Exile
After the time of the kings of Israel and Judah, the people were taken away by conquering nations. First, the northern kingdom of Israel was taken captive by Assyria, not to be heard of again. Then the Babylonians took the southern kingdom of Judah. Many of the Jews in Judah were taken away to Babylon for a period known as the Exile, or the Captivity, roughly 70 years.
Dates
The Babylonians held the Jews captive for most of this time. There were three times where the Babylonians came into Judah and took people away: in 605, 597 and 586 BC. The first of these was in the third year of King Jehoiakim's reign. In 539 BC the Medo-Persians conquered Babylon, and many of the Jews were allowed home after that, though some stayed in Babylon, or in the Persian capital Shushan, for a while afterwards. The main dates for the return are 538 BC, when Zerubbabel took many back to Jerusalem, 458 BC, when Ezra returned and 445 BC, when Nehemiah returned to build the walls of the city.
Rulers
When Babylon took Judah, it was Nebuchadnezzar who reigned. He was king for 43 years, after which Evil-Merodech took over. By the time the Medes and Persians invaded, Belshazzar had been co-reigning with his father for 14 years. Darius the Mede was put in charge of Babylon for a couple of years before the King of Persia, Cyrus, took over. Around 50 years later, Xerxes (Ahasuerus) was King of Persia, during the time of Esther.
Books
There are four historical books set in the time of the exile and return, and these are as follows:
Daniel
Daniel is a book of two parts. The first six chapters we will deal with here tell the story of Daniel and his three friends as they are taken into captivity in Babylon. The next six chapters tell of Daniel's visions and the prophecies taken from them. These are dealt with in the prophecy section.
Captives (Daniel 1)
During the reign of King Jehoiakim, The Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar, invaded Judah, and took a number of the people back to Babylon. Daniel and his three friends were among those taken captive. They were young men at the time, taken from the royal household. When they got to Babylon, the king ordered them trained up in the local language and teachings. He also gave them Babylonian style names. Daniel became Belteshazzar, Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach and Azariah became Abednego.
The boys who were being trained were to go through a three year programme, at the end of which they would be assessed by the king. They were given food and drink from the king's table. Daniel didn't think that was right and asked if he could avoid the king's food. His supervisor was worried that Daniel and his friends would grow weak on a different diet, and he would get the blame. So Daniel suggested a trial. For ten days, he and his friends would take only vegetables and water. If at the end they looked weaker than the other boys they would eat the king's food. To the supervisor's surprise, at the end of the ten days Daniel and his friends looked stronger and healthier than the others. He agreed they could stick to their diet.
The boys learned their lessons diligently, and at the end of he three years, King Nebuchadnezzar talked with each of them and was impressed by how well they'd done. He appointed them advisors, and found hat they were ten times as good as his Babylonian magicians and astrologers.
The Statue Dream (Daniel 2)
One night King Nebuchadnezzar had a strange and frightening dream, and it woke him in a fear. He called his magicians and astrologers to him and demanded they explain the dream to him. They asked him what it was he dreamed, but he said he had forgotten the dream. If they were truly wise men they could tell him the dream and the interpretation. They said no man could do that, only the gods. Nebuchadnezzar got angry, and ordered the execution of all he wise men.
When the executioner called on Daniel, he asked what was wrong with the king. When he had it explained, he went to the king and said he would reveal the dream to him the next day. Daniel then went back and asked his three friends to pray for him. That night God revealed the dream to Daniel in a vision. He went to the king in the morning and explained that God had shown him the dream.
The king had dreamed of a great and fearful statue. The head of the statue was made of gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze and its legs of iron. Its toes were made of iron and clay. A rock was carved from the earth and crushed the statue. Daniel explained that the statue represented different periods of history, with succeeding empires being less noble, until an empire would exist made up of strong and weak components. These would all be dashed by the great empire of the promised Messiah. We can see the following matches from history:
- Gold - Babylon
- Silver - Medo-Persia
- Bronze - Greece
- Iron and Clay - Roman
The king was very impressed. He made Daniel head of all his advisors and put him over all his kingdom. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were made Daniel's assistants.
The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3)
King Nebuchadnezzar decided to have a huge statue of himself built on the plain where everyone could see it. When it was built, he ordered all the important people of the country to gather around it. When the music started they were instructed to bow down to the statue, and so they did. Except for a few Jewish men, who were reported to and brought before the king. It was Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The king was angry with them and gave them one more chance to bow to the statue or they would be thrown in the fiery furnace. The three men still refused to bow, saying their God was greater and they would bow to none other.
Nebuchadnezzar ordered the three thrown into the fiery furnace, but first it should be heated up to seven times its usual ferocity. The men were thrown in, and the furnace was so hot, the guards who put them in were killed by the heat. When the king looked into the furnace he was amazed. The three men were in the midst of the fire, walking about, and there appeared to be another man there, who the king said was like a god. He called for them to come out, and when they came out there wasn't a mark on them, only the ropes binding them had been burned away.
