in 538 Cyrus issued the edict that allowed the Israelites to return home. He not only allowed those who wanted to return to do so, he ordered the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, the vessels that had been looted from the Temple returned, and even committed funds from his treasury to aid the project (Ezra 1:2-11, 6:3-5).
According to one set of traditions, the first return of Israelites to Palestine was led by Sheshbazzar, a Prince of Judah (Ezra 1:8, 11 5:14, 16), perhaps a son of Johaiochin who had been taken captive to Babylon (cf. 1 Chron 3:18). He was given some authority over the territory and proceeded to lay the foundations for the rebuilding of the Temple. Another set of traditions in Ezra 3:6-11 gives Zerubbabel credit for beginning laying the foundations, and never mentions Sheshbazzar. Most scholars conclude that those parts of the Ezra traditions, which are usually associated with the same traditions as the books of Chronicles, simply telescope the work of Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel.
The Leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah
We hear very little of events in Judah until the appointment of Nehemiah as governor. Again, chronology of this era is anything but certain, and we do not even know the relationship between Nehemiah and Ezra. We only know that sometime around 450-444, Ezra and Nehemiah brought some unity to the struggling community.
Just as Babylon was weakened by internal dissension, a new threat emerged on the scene of world history. Cyrus the Persian had managed to unify warring tribes and by 550 had conquered the Median Empire. With the Medes and Persians now united, Cyrus launched an ambitious campaign to expand his holdings to the west. In spite of a Babylonian alliance with Egypt, Cyrus drove around the northern edges of Babylonian territory and pushed through Asia Minor to the Aegean Sea, shifting those areas from Babylonian to Persian control. Cyrus then returned to campaign to the east and south, and within a few years left Babylon surrounded and helpless.
Persian Rule and Return from Exile
Following his policy of allowing a great deal of freedom among conquered peoples, in 538 Cyrus issued the edict that allowed the Israelites to return home. He not only allowed those who wanted to return to do so, he ordered the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, the vessels that had been looted from the Temple returned, and even committed funds from his treasury to aid the project (Ezra 1:2-11, 6:3-5).
According to one set of traditions, the first return of Israelites to Palestine was led by Sheshbazzar, a Prince of Judah (Ezra 1:8, 11 5:14, 16), perhaps a son of Johaiochin who had been taken captive to Babylon (cf. 1 Chron 3:18). He was given some authority over the territory and proceeded to lay the foundations for the rebuilding of the Temple. Another set of traditions in Ezra 3:6-11 gives Zerubbabel credit for beginning laying the foundations, and never mentions Sheshbazzar. Most scholars conclude that those parts of the Ezra traditions, which are usually associated with the same traditions as the books of Chronicles, simply telescope the work of Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel.
The Leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah
We hear very little of events in Judah until the appointment of Nehemiah as governor. Again, chronology of this era is anything but certain, and we do not even know the relationship between Nehemiah and Ezra. We only know that sometime around 450-444, Ezra and Nehemiah brought some unity to the struggling community.
Source:Dennis Bratcher