Chapter l2 THE POSTEXILIC PERIOD: JUDAH REVIVED

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1 Chapter l2 THE POSTEXILIC PERIOD: JUDAH REVIVED Bird s Eye View of the Unit This short unit deals with important developments in Palestinian Jewish life. Our problem in studying the period is the lack of sources of information, a long "time of silence" (Tullock). Following the usual pattern, the international picture (developments in the Persian Empire) is penciled in as backdrop for the imperial policy which enabled Jews to return to their homeland. Two groups of Jews returned and are pressed by latter day prophets to rebuild the temple. Things are tough. The prophet Haggai s message is well focused: rebuild the temple and prosperity will return. Zechariah s prophecy is harbinger of things to come. The thrust of what he says is like classical prophecy, but his message is couched in eight visions (like Ezekiel). [Zech seems to come from a later period and speaks with an apocalyptic voice rather than a prophetic voice.] After a break of some 75 years, Ezra and Nehemiah move the Story forward. Ezra, "the Father of Judaism," leads another group of returnees, makes corrections to the administration of the province, and institutes far-reaching religious reforms. The Torah becomes the way the LORD rules Israel. Nehemiah restores Jerusalem s security and re-enforces the religious reforms. Outline 1. Persia establishes its dominance. 2. Attempts to resettle exiled Jews in Palestine. a. Cyrus decree and Persian policy. b. Sheshbazzar leads a group of returnees. l) A temple foundation is laid. 2) Efforts flame out. 3) Many Jews stay in Babylon. c. Zerubbabel leads a second group. 3. Prophets spur efforts to carry through. a. Haggai. l) Restoration is still lagging. 2) Prosperity awaits a rebuilt temple. b. Zechariah. l) A messianic age is coming. 2) Eight visions. 4. The temple is finished and dedicated. 5. Ezra s reforms. a. A date for Ezra? b. Efforts to rebuild Judah s administration. c. Intermarriage with foreigners is forbidden. d. Torah becomes the law of the land. e. The covenant is renewed. 6. Nehemiah is appointed governor. a. Faces down local opposition. b. Restores Jerusalem s fortifications. c. Enforces the reforms. 93

2 Strategy Notes Because this unit comes late in the course, and because the persons and developments may be less familiar, there can be a temptation to touch lightly upon these matters. But important seeds are germinating here; and topics with farreaching implications surface. Understanding the nature of the sources for this unit can flesh out students sense of the nature of the Old Testament and of its composition. If you have not done so already, the Chroniclers History can be introduced and striking comparisons made with the Deuteronomic History. Noting the use of Aramaic by the returning exiles is also suggestive. In the same way, Ezra s use of the Torah as "sacred scripture" in the community s life opens the door to take up the discussion of canonization again. Ezra and Nehemiah s policy of exclusion, especially the expulsion of non-jewish wives, raises "hot button" issues. An open-ended case study from a culture in which polygamy is common and in which members of a polygamous family become Christians, may get students into the issue. Are wives and their children to be abandoned just to satisfy some notion of ethnic or religious "purity"? The instructor can choose from several cases in Alan Neely or Paul Hiebert s volumes of case studies. Questions related to moralism and legalism cannot easily be brushed aside. [This issue may be broached and the discussion put aside until the books of Esther, Ruth, and Jonah are on the table.] Students need some sense of how far the realities of the return and restoration fell short of the visions of Ezekiel, the grand New Exodus of Second Isaiah, and even the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah--to say nothing of the memories of those who could remember Solomon s temple (Ezra 3:l2). The obstacles to restoration seem to have been enormous. Student Project #2 tries to get at this. Students may be assigned a two-fold task related to the basic question underlying this unit: How can the Jewish community establishing itself in Palestine maintain its integrity? (l) What are the ingredients in their situation which increase the likelihood that they will assimilate to the Aramaic speaking culture of the Middle East, syncretizing even their ancient faith. (It happened at Elephantine in Egypt!) You may want to detail this for the students. (2) Given the realities of the situation, what actions should the community take--at every level? If students do this assignment before reading the text and Tullock, they will find it interesting to compare their prescriptions with those steps (reforms) actually undertaken. Multiple Choice Questions: 1. How did Cyrus policy toward conquered people differ from that of the Babylonians and Assyrians before him? a. He encouraged local traditions and religious practices. b. He moved people around to discourage rebellion. c. He became a believer in Yahweh and issued an edict recognizing Yahweh. d. He proclaimed a hands-off policy toward all religions. 2. Why were the Jews who returned from Babylon in 538 B.C.E. led by Sheshbazzar able to accomplish so little? a. Much of the devastation of was still felt. b. People living in the area rejected the returning exiles as intruders. c. Residents in the north considered themselves the faithful Israelites. 94

