administrative staff. The Persian element in the provinces must, in
fact, have been extraordinarily small--so small that an Empire, which
for more than two centuries comprehended nearly all western Asia, has
left hardly a single provincial monument of itself, graven on rock or
carved on stone.


SECTION 6. JEWS

If we look particularly at the Jews--those subjects of Persia who
necessarily share most of our interest with the Greeks--we find that
Persian imperial rule was no sooner established securely over the former
Babylonian fief in Palestine than it began to undo the destructive work
of its predecessors. Vainly expecting help from the restored Egyptian
power, Jerusalem had held out against Nebuchadnezzar till 587. On its
capture the dispersion of the southern Jews, which had already begun
with local emigrations to Egypt, was largely increased by the
deportation of a numerous body to Babylonia. As early, however, as 538,
the year of Cyrus' entry into Babylon (doubtless as one result of that
event), began a return of exiles to Judaea and perhaps also to Samaria.
By 520 the Jewish population in South Palestine was sufficiently strong
again to make itself troublesome to Darius, and in 516 the Temple was in
process of restoration. Before the middle of the next century Jerusalem
was once more a fortified city and its population had been further
reinforced by many returned exiles who had imbibed the economic
civilization, and also the religiosity of Babylonia. Thenceforward the
development of the Jews into a commercial people proceeds without
apparent interruption from Persian governors, who (as, for example,
Nehemiah) could themselves be of the subject race. Even if large
accretions of other Semites, notably Aramaeans, be allowed