* An anonymous prophet in Isa. lx. 11-16.

     ** Hagg. i. 6.

They quickly relinquished the work of restoration, finding themselves forgotten by all—­their Babylonian brethren included—­in the midst of the great events which were then agitating the world, the preparations for the conquest of Egypt, the usurpation of the pseudo-Smerdis, the accession of Darius, the Babylonian and Median insurrections.  Possibly they believed that the Achaemenides had had their day, and that a new Chaldaean empire, with a second Nebuchadrezzar at its head, was about to regain the ascendency.  It would seem that the downfall of Nadintav-bel inspired them with new faith in the future and encouraged them to complete their task:  in the second year of Darius, two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, arose in their midst and lifted up their voices.

[Illustration:  337.jpg CHALDEAN SEAL WITH ARAMAIC INSCRIPTION]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photogravure published in
     Menant.

Zerubbabel, a prince of the royal line, governed Judah in the Persian interest, and with him was associated the high priest Joshua, who looked after the spiritual interests of the community:  the reproaches of the two prophets aroused the people from their inaction, and induced them to resume their interrupted building operations.  Darius, duly informed of what was going on by the governor of Syria, gave orders that they were not to be interfered with, and four years later the building of the temple was completed.*

* Ezra iv.-vi.; the account given by Josephus of the two expeditions of Zerubbabel seems to have been borrowed partly from the canonical book, partly from the Apocryphal writing known as the 1st Book of Esdras.

For nearly a century after this the little Jewish republic remained quiescent.  It had slowly developed until it had gradually won back a portion of the former territories of Benjamin and Judah, but its expansion southwards was checked by the Idumaeans, to whom Nebuchadrezzar had years before handed over Hebron and Acrabattene (Akrabbim) as a reward for the services they had rendered.

On the north its neighbours were the descendants of those Aramaean exiles whom Sargon, Sennacherib, and Esar-haddon, kings of Assyria, had, on various occasions, installed around Samaria in Mount Ephraim.  At first these people paid no reverence to the “God of the land,” so that Jahveh, in order to punish them, sent lions, which spread carnage in their ranks.  Then the King of Assyria allotted them an Israelitish priest from among his prisoners, who taught them “the law” of Jahveh, and appointed other priests chosen from the people, and showed them how to offer up sacrifices on the ancient high places.*