Most of what is known about the history of the Jews between the Fall of Babylon in 538 B.C.E., when Cyrus conquered Babylon and 457 B.C.E. when Ezra came to Jerusalem, is known from the book of Ezra the scribe. (Ezra was probably the author of I, II Chronicles as well as the book of Ezra). Ezra records Cyrus' decree of 538 which allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple:

Added details of the decree of Cyrus, evidently not part of his public proclamation but added to the official record are given in Ezra 6:3-5:

The majority of Jews living in Babylon were prosperous and assimilated and unwilling to undertake the hardship and danger of moving back to their ruined homeland. Ezra tells us that 42,360 Jews chose to return plus 7,3000 servants, and 200 singers; 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. (2:64-66). With them went some of the sacred temple vessels, 1000 basins of gold, 1000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 30 bowls of gold, 2,410 bowls of silver, and a thousand other (major) vessels - totaling 5,469 in all (1:9-11).

According to their ability the Jews contributed to the treasury 277,550 ounces of silver and 6,250 pounds of silver (2:69) for the treasury. This would be about $5-80 million at today's prices.

The journey is 530 direct miles, but about 900 miles by road and took about 4 months, (7:8-9). The route was dangerous because of robbers and marauding groups. After the Jews arrived in Jerusalem they "gathered as one man" And,

The altar was erected on the first day of the seventh month which is the beginning of the Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1-6), an interesting foreshadowing of Israel's final regathering.

The temple foundation was laid some months later:

As is always the case, the work of God in the world always meets with opposition from the Enemy, no matter what form it takes, or the period of history. Ezra recorded four different attempts originating in the counsels of Satan to stop the work. First, Samaritan enemies of Benjamin and Judah tried to join the work force and to undermine the efforts. When this attempt failed, these enemies mounted a campaign of discouragement. Next the enemies of Israel wrote letters to Xerxes I (Ahasuerus) and his successor Artaxerxes I Longimanus (who later followed Cyrus, Cambyses and Darius I Hystaspes as successors to the throne of Persia). Finally force was even used. Work on the temple was stopped for 16 years (until 520 B.C.E.).

Stirred up and encouraged by the prophet Haggai, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, the elders of the Jews were able to obtain a written reversal of the order to stop work, and in fact a new decree from Darius allowing the work to proceed and in fact providing the Jews with tax revenues for their work:

Haggai's exhortations delivered between August and December, 520 B.C.E. challenged the people to put the building of the temple above their own home building:

The Greater Glory of the Second Temple

In his second of four messages to the people Haggai that assured that the very modest temple they were building would enjoy a greater glory and importance than the splendid Temple of Solomon which preceded it:

Malachi the prophet, a contemporary of Haggai, predicted that the Messiah of Israel would come into this very temple bringing it honor and glory beyond the wealth that can be measured in gold or silver. Christians believe that Malachi's prophecy has a double fulfillment the first of which took place when Jesus led by his forerunner John the Baptist came to this temple:

The temple was completed four years later, in 515. God was pleased with the newly built Second Temple in spite of its modest size and beauty. Once again He again took up His abode with His people. However this Temple was without the Ark of the Covenant. A seven branched Menorah stood in the Holy place instead of the ten lamp stands in Solomon's Temple.

Artist's sketch of Herod's Temple looking Northwest (from an old Bible).
Fortress Antonia is immediately to the right of the Temple compound.

But in general, of the Temple built by Zerubbabel little is known. Israeli archaeologist Benjamin Mazar writes:

No Kings in Israel

Israel's exile for seventy years in Babylon marked a new era of government for God's chosen people. They had entered what Jesus would later call "the times of the gentiles," (Luke 21:24). Since the last King (Jeconiah) sat on the throne of Israel, that people have had no king over them to the present day. Israel has been subject to foreign control as vassals. Jerusalem has been "trodden down by the gentiles" with more yet to come. After the Babylonians came the Persians, then the Greeks, followed the Romans.

