Review Questions
How were the captive Jews treated? What evidences show that their national organization was continued during the captivity? Why was this fact a fortunate one for the exiles? What customs of the Jews were observed during the captivity? What instructors did the Jews have during this period? What was the condition of Jew´ish literature during the captivity? What events followed the decree of Cy´rus? Did all the exiles of the Jews return? What change in language was wrought by the captivity? What change in habits followed the captivity? What great change in religion came as the result of the captivity? How can that change be accounted for? What two institutions arose during the captivity? What new hope arose at this time? How were the Jews divided after the captivity?
FIFTEENTH STUDY
The Jewish Province
Part One
From the return of the exiles, B. C. 536, to the final destruction of the Jew´ish state by the Ro´mans, A. D. 70, the history of the chosen people is closely interwoven with that of the East in general. During most of this time Ju-de´a was a subject province, belonging to the great empires which rose and fell in succession. For a brief but brilliant period it was an independent state, with its own rulers. As most of this period comes between the Old and New Testaments its events are less familiar to Bible readers than the other portions of Is´ra-el-ite history. We therefore give more space than usual to the facts, selecting only the most important, and omitting all that have no direct relation with the development of the divine plan in the Jewish people.
I. The history divides itself into Four Periods, as follows:
1. The Per´sian period, B. C. 536 to 330, from Cy´rus to Al-ex-an´der, while the Jew´ish province was a part of the Per´sian empire. Very few events of these two centuries have been recorded, but it appears to have been a period of quiet prosperity and growth. The Jews were governed by their high priests under the general control of the Per´sian government. The principal events of this period were: