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People of the Land
[Bible]"People of the land" translates the Hebrew phrase *'am ha'aretz*. In the Old Testament, its meaning varies with period and context: it may refer to the inhabitants of a land, the ordinary free citizens of Judah, or people outside the community of returned exiles. In later rabbinic literature, it came to denote a person ignorant of the Law.
Rebuilding of the Temple
[Bible]The rebuilding of the Temple was the event in which the people of Judah, after returning from the Babylonian exile, rebuilt the ruined Temple in Jerusalem. It is recorded in Ezra 1–6 and in Haggai and Zechariah, and the temple built at that time is called the Second Temple.
Jehoahaz (King of Judah)
[People]Jehoahaz was a son of King Josiah of Judah. He came to the throne after his father's death and reigned for three months. Pharaoh Necho of Egypt deposed him and carried him off to Egypt, where he died. The Book of Jeremiah refers to him as Shallum.
Return from Exile
[Bible]The return from exile was the return of the people of Judah, who had been carried off to Babylon, to Jerusalem in several waves after the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia, and their rebuilding of the temple and the city walls.
Jews
[Bible]The term "Jew" originally referred to a member of the tribe of Judah or of the southern kingdom of Judah. After the Babylonian exile it became a name for the people of Israel as a whole, and in the New Testament it frequently appears paired with "Gentile."
Queen of Heaven
[Bible]The Queen of Heaven is a title used in the Book of Jeremiah for a goddess whom the people of Judah worshiped by burning incense and offering cakes. Jeremiah condemned this worship as idolatry and a departure from God.
Valley of Berachah
[Bible]The Valley of Berachah is the valley where Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, assembled with his people to bless the LORD after they were delivered from a coalition of Moabites, Ammonites, and others. The Hebrew name "Berachah" means "blessing" or "praise."
Edict of Cyrus
[Bible]The Edict of Cyrus was a command issued by Cyrus, king of Persia, in the first year of his reign. It permitted the people of Judah who had been carried captive to Babylon to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, and it is recorded in 2 Chronicles and Ezra.
Sheshbazzar
[People]Sheshbazzar was a leader of Judah who, during the reign of the Persian king Cyrus, received the vessels of the Jerusalem temple and led the first return of the Babylonian exiles. He appears in Ezra 1 and 5.
Haggai
[Bible]Haggai is the thirty-seventh book of the Old Testament and the tenth of the twelve Minor Prophets. It contains the messages of the prophet Haggai, who urged the people of Judah, returned from exile in Babylon, to rebuild the ruined temple in Jerusalem.
Cyrus
[People]Cyrus, known in general history as Cyrus II or Cyrus the Great, was a king of the ancient Persian Empire. The Bible records him as the ruler who permitted the people of Judah held captive in Babylon to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
Ahiman
[People]Ahiman was a descendant of Anak who lived in Hebron before the conquest of Canaan. He is named in the Bible together with Sheshai and Talmai and was driven out by Caleb and the people of Judah.
Jeremiah 6:16
[Bible Verses]A verse in which God tells the people of Judah to stand at the crossroads, ask for "the old paths, where is the good way," and walk in it, promising that they will find rest; the people, however, refuse. It is frequently cited in appeals to "return to the old paths."
Isaiah 55:6–7
[Bible Verses]Isaiah 55:6–7 calls the people of Judah in the Babylonian exile to seek the LORD, forsake their wicked ways and thoughts, and return to him, promising that God will have mercy and abundantly pardon. The passage is frequently quoted in sermons that call for repentance and speak of forgiveness.
Zerubbabel
[People]Zerubbabel was a descendant of the royal house of David who led the people of Judah home from the Babylonian exile. He served as governor of Judah during the Persian period and, together with the high priest Jeshua, led the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah
[Bible]Nehemiah is a historical book of the Old Testament. It records how the people of Judah, having returned from the Babylonian exile, rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and reorganized their community of faith under the leadership of Nehemiah, an official of the Persian court.
Ezra
[Bible]Ezra is the fifteenth book of the Old Testament, a historical book recounting how the people of Judah who returned from the Babylonian exile rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem and restored their community around the Law.
Zechariah
[Bible]Zechariah is the thirty-eighth book of the Old Testament. This prophetic book encourages the people of Judah who had returned from the Babylonian exile to rebuild the Temple, and it prophesies concerning the Messiah and the restoration of the kingdom of God.
Jahaziel
[People]Jahaziel was a Levite in the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. When a coalition of Moabites and Ammonites invaded, he was moved by the Spirit and prophesied that "the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20).
Isaiah 1:16–17
[Bible Verses]In this passage the prophet Isaiah commands the people of Judah to forsake their evil deeds, learn to do good, and defend the vulnerable, such as orphans and widows. Because it criticizes worship devoid of justice, it is frequently cited in discussions of repentance and social responsibility.