One legitimate king, doubly heir to the throne of Israel, rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the foal of a donkey. Acclaimed by the people, this Man was rejected by the leaders and put to death. Israel would wait at least 20 centuries for their rightful king's return.

After the Romans came the Arabs, the Turks, the French and British. In spite of national independence and statehood in 1948 Israel has no central authority figure in charge. This situation will soon change! A king and a priest in the line of David is due to return to the throne of a united, restored Israel in the near future. All the prophets speak of this event:

Haggai's fourth message to the people, brought to them in October of 520 B.C.E., was brief,

This message promised Israel final overthrow of all her enemies and a special royal blessing (symbolized by the king's signet ring) for Zerubbabel. Earlier God had sworn that no king in the blood line of Jeconiah would sit upon the throne of Israel:

Joseph, husband of Mary was of the line of Jeconiah (Matthew 1:12,16), but not the biological father of Jesus. The blood line or genetic heir was in the line of Mary. Jerubbabel (Luke 3:27) was a descendant of David and in the line that would lead to Mary.

Zechariah the prophet lived and wrote during early Second Temple times. One of his most interesting prophecies concerning Messiah centers around the future re-unification of the offices of King and Priest in Israel. Messiah, the Branch, would not only be the priestly king in the line of Joshua, he would be given the task of building a final temple in Israel (see Chapter 14):

Nehemiah and the Walls of Jerusalem

Nehemiah held the office of cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I in the Persian capital of Susa. A relative from Jerusalem visited him and gave a report of the ruined condition of the city. He told him how vulnerable the city was to attack because the walls were still debris. This disturbed Nehemiah to such a degree that he made a personal visit to Jerusalem. The King gave him permission to leave and even provided him with an armed escort. Nehemiah also had royal letters ordering the provincial authorities to provide him with timber and other materials he required (Nehemiah 1:1-2:8).

He arrived in Jerusalem in 445 B.C.E., 70 years after the temple had been completed and placed in service. By moonlight he began to inspect the walls and gates. Nehemiah then called the leading and produced the letters from the king. Based upon this they accepted him as their governor. Nehemiah then outlined his plans for the urgent task of rebuilding the fortifications and securing the city. Work was done on a voluntary basis.

Nehemiah's arrival provided a new enthusiasm to the those in Jerusalem but it also caused intense, hostile reaction from the enemies of God's people. The main adversaries were Sanballat, the local governor of Samaria, Geshem, leader of the Edomites, and a wealthy apostate Jew named Tobiah.

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These opponents began by verbally attacking the project but when the walls were half way complete they resorted to force. Nehemiah countered by providing full-time armed patrols. Each worker was given a weapon to defend himself. Nehemiah 2-6). In spite of the intense opposition the walls were built in 52 days by the united labor force.

When the walls around Jerusalem had been finished, Nehemiah and Ezra instructed the people from the Scriptures, reviewing their national history in detail in a great prayer (Neh. 9:6-38) which ended by the Jews making a new covenant with God. This was signed and sealed by the priests, nobles, and leaders of the people. The people took responsibility for the support and upkeep of the temple also, ending with the promise "We will not neglect the house of our God." (10:32-39). The closing chapters of Nehemiah tell of the dedication of the walls and gates and give us important clues concerning life in Jerusalem immediately after the end of the Babylonian exile.

Alexander the Great and His Successors

Daniel's detailed predictions about a long line of rulers in the Middle East, especially those of Daniel Chapter 11, have been fulfilled in such incredible detail that critics of the Bible have long attempted to assign a late date to this book. If that were the case, Daniel would have been merely a historian, not a prophet of God. Yet it is very clear from a careful study of history that Daniel lived nearly 300 years before Alexander the Great and his successors, about whom he wrote these words given to him by the angel Gabriel:

As God had foreordained, Alexander conquered the Persians by defeating the Persian armies at the Battle of Arbela in 331. He extended his territory as far as India and Egypt. Trained under Aristotle, this son of Phillip of Macedon sought to indoctrinate all of his empire with Greek culture, philosophy and religion. This effort is referred to as "Hellenization," and has had far-reaching consequences. Even our New Testament was not to be written in Hebrew but in the Greek language.

