THE EXILE AND REVIVAL OF THE JUDEAN COMMUNITY

Section xci.  The Jews in Palestine and Egypt

Lam. 2:1-10, 5:1-18, Jer. 43:3-12, 44:1-14, 28.

I. The Significance of the Destruction of the Hebrew State.—­II.  The Book of Lamentations.—­III.  Authorship and Date of the Book.—­IV.  Its Real Character.—­Numbers and Fortunes of the Jews Who Remained in Palestine.—­ VI.  Fortunes of the Jews in Egypt.—­VII.  The Jewish Colony at Elephantine.  —­VIII.  The Temple of Jahu at Elephantine.

Section xcii.  Ezekiel’s message to his scattered countrymen.

Ezek. 37, 40:1, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21b, 44-47, 41:1-8a, 43:1-9, 44:9-16, 23, 24, 45:1-8.

I. The Home of the Exiles in Babylon.—­II.  Their New Conditions and Occupations.—­III.  Their Religious Life.  IV.  The Prophecies of Ezekiel.—­

V. The Resurrection of the Dead Nation.—­VI.  The Divine Shepherd.—­ VII.  Ezekiel’s Plan of the Restored Temple.

Section XCIII.  THE CLOSING YEARS OF THE BABYLONIAN RULE

II Kings 25:27-30, Isa. 9:1-7, 11:1-10, 13:2-4, 11, 17, 18b, 19-22, Ezra 6:3-5, 5:14, 15, 1:5-6, I Esdr. 5:4-6, Ezra 3:2-4, 6b.

I. The Transformation of the Jews into a Literary People.—­II.  The Literary Activity of the Babylonian Period.—­III.  The Holiness Code.—­ IV.  The Liberation of Jehoiachin and the Hopes of the Jews.—­V.  The Rule of Nabonidus.—­VII.  Rise and Conquests of Cyrus.—­VII.  His Capture of Babylon.—­VIII.  His Treatment of Conquered Peoples.

Section XCIV.  THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE

Hag. 1, 2, Ezra 5:3-6:14.

I. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah.—­II.  The Chronicler’s Conception of the Restoration.—­III.  Convulsions in the Persian Empire.—­IV.  Haggai’s Effective Addresses.—­V.  The Attempt to Stop the Rebuilding of the
Temple.—­VI.  The Significance of the Restoration of the Temple.

Section XCV.  ZECHARIAH’S VISIONS AND ENCOURAGING ADDRESSES

Zech. 1:7-4:6a, 11-14, 8b-10, 6:9-15, 7, 8:1-8.

I. Zechariah’s Ancestry and Point of View.—­II.  The Book of Zechariah. 
—­III.  Problems and Hopes of the Judean Community.—­IV.  Zechariah’s
Assurances of Jehovah’s Care.—­V.  Preparations for the Crowning of
Zerubbabel.—­VI.  Disappointment of these Patriotic Hopes.—­VII. 
Zechariah’s Later Exhortations and Predictions.

Section XCVI.  ISRAEL’S TRAINING AND DESTINY

Isa. 40:1-4, 6, 31, 41:1-4, 8-10, 42:1-7, 10-15, 22-28, 44:1-5.

I. The Seventy Years Following the Rebuilding of the Temple.—­
II.  Spiritual Forces in Judaism.—­III.  Evidences that Isaiah 40-66 Were
Written in Palestine.—­IV.  Their Probable Date.—­V.  Their Literary
Characteristics.—­VI.  Their Theme and Purpose.—­VII.  Reasons Why Jehovah
Will Restore His People.