Getting the Big Picture: Session 10 The Return and Silence

Nine Periods of the Old Testament Creation Patriarch Exodus Conquest Judges Kingdom Exile Return Silence

Chronology of the Captivity 605 BC: Nebuchadnezzar takes Jerusalem; Daniel taken to Babylon; Start of 70 year captivity 597 BC: Nebuchadnezzar takes Jerusalem again 586 BC: Final fall of Jerusalem; temple destroyed 539 BC: Fall of Babylon; death of Belshazzar; Darius the Mede rules over Babylon, Syria and Palestine 538 BC: Cyrus the Persian proclaims return for Jews 536 BC: Foundation of temple laid; End of 70 year captivity

Chronology of the Return 538 BC: Decree of Cyrus 536 BC: First return under Zerubbabel Rebuilding of temple begun 520 BC: Ministry of Haggai & Zechariah 516 BC: Temple completed 483-465 BC: Esther 458 BC: Second return under Erza 445 BC: Third return under Nehemiah; walls rebuilt in 52 days

What about the kingdom? Have God’s promises failed? The rebuilding of the temple The rebuilding of the walls The rebuilding of the people God’s hand of preservation is clearly seen, but no Jewish king sits on the throne of David

Nine Periods of the Old Testament Creation Patriarch Exodus Conquest Judges Kingdom Exile Return Silence

The political developments The Persian period, 539-331 BC The Hellenistic Period, 331-164 BC Alexander the Great, 331-323 BC The Ptolemaic (Egyptian) period, 320-198 BC The Seleucid (Syrian) period, 198-164 BC The Hasmonean (Maccabean) period, 164-63 BC The Roman period, 63 BC- AD 70 Herod the Great, 37-4 BC

The religious developments The Septuagint The Pharisees The Saducees The Essenes The scribes The synagogue The Herodians