REBUILDING THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM

A historical survey of the contributions Persian kings made to the rebuilding of the destroyed temple in Jerusalem.

A biblical prophecy by Isaiah foretold the destruction of the first temple in Jerusalem and its subsequent reconstruction by someone named Cyrus, nearly 200 years before Cyrus became ruler of the Babylonian Empire. Of course, the temple was in fact razed to the ground, and Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler at the time, exiled the Jews to Babylon. However, Cyrus’ rule served as a watershed for the Jewish people: “The influence of the enlightened rule of Cyrus the Persian—and later Persian kings—appears to have given Israel a new vision of the monarchy.” Over the next century, a series of Persian kings continued the commitment made by Cyrus despite facing considerable opposition. Miller chronicles this extraordinary development and contends that without the intervention of Persian kings, the second temple probably wouldn’t have been built. The author’s thesis unfolds in a teacherly fashion as a series of brief lectures delivered with discussion questions included. The book itself is brief—well under 100 pages—and abounds with lucid, well-researched historical interpretation and biblical commentary. Also, Miller draws a relevant contemporary lesson from this century of Persian and Jewish collaboration: “In the modern world of huge political and religious divides, it is difficult to lay aside the issues that separate us and concentrate on the similarities that unite us. A look back in history reminds us that we have cooperated in the past and that cooperation in the future is essential if the world is to survive.” This is a refreshingly optimistic read of a history also fraught with enmity, and at the very least, it teaches that such antagonism between religious traditions isn’t unavoidable.

A concise but thorough examination of a neglected aspect of ancient history.