Bible Roadmap

Age 10 of 14

Persian Period and Return

539 – c. 430 BC

Dating: Cyrus Cylinder; Ezra; Nehemiah

Relevance

The LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to let the people return and build the house of the LORD (; ). The temple was finished (), the law read (), and the wall rebuilt (). Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament.

Key events

  1. c. 538 BC

    Decree of Cyrus

    In the first year of Cyrus the LORD stirs up his spirit to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem (; ).

  2. c. 537 BC

    Return under Zerubbabel

    The whole congregation is 42,360 (; ).

  3. c. 536 BC

    Temple foundation laid

    The builders lay the foundation of the temple of the LORD ().

  4. Until the second year of Darius

    The work ceases

    The work of the house of God ceases ().

  5. 520 BC · fixed by historical record

    Haggai and Zechariah stir up the builders

    In the second year of Darius the word of the LORD comes by Haggai (; ).

  6. c. 515 BC

    Second temple finished

    The house is finished in the sixth year of Darius ().

  7. c. 479 BC

    Esther made queen

    Esther is taken unto king Ahasuerus in the seventh year of his reign ().

  8. c. 473 BC

    The feast of Purim

    The Jews are delivered; Purim is established ().

  9. c. 458 BC

    Ezra comes to Jerusalem

    Ezra comes in the seventh year of Artaxerxes ().

  10. c. 445 BC

    Nehemiah rebuilds the wall

    In the twentieth year of Artaxerxes Nehemiah is sent; the wall is finished in 52 days (; ).

  11. c. 433 BC

    Nehemiah's return to the king

    In the 32nd year of Artaxerxes Nehemiah goes unto the king ().

Rulers and empires

559–530 BC (Babylon 539 BC)

Cyrus the Great

522–486 BC

Darius I (Hystaspes)

486–465 BC

Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)

465–424 BC

Artaxerxes I

Key people

Governor of Judah

Zerubbabel

Led the first return and laid the foundation of the house (; ).

High priest

Jeshua

Built the altar with Zerubbabel ().

Priest and scribe

Ezra

A ready scribe in the law of Moses ().

Cupbearer, governor

Nehemiah

Rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem (; ).

Queen of Persia

Esther

"Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" ().

Cousin of Esther

Mordecai

Next unto king Ahasuerus (; ).

Opponent of Nehemiah

Sanballat the Horonite

Opposed the building of the wall (). Named in the Elephantine papyri as governor of Samaria.

Prophets

  • HaggaiThe returned remnantWrote: Haggai

    Stirred the people to build the house ().

  • ZechariahThe returned remnantWrote: Zechariah

    The son of Berechiah ().

  • MalachiIsraelWrote: Malachi

    The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi ().

Books written during or about this period

Ezra · Nehemiah · Esther · Haggai · Zechariah · Malachi · 1 and 2 Chronicles (compiled after the exile)