political the-exile-period

Temple Reconstruction Halts Due to Opposition

536 BCE (approximate)

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of families with an offer: “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of families rejected them: “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus commanded us.”

These “enemies” were likely Samaritans—descendants of foreigners the Assyrians had settled in Israel after conquering the northern kingdom in 722 BCE, who had mixed Yahweh worship with pagan practices. The Jewish leaders recognized that accepting their help would compromise the temple’s purity and create obligations to those who didn’t worship God exclusively.

Enraged by this rejection, the surrounding peoples:

  • Discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to go on building
  • Bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans
  • Sent letters of accusation to Persian kings (Cyrus, Xerxes, Artaxerxes) claiming the Jews were rebuilding a rebellious city that would refuse to pay taxes
  • Misrepresented the situation, saying: “If this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates”

The campaign succeeded. King Artaxerxes ordered the work to stop. By force and threat, the opponents made the Jews cease construction.

Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia (520 BCE)—a frustrating 16-year delay. The foundation sat exposed to the elements while the people, discouraged and focused on survival, built their own houses and tried to establish their lives in the ruined land.

This period of stagnation would only end when God raised up prophets to rebuke the people’s complacency and call them back to their primary mission.