1. Getting the Big Picture: Session 10
The Return and Silence

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

3. 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

4. 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
BC:
Esther
458 BC:
Second return under Erza
445 BC:
Third return under Nehemiah; walls rebuilt in 52 days

5. 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

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

7. The political developments
The Persian period, BC
The Hellenistic Period, BC
Alexander the Great, BC
The Ptolemaic (Egyptian) period, BC
The Seleucid (Syrian) period, BC
The Hasmonean (Maccabean) period, BC
The Roman period, 63 BC- AD 70
Herod the Great, 37-4 BC

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