Alexander died in a Babylon in a drunken stupor at the age of 33, disillusioned, it is said, because he had no more worlds left to conquer. His body was taken to Alexandria, Egypt and buried there in a casket of glass and gold. The site of Alexander's tomb the subject of ongoing searches today.

Upon his death, Alexander's empire was divided among his five generals (diadochoi). Seleucus received Babylon, Ptolemy Lagi was given Egypt, Antigonus took Phrygia, Lysimachus inherited Thrace and Bythinia, and Cassander assumed control of Greece proper, and Macedonia. As far as biblical history related to the Jews is concerned, only Seleucus and Ptolemy are of importance. These men and their heirs squabbled back and forth for the next 150 years and Israel just happened to be on the paths of their armies, caught in the middle as it were. Seleucus added Syria and Phoenicia to his territory. Ptolemy Lagi annexed Palestine to Egypt. Little Judah was caught in the middle.

The first century of rule by the Ptolemies was a golden age of peace for the Jews it was an era of peace and prosperity for them. The great library of Alexandria was established in this period and Jewish scholars favorably treated in Egypt began to translate the Hebrew Bible into Greek resulting in the Septuagint.

After a season of tranquility for the Jews, the Selucids of Syria grew envious, and in 198 B.C.E. took control of Palestine. This brought the Jews under the rule of Antiochus the Great. Thus begun one of the most oppressive periods of Jewish history in the on-going "times of the gentiles." Selucid sovereignty was to give way to the Romans in 63 B.C.E. but not before great damage was done to the Jews in Israel.

The Desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes

In 175 B.C.E. the Selucid throne was assumed through treachery by an 8th king, Antiochus IV, a son of Antiochus the Great. He took upon himself the title Epiphanes (the illustrious one). But because he was so corrupt, he was popularly known as Antiochus Epimanes (the madman). Sometimes erratic, sometimes eccentric he was wantonly cruel and brutal to the Jews. This man is responsible for the most vile outrages against the Jews ever perpetrated. For this reason Daniel (and later Jesus, referring to Daniel) spoke of him as "the abomination that makes desolate."

Prior to his reign the Jews had lived peaceably with Greek culture and customs, however Antiochus determined to force Greek polytheistic religion upon the strictly monotheistic Jews. The Jews actively resisted. Angered at the Jews for some insult they had given him, Antiochus defied the high priests in Jerusalem and entered into the sacred temple. (See Appendix D for details). Antiochus actually erected a pagan altar in the temple at Jerusalem and offered upon it a sow in sacrifice, an unclean animal. He took the broth of the sow and sprinkled it throughout the sanctuary, thus defiling the whole sanctuary. Then, as a final insult, he erected a statue of Jupiter in the holy place.

This, of course, brought to an end the twice-daily sacrifice called "the continual burnt offering," which Daniel had predicted was to be taken away for a definite period of time. The apocryphal Book of the Maccabees records that the offering was taken away for a period of a little over three years. Finally Judas Maccabaeus and his sons rose in revolt and led the people of Israel to retake Jerusalem, cleansed the sanctuary and restored the offerings at the end of eleven-hundred and fifty days, exactly as predicted by Daniel.

The Book of 1 Maccabees records some of Antiochus' deeds:

Alexander the Great and Jerusalem

A fascinating aside regarding the conquests of Alexander the Great is the account of how Jerusalem was spared. During his long siege of Tyre, Alexander sought the help of neighboring peoples. The Samaritans accepted, but the Jews refused because of previous oaths to their Persian overlords. The Samaritans, long rivals of the Jews, sought Alexander's permission to destroy the temple in Jerusalem.

Jaddua, the high priest in Jerusalem donned his priestly garments and together with notables from the city set out to meet Alexander and his generals. According to Josephus (Antiq. VIII, p l40-146), Jaddua showed Alexander the scroll of Daniel and read for him the predictions that he, Alexander, was to overwhelm the Persians and rule the world. Not only was the city and temple spared, but the flattered Alexander showed favor the Jews and added three Samaritan districts to their precincts.

