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The first return from exile (after 539 BC) - Zerubbabel
It is estimated that the total population of Jews living in exile in Babylon was between two and three million. However, only around 50,000 of these returned to Judah, motivated by a desire to worship God. The date of the decree of Cyrus was 539 BC, so it is estimated that they arrived back in Judah around 537 BC. To begin with, they rebuilt the altar for burnt offerings, which were first made on the first day of the seventh month while they celebrated the festival of booths (Ezra 3:6). The work on the temple began with the foundations in the second month of the second year after their arrival (Ezra 3:8). This would suggest a date around April or May in 536 BC.
Leadership of returning exiles
Sheshbazzar
Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, was given the temple vessels by Cyrus and brought them back in 538 BC (Ezra 1:8). He was appointed governor by Cyrus (Ezra 5:14), and laid the foundations of the temple in 536 BC (Ezra 5:16). Sheshbazzar is not mentioned after 536 BC. Either he died, or possibly returned to Persia. He is not mentioned in the list of returning exiles in Ezra chapter two, who were led by Zerubbabel.
There is a bit of a mystery over the identification of Sheshbazzar. Some people claim that Sheshbazzar was the same person as Shenazzar (1 Chr 3:18), one of the sons of Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), making him the uncle of Zerubbabel. It is also suggested that Sheshbazzar may be the same person as Zerubbabel. However Jewish tradition would indicate that they are two different people. The temple vessels delivered to Zerubbabel and Sheshbazzar (1 Esdras 6:18), where both are mentioned together. Both were sent by Cyrus and Persian government. It is also possible that Sheshbazzar was the official leader appointed by the Persians, and Zerubbabel was the unofficial Jewish leader. It should be noted that the father of Sheshbazzar is not identified, which could indicate that he was not a Jew.
Zerubbabel
Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, is described as the governor (Hag 1:1,14, 2:2,21). He was the grandson of Jehoiachin, the last Davidic king (Matt 1:13), and is in the Messianic line (Matt 1:12).
Joshua (Jeshua) the high priest
The building of the altar was done by Jeshua (or Joshua) the high priest and Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:1). There was a dual leadership. The political leader was Zerubbabel and the high priest was Jeshua (Joshua). Zechariah has a vision of these two as two olive trees empowered by God’s Spirit (Zech 4:11-14).
Reaction to rebuilding in Jerusalem
With the return of the exiles (golah) Jerusalem again becomes the national centre of worship for the Jews. The people of the land (Am Ha-aretz) resist the building project (Ezra 4:4). These were particularly those left in Samaria, those brought in by the Assyrians (4:2), but these were of mixed religion, who later became identified as Samaritans. These people offered to help, but probably from the wrong motives. They did not have a desire to worship Yahweh, but wanted to gain influence. This was the beginning of the rift between the Jews and Samaritans, which grew into hatred by NT times. The opposition continued through the reigns of Cyrus, Cambyses to Darius (520 BC). There was opposition in reign of Xerxes (485 BC) (4:6), and in the reign of Artaxerxes (about 460 BC) (4:7-23). Also left in the land were the poor of Judah, who had been left behind after the Babylonian exile.
Following the opposition from the local people, who bribed the Persian officials to frustrate the returning exiles, the rebuilding of the temple was abandoned for the next sixteen years until the start of the reign of Darius (522 BC) (Ezra 4:4). As noted above, there were several rebellions during the first years of the reign of Darius. These were supressed by the second year of his reign, when he allowed the rebuilding of the temple, perhaps to gain loyalty from the Jews. This was around the same time that the prophet Haggai gave the first of his four messages on 29th August 520 BC. A few months later he was joined by the prophet Zechariah. The two prophets were successful in urging the people to restart the work on the temple. They began on 21st Sept 520 BC, and the work was completed on 3rd March 516 BC (Ezra 5:1-2).
During this time Tattenai, the governor of the Province beyond the River questioned what was happening in Jerusalem and wrote the King Darius and received a reply (Ezra 5). They obviously did not have a copy of Cyrus' decree in Jerusalem (Ezra 5:3). The correspondence with Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:6-23) is given as an example of the opposition, even though the timing is around sixty years later in 486 BC.
Several cuneiform tablets have been discovered containing the name Tattenai. One is a promissory note dated on the 20th year of Darius I, which can be dated to the 5th June 502 BC exactly. One of the witnesses is a servant of "Tattannu, governor of Across-the-River".
Role of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah
Because of the opposition, the rebuilding work on the temple stopped. God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage them to rebuild. The attitude of the people was to look after the personal needs first. They were not willing to invest in the house of God. Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to Jews in Jerusalem (Ezra 5:1), urging them to build the temple. In response, the elders built and prospered through prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah (6:14). The prophet Zechariah, was son of Iddo, and was of priestly descent (Neh 12:16).
Haggai
The earlier prophets promised a great return from exile, which led to high expectations. The hardships they found when they returned to the land led to frustration. Their zeal and enthusiasm was lost, to be replaced with disillusionment and despair.
The prophet Haggai shows them that they were experiencing hardship because the temple was neglected (1:9), not the other way round. He also shows that the great expectations of all nations coming to Zion will not immediately be fulfilled, but is still in the future (2:7-9). He predicts that Zerubbabel shall be like the Lord's signet ring (2:23). This sounds almost like a Messianic prophecy, which could perhaps cause some to wonder whether Zerubbabel the one hoped for?
The high expectation of the returning exiles led to frustration. The prophet Haggai stirred up the hope, but explained that the fulfilment will not be in the immediate future.
Zechariah
The prophet Zechariah also urges them to rebuild, saying that the house will be rebuilt, and the city will overflow with prosperity, bringing a hope for a better life (1:16). He predicts that the mountain will be made a plain before Zerubbabel (4:6-7), again perhaps raising the expectation that Zerubbabel will fulfil the expectations. The two leaders (Zerubbabel and Joshua) are the two anointed ones (4:13-14). Following the exile, there was no king, so the priests gained more power, particularly the role of the High Priest. Jerusalem became a spiritual and religious centre, rather than political.
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