The Persian period of Jerusalem lasted from 539 to 333 BCE. The Books of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, as well as second Isaiah were written during this time period. The prophet Ezekiel had a vision of a once again mobile God. Now that the Babylonians had destroyed the temple, Ezekiel explains that God is not one with the temple but instead he is back in a similar structure to the Ark of the Covenant in the way that it is ever mobile. The Persian King Cyrus is seen as a savior by some of the Jews because he frees them from exile, gives them some money to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild their city and their temple. The Cyrus Cylinder announces a general return to homelands from Babylon. Because of the Persians and King Cyrus’ policies of diplomacies, he is viewed as a liberator.
The people of Jerusalem viewed foreign leaders as signs sent from God, therefore when Cyrus sends them back to their homeland some groups see him as the messiah. During the time of Persian rule the city of Jerusalem was extremely poor, and the second temple was not nearly as glorious as Solomon’s Temple. Jerusalem struggled to pay the heavy taxes imposed by Persia, and conflicts with Samaria began to pop up.
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