Maccabean Revolt

Daniel the prophet had also predicted the deeds and exploits of the Maccabees which brought about the restoration of temple worship,

In 168 B.C.E. the Jewish war of independence, also known as the Maccabean revolt, broke out in Israel. (The Maccabee family line is usually referred to as the "Hasmonean" period from references in Josephus and the Mishnah). A godly priest, Mattathias, withdrew to Modein (near Lod) with his five sons to avoid the persecutions of Antiochus. Pursued by his Hellenizing enemies, he killed a traitorous Jew thus precipitating a war of revolt. Mattathias did not live much longer, but the cause of freedom for the Jews was taken up by his third son, Judas Maccabaeus.

Initially the Jewish revolt under Judas met with great success. The Syrians were defeated at Emmaus, at Hebron and at Jerusalem. Jerusalem was taken and the temple was cleansed and rededicated in 165 on the 25th day of Kislev. The rededication of the temple is celebrated to this day by the Jews as the Feast of Lights, or Hanukkah, which falls in December. Antiochus died the next year bringing great rejoicing in Israel (and in Syria). Peacemaking attempts by the Lysias, successor to Antiochus, were rejected by Judas. However Judas was killed soon after at the Battle of Adasa in 160 B.C.E.

Jonathan, another son of Mattathias assumed leadership over the movement but intrigue and treachery resulted in his capture. Another son, Simon, took over declaring independence in 142, however Simon was assassinated in 135. Israel knew a brief period of independence however the Romans had been drawn in to the latter day politics of the revolt (Dan. 11:35). Simon was followed by John Hyrcanus who assumed the office of high priest and took over control of the military as well. After Hyrcanus came Alexander Jannaeus, his son, who in his rage against the Pharisees enlisted the help of foreign troops. Six thousand Jews were killed and a civil broke out which was to last six years and cost 50,000 lives. Both internal factions of the Jews finally appealed to Rome to arbitrate the dispute. Pompey came, in 63 B.C.E. killing 12,000 Jews and bringing an end to the Hasmonean Dynasty and ushering in the Roman Empire as the appointed steward of the Holy Land. The Romans entered the Holy of Holies, but Pompey did not touch the temple treasures.

Aristobolus I, son of Hyrcanus, was the first of the Maccabean rulers to take the title "King of the Jews." After a short reign his brother Alexander Janneus succeeded him. However the precedent set by Aristobolus gave precedent for Herod the Great to claim to be a legitimate king of the Jews.

There is much interest today in modifications to the Second Temple and changes on the Temple Mount during the 100-year Hasmonean period. Tuvia Sagiv's studies are especially helpful in recovering for us this lost period of the history of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

Herod the Great

Herod the Great was the son of Antipater, governor of Idumea. Herod married Marianne, granddaughter of Hyrcanus thus linking himself with the Jews. In reality he can be considered the one of the last descendants of Esau, brother and rival of Jacob.

After Augustus confirmed Herod as king, Herod began a frenzy of construction. He built whole cities, temples, gymnasiums, and palaces. The money came from all kinds of taxes imposed upon the people. Josephus says in The Jewish Wars,

The people of Judea, who at the beginning of his rule were in a good economic condition, were humbled to the ground and turned into miserable paupers. he had the leaders killed, in order to confiscate their property.

Herod's Jerusalem main palace the seat of his government is what is now the Citadel at the Jaffa Gate. North of the Temple Mount he enlarged a fortress built by Hyrcanus, renaming it the Fortress Antonia in honor of his Roman benefactor.

He built a palace at Masada, another at Jericho, and the Herodium at Bethlehem. The large coastal city, Caesarea, popular with tourists today, was another of his works, dedicated to Augustus Caesar (Octavian) who was invited to its dedication. Herod built a great building over the cave of Abraham at Hebron. To this day many Herodian ruins are extant in Israel.

