1 / 12

The Postexilic Period

The Postexilic Period. Dr Katherine Southwood. A range of evidence. the Lacish letters, the Jehoiachin tablet, the Muraschu archives, the Elephantine papyri, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Behistun Inscription, literary and iconographic evidence from Persepolis,

platt
Download Presentation

The Postexilic Period

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Postexilic Period Dr Katherine Southwood

  2. A range of evidence • the Lacish letters, • the Jehoiachin tablet, • the Muraschu archives, • the Elephantine papyri, • the Cyrus Cylinder, • the Behistun Inscription, • literary and iconographic evidence from Persepolis, • Old Testament texts • a variety of later Greek sources prominently Herodotus, Josephus and Diodorus and Hecateus

  3. Cyrus Cylinder • “…the cult centres beyond the Tigris, whose structures had long remained in ruins, I returned to their place the Gods who lived there and re-established them for eternity. I gathered all their people and returned their habitations….concerning Babylon who against the will of the Gods….[I abolished?] their yoke…”.

  4. Well-known

  5. Ezra 1:1-4 • In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah,theLord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:“‘TheLord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointedme to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

  6. 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 • 2 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”

  7. Autonomous temples = loyalty Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.(Ezra 6:8-10)

  8. Autonomous temples = loyalty • Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? (Ezra 7:23) • “The actual worshipper is … to pray only for the king and the general good of the community” (Herodotus. I:132).

  9. Elephantine • Intermarriage • Interethnic business • Interethnic accommodation: Immediate neighbours Worship of Yahu Letter to the temple

  10. Udjahorresenet

  11. Ezra Nehemiah • Rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1-7): Concerns with foreigners • Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans (Ezra 4). • List of those returning, description of return with Ezra and Intermarriage Crisis • Nehemiah: antagonism with foreign officials who oppose rebuilding Jerusalem (Neh. 4-6) • Neh. 8 Reading of the Law (misplaced). • Neh 9. Historical retrospect. Followed by lists; confession dedication • Neh. 13; Intermarriage Crisis

  12. Haggai and Zechariah • Rebuilding of the temple • Work on the temple had stopped and had not been resumed. • Zerubbabel ben Shealtiel “my servant” “like a signet ring” • Davidic messianic language • Concern for purity of the temple and priesthood • Zechariah 9 – 14 Apocalyptic

More Related