The king declared that the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was greater than other gods, and he promoted them to higher positions.
Dream of a Tree (Daniel 4)
One night King Nebuchadnezzar had another dream. He called his advisors to him the next day but none of them could interpret it. Them he called on Daniel, who he realised had power from somewhere to interpret dreams. He told Daniel the dream.
Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt of a great tree, reaching to the sky, sheltering animals, and growing fruit. But an angel appeared and announced that the tree was to be cut down to a stump. He said that someone should be given the mind of an animal and be cast out into the fields.
Daniel was disheartened by the dream, and took a while before telling Nebuchadnezzar. The tree was himself, as the ruler of a great kingdom. Many people benefitted under his rule. But he would lose his sanity. He would become as an animal, and eat grass in the fields for seven years, until he realised that God was sovereign over all. Daniel wished that the dream would happen to someone else, and urged the king to repent from his sins and do good, that God may change His mind.
A year later, Nebuchadnezzar was walking on his palace walls, telling himself that he was responsible for this great city and this great kingdom. An angel appeared and condemned him. The king's mind became like that of an animal, and he was put out of the palace. He ate grass in the fields and slept in the open. His hair and nails grew long. After seven years, he came to his senses. He declared that all the earth is in the hand of Almighty God, that He is sovereign over everything. His sanity was restored and he returned to the palace.
Writing on the Wall (Daniel 5)
After Daniel and his friends had been in captivity for about 65 years, Belshazzar was the king, and he decided to hold a great banquet. He ordered that the goblets taken from the temple be brought in and used to drink from, and he and his guests praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron and wood. Suddenly a hand appeared and wrote some words on the wall. The king was so scared that his knees knocked together. He sent for his best advisors, but not one could interpret the meaning of the writing.
The Queen Mother heard the noise and came into the banquet hall. She told the king not to fret, that there was a man who was advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar, who could interpret dreams and give wise counsel. So Daniel was sent for. The king offered him a purple robe, a chain of gold and third place in the kingdom if he interpreted the writing. Daniel told the king to keep his gifts, but here was what the writing meant:
The writing read "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin". Daniel explained that these meant weighed, found wanting and divided. The king had been weighed in the balance. He had scorned the true God by using His holy implements as drinking mugs, and he had not humbled himself as Nebuchadnezzar had. He had therefore been found wanting. His kingdom would be taken from him and given to others.
That very night, King Belshazzar was slain, and the Medes and Persians took over the Babylonian empire. Darius the Mede was put in charge of Babylon.
Den of Lions (Daniel 6)
When Darius took over, he set up 120 men to run the country with 3 administrators over them. One of these administrators was Daniel. As time went on, Daniel impressed Darius, and he wanted to promote him to be in charge of the country. The other men got envious of Daniel, and hatched a plot. They went to the king and suggested a new law. If anyone prayed to a god other than the king over the next 30 days he should be thrown into the lions' den. The king was flattered by the proposal and agreed.
Daniel heard about the new law, but knew that he couldn't stop praying to God. He continued to pray to God three times a day. The rulers spotted him and brought him before the king. Realising he had been tricked, Darius tried to change the law, but the laws of the Medes and the Persians could not be repealed. Daniel was thrown into the lions' den.
After the den was sealed up, the king couldn't eat or sleep. He paced about all night and at dawn came to the den. He shouted in to see if Daniel was still alive. Daniel answered back. He was alive because God had sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths. The king was overjoyed, and decided that those who had plotted against Daniel must be punished. They and their families were thrown into the lions' den, and there was no angelic protection for them.
After this, Daniel was kept in good favour of the king, and of Cyrus, his successor.
Ezra
The Jews from Judah spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon. At the end of this period, the Medes and Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus took the throne. He was much more agreeble to the Jews' return home.
The First Group Return (Ezra 1-6)
In the first year of King Cyrus, he declared that the Jews could return to Jerusalem, and rebuild the temple there. They would receive funds from the treasury, gained from taxes on the surrounding area, and he even handed back the sacred items stolen from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.
Around 50,000 people returned from Babylon to Jerusalem, and settled in to the towns they originated from. They all put their wealth together in a fund to start the rebuilding effort.
First of all the altar was built. This meant that the Jews could restart their offerings and sacrifices to God, along with the various feasts held throughout the year. 1 year and 1 month after the return, they started to build the foundations of the temple. The people praised God, while some of the older ones, who remembered the previous temple, wept. The joy and weeping joined together to make a great noise.
The people who had moved in to the local area around Jerusalem when the Jews were captured weren't happy at the temple being built. They offered to help in the hope of getting men on the inside, but the Jewish leader, Zerubbabel, said only the Jews should do the job. The locals put together a letter of complaint to the current king, Xerxes, who said that the building work should stop.
