First Exiles Return to Jerusalem
Following Cyrus the Great’s decree allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, approximately 42,360 exiles plus 7,337 servants made the 900-mile journey from Babylon back to Judah—the first wave of returnees after 70 years of exile.
The returning exiles were led by:
- Sheshbazzar, called “the prince of Judah,” who carried the temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken
- Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel (grandson of King Jehoiachin), governor of Judah
- Jeshua (Joshua) son of Jozadak, the high priest
Cyrus provided:
- Return of 5,400 articles of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Solomon’s temple
- Financial support for rebuilding
- Protection during the journey
The returnees included members from various tribes, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants. Ezra 2 lists them by family and hometown, showing the careful record-keeping that preserved Jewish identity through exile.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they found the city in ruins—walls destroyed, houses burned, the temple site desolate. Yet they came with hope, carrying not just possessions but the promise of restoration. Many wept and rejoiced simultaneously—the older priests and Levites who remembered Solomon’s temple wept, while others shouted for joy.
This return fulfilled Jeremiah’s seventy-year prophecy and Isaiah’s prediction that Cyrus would say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt.” It marked the beginning of the Second Temple period and demonstrated God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises even after judgment.
However, the majority of Jews remained in Babylon and other parts of the Persian Empire, beginning the diaspora that continues to this day.