chs. 1-6. We have given us the records of activities of this colony
for a period of about twenty-one years, during which time the temple
was rebuilt and dedicated. Much opposition was encountered in the
matter of rebuilding the temple and the work was finally stopped. It
is here that Haggai and Zechariah delivered their stirring prophesies
which together with the influence of Jerubbabel and Jeshua, the
priest, stimulated the people to renew their building operations and
complete the temple (B. C. 515). In the course of history, Haggai and
Zechariah would come in between the fourth and fifth chapters of Ezra.
(2) The second colony returned to Jerusalem _under the leadership of
Ezra_ (Ezra chs. 7-10) and consisted of about 1800 males with their
families. There is here a lapse of about fifty-seven years from the
completion and dedication of the temple to the time of Ezra's going to
Jerusalem-the last thirty years of the reign of Darius, the twenty
years of the reign of Xerxes and seven years of the reign of
Artaxerses. Ezra obtained permission from Artaxerxes to return and
also letters of instruction to the rulers to give him assistance. He
was a scribe of the law of Moses and his mission was primarily a
religious one. He was a descendant from the house of Aaron and as such
he assumed the office of priest when he reached Jerusalem. Upon his
arrival he found that the first colony had fallen into gross
immoralities and into unsound religious practices. He rebuke He
rebuke all these sins and brought about a great reform. It is not
certain that he remained in Jerusalem. His leave from the king may
have been only temporary and he may have gone back to Babylon and
returned again to Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah. (3) The third
colony was _led to Jerusalem by Nehemiah_ (the book of Nehemiah). The
number returning is not given. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the
Persian king and upon hearing of the distress of his people at
Jerusalem secured permission from him to go to Jerusalem as the