3 3. When Ezra returned to Palestine, what reform(s) did he carry out? a. He forbade mixed marriages. b. He proclaimed the Torah as the law of the land. c. He led in a renewal of the covenant. 4. These two books are named after prominent Jewish leaders in the post-exilic period. They also have parallel structures. What are these two books? a. Ezra and Nehemiah. b. Haggai and Zechariah. c. Haggai and Nehemiah. d. Nehemiah and Zechariah. Short Answer / Multiple Choice Questions: 1. What history is included in "the Chronicler s History" which is not part of "the Deuteronomic History?" a. Ezra s reforms. b. Nehemiah s efforts to build. c. The struggle of early returnees. 2. What historical event came to symbolize the end of the Babylonian exile? a. Darius of Persia takes the throne. b. Nehemiah becomes governor of Palestine. c. King Jehoiachin is released from prison. d. Cyrus issues his edict. 3. What did Cyrus Decree (538 B.C.E.) authorize Jews living in Babylonia to do? a. To return to Palestine if they wished. b. To rebuild the Jerusalem temple. c. To use imperial funds to return and rebuild. 4. How successful were those groups of Jews who returned to Palestine from Babylonia in the 6th century? a. They restored a thriving Jerusalem and Jewish state. b. They established homes and rebuilt a modest temple. c. Few survived and even those blended in with the local population. 5. The prophet Haggai insisted that prosperity could return to Judah only when people lived up to God s condition. What was that condition? a. Bring all the tithes to the temple. b. Rebuild the temple. c. Stop mistreating the poor. 95

4 6. In what way are the messages of the prophet Zechariah like those of Ezekiel? a. They are communicated in visions. b. They are written out and sent to the audience. c. They are written in Aramaic. 7. More than anything else, what is the main theme of the prophecies of Zechariah? a. Put away your foreign wives. b. The coming messianic age. c. Zerubbabel is heir to the throne. d. Yahweh does not live in a house built by human hands. 8. By the time of the restorations led by Ezra and Nehemiah, which kind of leader was the dominant figure in the Jewish community? a. the king. b. the priest. c. the prophet. d. the imperial governor. 9. What evidence in the Chronicler s History argues against Ezra having carried out his reforms before Nehemiah? a. Nehemiah found little evidence of Ezra s reforms. b. The names of the Persian emperors mentioned requires it. c. The biblical books are clearly not in the proper order. 10. When Ezra the scribe came to Palestine, what did he bring with him that was to have such a lasting effect on Jewish life? a. Plans and money for a rebuilt Jerusalem temple. b. The way of writing Hebrew in Aramaic script. c. The Torah (Teaching) in five scrolls. 11. For what reform is Ezra most remembered? a. He reinstated the priesthood of the family of Aaron. b. He got rid of all foreigners in Palestine. c. He established the Torah as the basis of Jewish life. d. He began a program to have Hebrew spoken again. 12.What was the most urgent problem to which Nehemiah devoted his energies on his first tour? a. Repairing the fortifications of Jerusalem. b. Rebuilding the Jerusalem temple. c. Getting rid of the Persians in Jerusalem. d. Cleansing Jerusalem of idol worship. 13.When Nehemiah returned the second time to be governor of Judah, what evidence of 96