Nearly all of Herod's grandiose building programs were intended to impress foreigners in and around Israel. His ambitious building program on the Temple Mount was the one exception to the rule. Nearly 600 years after Second Temple had been dedicated, Herod determined to impart the splendor of Solomon's Temple to the existing edifice--to his own honor and glory of course. The Talmud (Bava Basra 3b-4a) tells how this came about:

Josephus reports (Josephus, Antiq. 15:38-425; Wars,5:184-247) that many Jews who heard of Herod's plans were shocked; they feared he would destroy the old building and not build a new one. Herod was sincere, however. He prepared all the building materials in advance before beginning the work in 19 or 20 B.C.E. (see John 2:20). Some 10,000 (to 18,000) workmen were employed, plus 1000 priests, since only priests were allowed to work on the sanctuary proper. The major work occurred in the first three years although the workers continued improvements there for many years, well beyond Herod's death in 4 B.C.E. to 64 C.E., just four years before it was to be destroyed by Titus. Herod's work more than doubled the size of the Temple building and the Temple Mount itself was greatly expanded to a plaza area measuring about 2,575 by 985 feet, with eight gates. Most of the enlargement was to the South by means of fill and underground vaults and supports. Josephus has much to say about Herod and his building program. When finished the new temple itself had a portal 65 feet high and a terraced roof 165 feet above the ground. Golden needles were emplaced around the edges of the roof to ward off birds and their droppings, and a vine of gold was placed in front of the now-imposing edifice.

When the Temple had been enlarged and decorated Herod offended the people by mounting a Roman golden eagle over the gate. When Herod lay dying some years later two fearless sages and their followers tore down the eagle. The men were dragged to Herod's deathbed where the tyrant gave orders for them to be burned alive. (The records of the long reign of cruelty and violence of King Herod are enough to fill several books).

Herod's enlargement of the Second Temple (Encyclopedia Judaica)

Herod's enlargements to the Temple Mount are the subject of vigorous discussion and debate in Israel in our time. The following notes by Prof. George Knight of Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas are helpful:

The Christian Era

Important events in the life of Jesus Christ took place in the Temple area. Jesus was brought to the Temple to be dedicated at the age of eight days (Luke 2:27). When He was twelve Luke records that Jesus confounded the elders with His wisdom. (Luke 2:41-50)

Several of the most famous incidents in the life and ministry of Jesus took place in the Temple area. His public teachings often took place there when he was in Jerusalem several times each year, and his white-hot polemic denunciation of the Pharisees took place in the Courts.

Many people think of Jesus as someone meek and mild who would never raise His voice or be upset at anything. Consequently, they have a hard time understanding the Gospel accounts of Him going into the temple on two different occasions and disrupting the activities of the moneychangers. John records what occurred on the first occasion, at the beginning of his ministry:

Three years later, during Passion Week just after entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus again cleansed the temple, this time temporarily halting the sacrifices:

Second Temple Destruction Predicted by Jesus

During his final week in Jerusalem Jesus wept over Jerusalem,

Luke's account adds details about the coming destruction of the city and the temple:

As the Shekinah glory left the First Temple as recorded by Ezekiel, Jesus as God's prophet announced at this time that the Second Temple was from that point on to be left desolate, until He returned. Soon, the Second Temple would also be destroyed as the First had been.

In the last week of His life, Jesus pronounced judgment upon the nation and spoke of the coming destruction of this Second Temple.

According to Jesus, not one stone would be left upon another when the Temple was destroyed. Jesus also predicted the destruction of the city of Jerusalem:

The prophet Daniel had also predicted the destruction of the Second Temple:

Daniel's prediction said that the Messiah would come to Jerusalem and be cut off (put to death) followed by yet another destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

And so there was to be a Second 9th of Av catastrophe on the Temple Mount. It was to come 655 years after the first.

Reference:

An excellent book on the Second Temple period adapted by Rabbi Hersh Goldwurm is History of the Jewish People: The Second Temple Era, Artscroll History Series, Mesorah Publications. Ltd., Brooklyn, 1982. The early period dates given in this book are, however, incorrect.