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The establishment of the Persian Empire marked a turning point in the history of the Ancient Near East. The older empires had been 'river valley empires', - Mesopotamia, and Egypt, - but the Persian empire covered a much larger area of land than ever before, and absorbed the old empires into a very new one.

The Persians were an Indo-European race, and their religion, following the reforms of their prophet, Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, has affinities with both Hinduism and the religion of the Celts. Theirs was a religion of 'two gods', the god of Light, Ahura-Mazda, the god of Goodness, leader of the angels, and the god of Darkness, Ahriman, leader of the demons. (remember 2-Isaiah's monotheistic declaration on this? See Is. 45.7).

The first three kings established this empire, which lasted very successfully for the next 200 years. King Cyrus was the conqueror, first of the Medes; then Lydia and the nations of Asia Minor, with Cyprus asking to join; next was the Iranian plateau; then N.W.India; and Babylon in 539 BCE. King Cambyses completed the Empire with the Conquest of Egypt, in 525 BCE, and King Darius organised its administration, from 520 onwards. Its new style meant there would not be vassal kings of smaller territories any more, but one King only of the total vast area. It was divided into administrative areas called 'satrapies', each governed by a Governor called the Satrap, usually a Persian appointed by the King/Emperor. Each Satrap was inspected by roving inspectors in disguise, and a massive road, and bridge-building programme with posting inns every 15 miles, kept everyone in speedy contact with the King, whose main centres were the elegant and luxurious cities of Ecbatana, Susa, and Persepolis.

Babylon was King Cyrus's last and easiest conquest. He captured the city, but gave orders that no destruction or looting should occur. He paid great respect to Babylon's god, Marduk, and won the loyalty of the citizens. Such was his liberal policy to all the gods of his territory, that those which were in Babylon, thanks to Nebuchadrezzar, he ordered to be returned to their own original homes. The Jews had no image to be returned, so their Temple vessels were returned instead, and they, like others in Babylonian exile, were told to take them home. (see Ezra 6.1-5).

In this new era of their history, it was the Priests who became the dominant influence of authority. The writings are the work of 'the Chronicler' in one long work, 1&2 Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah. He had his own agenda, and used historical documents to support his statements, - sometimes, - but had little concern for chronological order. Our information, therefore, is somewhat muddled. The official decree of Cyrus is written in Aramaic, (Ez.6), but another version, giving the Jewish people permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of YHWH, is written in Hebrew, (Ez.1.2-4). They both reflect the statements of the Cyrus Cylinder, written in cuneiform, and now in the British Museum.

A small group of adventurous Jews, under the appointed leadership of Sheshbazzar, an aristocratic 'prince of Judah', left Babylon in 536 BCE, to travel to Jerusalem, leaving the great majority behind. It was a somewhat dangerous journey, for although the fertile crescent was now officially part of the new Empire, the Persian Emperor had not been there himself. For some years it is probable that the old rulers were rather sceptical and ambivalent in their attitude, and certainly not ready to welcome the travellers as they journeyed. The appointed centre of government in the 'Land beyond Euphrates' was Samaria, and it soon became apparent that the old hostility between north and south still existed there. The excitement of

2-Isaiah's poem, (Is.40.1-11), soon proved unrealistic, and the travellers' disillusionment on arrival at the ruin that had been Jerusalem, became despondent despair. During the last 70 years, the remaining population had appropriated ownership of the land and become the new landed gentry. There was no land for the newcomers. They lived on the hill of ruins in rough shacks for shelter, and had to buy all their food. As most of them were of the priestly families, they did manage to identify the site of Solomon's Temple, and cleared it. They also built an altar, and rejoiced as the daily sacrificial worship could begin again, but that was all! They kept the autumnal festival of booths, Succoth, (the grape harvest), and this marks the restoration of Temple worship, and the beginning of Judaism, as it has now become.

Ten years of lack of achievement went by. Cyrus died and was succeeded by his son, Cambyses, a much more ruthless ruler than his father. He imposed his authority all round the fertile crescent and the eastern Mediterranean seaboard as he led his army towards Egypt. His main base was at Acco, (Acre), and his army marched to and fro, past Judah, where apparently there was no trouble going on, for the returnees were struggling for survival. Cambyses conquered Memphis in 525 BCE, but died in mysterious circumstances three years later while returning home.

There was a time of political turmoil, but in 520 BCE, the new ruler emerged, King Darius. He had a vast empire to control, but proved an administrative genius. It was not long before the markets were developing again, and prosperity began to return. It was of strategic importance that all parts of the empire should flourish, so Darius turned his attention to the fortunes of those people now struggling to live where Jerusalem had been.