5 slackness did he find among the Jewish population? a. The priests were receiving poor financial support. b. People were working on the sabbath. c. Some had, again, taken foreign wives. 14. Added together, what was the longtime benefit of the work of Ezra and Nehemiah to Jewish life and culture? a. Life became, again, as it was in the days of David. b. Those who returned did not lose the integrity of their culture or religious life. c. Jews became a powerful military and political force in the Middle East once more. Short Answer Questions: 1. In which Old Testament book is the story told of efforts to re-establish a Jewish community in Palestine after the Exile? 2. What evidence is there in the Book of Ezra that Ezra himself may have written part of the Story? 3. Which Babylonian policies toward subjected people did the Persians reverse, policy changes which were of special interest to Jews in exile? 4. State three different reasons the Jews who returned from Babylon led by Sheshbazzar were able to accomplish so little. 5. In addition to building themselves houses and earning a living, with what "project" were the early returnees from Exile preoccupied? 6. What was the main action the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were trying to get the returned Jewish exiles to take? 7. Name the two most famous 5 th -century reformers in Jewish life. 8. Name the person usually remembered as the "Father of Judaism." 9. In what language was it necessary for Ezra to have the Torah paraphrased as it was read to Jews in Palestine? And by what name were these paraphrases later called? 10. What was a targum? 11. What celebration did Ezra revive which was similar to celebrations led by Josiah, Hezekiah, and Joshua in earlier times? 12. Which action taken by Ezra suggests that a canon of Hebrew books was beginning to be recognized? 13. Which of Ezra s reforms was the more controversial? 14. Which of Ezra s reforms was being ignored by some Jews when Nehemiah came to Palestine? Essay/Discussion Questions: 1. Discuss the Chronicler s history of God s chosen people--the Old Testament books containing the history, the period of history covered, when it was written down, what we know about the sources used, its literary characteristics, its slant on the Story, etc. 2. Ezra is remembered as "the father of Judaism." What did he do that earned him that title? 3. How was Jewish life different after the Babylonian exile, especially after the reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah than in the heyday of the united kingdom? 4. How did Ezra/Nehemiah s covenant reforms compare/contrast with Hezekiah and Josiah s? With the Davidic interpretation of the covenant? Student Projects 1. Assuming that Cyrus Decree on behalf of the Jews (Ezra 1:1-4) is a "form-decree," i.e., that the same decree was 97

6 issued for every people who had been displaced by the Babylonians, with the particulars personalized for each group, re-write the decree as the exiles from Damascus would have received it. 2. You are an old Jewish man. As a youth you had a minor role in the temple cultus before 587 ("the good old days"). You have lived most of your life in exile in Babylon. Your (now wealthy) sons have made it possible for you to attend the dedication festivities for the restored temple. Write your sons a letter telling about the event and the temple. 3. A prominent Jewish leader has published a long article in a Jewish news magazine popular among "exiles" in Babylon chiding young Jews for not participating in the return to and rebuilding of the "homeland" in Palestine. You are 33 years old, have a wife and an extended family to support. You have a small furniture making shop. Write a reply to the article. 4. Marshall the evidence and make the case that Ezra actually carried out his reforms after Nehemiah s rebuilding and reforms. 5. Prepare the inventory (the "want list") of goods which Ezra requested of the government before setting out on his journey to Palestine. 6. Find out as much as you can about the 5 th -century restoration efforts led by Ezra. Read imaginatively Ezra 7:1-28 and Nehemiah 7:53b-9:38. With a student colleague, write out your plans and tape (or video) an interview with Ezra that chilly evening before Ezra was to proclaim his reformation the next morning. Be faithful to what Ezra actually tried to get done; but do not merely mimic the ancient language of the biblical historian. The dialogue should be your own creation. 7. Tape the "voice over" for the documentary showing events the morning Ezra and his people began reading the Torah to the assembled Jews. Be sure your audience understands details in the setting and the unfolding events they are seeing. 8. As a young Moabitess who married a Jew ten years ago, write a letter to the editor concerning Ezra s "exclusive" policy. You and your husband have two children, 5 and 8 years old, whom you are raising as Jews. 9. Write up for Nehemiah the daily (nightly) project reports of the work being done rebuilding Jerusalem s wall, beginning with the initial surveys. 10. Detail in a memo to Nehemiah the economic disaster that is trapping peasants who have come to Jerusalem to take part in rebuilding the city wall. (He is unaware of what is going on.) 11. Draw a political cartoon lampooning those rich Jews in Palestine who were taking advantage of villagers and farmers who had come to Jerusalem to help rebuild the wall. Some New/Key Terms apocalyptist Lachish letters Levites menorah Pentateuch sabbath satan, the Tabernacles, Feast of targums Torah Names 98

7 Cyrus Darius Ezra Haggai Nehemiah Sheshbazzar Zechariah Zerubbabel 99