Cyrus, king of Persia, took Babylon, and permitted the Jews to return to
the land of their fathers. He gave them back all the vessels of gold and
silver from the temple that had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar. The
70 years were then at an end. Those who went away were 42,360.
Zerubbabel, a chief of the house of David, led them to Jerusalem. In the
second year after their return they began to build a new temple on Mount
Moriah, where the temple of Solomon had stood. The Samaritans wished to
build the temple with them; but the Jews would not permit it, as they
did not regard them as right brethren. The Samaritans therefore hindered
the work for many years. But then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah
arose and encouraged the people, and the temple was finished; but it was
not so magnificent as Solomon’s temple.--The Samaritans built a temple
for themselves on Mount Gerizim.
Several years after this, Ezra, of the tribe of Levi, came to Jerusalem
and exhorted the people not to sin any more against the Lord by marrying
heathen women. (Book of Ezra.)
The walls of Jerusalem were not yet rebuilt. When Nehemiah, cup-bearer
to the king of Persia, heard of this he begged leave to go to Judea. The
king made him governor of Judea, and he got the walls of the city built
in fifty-two days, even though the Samaritans tried to hinder him. (Book
of Nehemiah.)