The Jews stopped building for a number of years, but Haggai and Zechariah prophecied and exncouraged the people back to work. Again the locals sent a letter of complaint to the king, who was now Darius.
Darius received the letter, and had his men check back in the records. They descovered the decree from Cyrus that the temple should be built and funds provided from the royal treasury, and so approved the Jews' efforts. The temple was finished and a special dedication ceremony was held. When the 14th day of the first month came round next, the Jews were able to celebrate their most important feast, the Passover.
Ezra Returns (Ezra 7-10)
Nearly 60 years pass between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7. Then we hear about the second group of people who journey back to Jerusalem. This is a smaller group of about 2,000 and they're led by Ezra: a priest who is very learned in God's laws. Ezra is sent with King Artaxerxes' permission, along with whoever else wants to go, and is given a letter wishing the king's blessing, along with gold and silver, and a command for all to obey and give gifts to Ezra.
Ezra and his band of Levites, scribes, singers, temple servants and so on, travel from Babylon to Jerusalem in 4 months.
When they arrive, the leaders there approach Ezra with worrying news. The Jews who returned before have started mixing with the peoples round about, marrying their daughters and getting involved in their ungodly practices. Ezra is ashamed of his people and goes before the Lord in a prayer of confession.
As Ezra prays and weeps, other around him follow his example. They decide that something has to be done and that the solution is to be rid of all foreign wives and children. All the people of Israel are gathered together to discuss this, as it rains down on them. The family heads are given the task of hearing the cases of each husband, and sending the foreign wives and children away. This is done and the nation purified again.
Nehemiah
Nehemiah is the last historical book of the Old Testament. It tells of Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem to build the walls of the city, and his attempts to restore the people to the God-fearing people they were before.
Rebuilding the Walls (Nehemiah 1-7)
The story starts 13 years after Ezra's trip to Jerusalem. Nehemiah is a Jew who was born away from his homeland. He has an important job, as the king's cupbearer in the city of Susa. He receives a report from a friend was tells him that although the temple has been rebuilt in Jerusalem, the walls still lie in ruin. Nehemiah is upset at the news, and prays that he may be able to help.
The king sees Nehemiah's sad face and asks him what is wrong. He explains his desire to go to Jerusalem and help rebuild the walls, The king agrees and sends him with a letter of authority. When he gets to Jerusalem, some of the surrounding people, led by Sanballat and Tobiah, aren't happy that the walls are to be rebuilt. Nehemiah surveys the walls at night, and then encourages the people to get to work. They start building but Sanballat, Tobiah and another man called Geshen appear and mock their efforts. Nehemiah tells them that God will give them success.
The people get on with the task. Each one is assigned an area of the wall which is close to their house, and all sorts of people join in the work.
Sanballat and friends are angry at the progress, and mock the builders again. They shout that if a fox walked on the wall it would fall down. Nehemih is worried about an attack, so prays, sets a guard on the wall and makes sure all the workers are armed. A trumpeter goes about with him to sound the alarm if trouble arrives.
As the work progressed, some of the poorer Jews complained to Nehemiah that they were being taken advantage of by the richer ones, even resorting to selling their children to pay off debt. Nehemiah demanded that any siezed land is returned to its original owners, and they weren't to treat each other this way. They agreed. From this point on and for the next 12 years, Nehemiah didn't burden the people with the taxes due to him as governor. He worked hard on the wall, and fed others at his table.
Sanballat and friends are not at all happy. They try to lure Nehemiah out of the city to a meeting 4 times, but Nehemiah sensibly stays where he is. Then then start a rumour that Nehemiah wants to be king. Nehemiah prays to God for strength, and carries on working. The wall is completed in a total of 52 days, with the Israelites' foes still trying to intimidate them.
Nehemiah posts guards around the newly restored wall to keep the city secure.
Reforming the People (Nehemiah 8-13)
All the people were invited to Jerusalem, and Ezra read out the books of the law of God. The people weep but Nehemiah tells them this is a sacred day, and they should be rejoicing and feasting instead. The next day the heads of the families listen to the law being read and pass it on to their families. They hear about the feast of booths and realise they should be celebrating it, so they set up tents throughout the city, and live in them for the rest of the week.
On the 24th of the month, the people got together to confess their sins before God. The Levites praised God, and the people put an agreement together to follow the law. They then signed it.
The agreement was a promise from the people. They promised to obey God and His law, and to give to Him and to the work in the temple.
All the leaders and around a tenth of the rest of the peopl settled in Jerusalem. The rest went out to live in the surrounding towns of Judah.
They then had a special dedication ceremony for the new walls. The group went to the top of the wall and split in two. Each half marched in opposite directions around the wall, meeting at the far side of the city, praising God and then making their way to the temple.
Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem after a while away, and he finds that Tobiah has been given a room in the temple building. He throws him out. He tells the people off for buying on the Sabbath, and rebukes them fo marrying their children off to non-Jews. He encourages them to return to following the Lord's law.