The destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. by the army of Nebuchadrezzar marks a radical turning point in the life of the people of Jehovah, for then the history of the Hebrew state and monarchy ends, and Jewish history, the record of the experiences, not of a nation but of the scattered, oppressed remnants of the Jewish people, begins.
Until within comparatively recent times the four centuries which followed the destruction of Jerusalem have ordinarily been regarded as the least important and the most uninteresting of those which constitute the background of the Bible. The results of modern critical study, however, have revealed their supreme importance. To the student of the Old Testament they are of the deepest interest, for they witnessed for the first time the popular acceptance of the principles enunciated by the pre-exilic prophets, and the remarkable expansion and application of the ceremonial law. It is now generally accepted that more than half of the literature of the Old Testament comes from this period.
This classic book explores the Babylonian, Persian and Greek periods of Jewish history. Topics include the dispersion of the Jews, Jewish exiles, literary activity, religious reforms, and Jewish life and faith.
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