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b"The return to the land of Israel was an event which really broadened\\nthe world of the Israelites. When Jews began forming a Diaspora, it\\nclarified the concept that God was not just a local deity, but rather\\nthe God of the universe. Babylon, in particular, appears as a true\\ncosmopolis until the time when Revelation was written.
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\\nAs previously stated, the Persians, unlike the Babylonians, allowed a\\nmoderate amount of home rule, which was eventually exploited to build a\\nsecond temple around 522BC, after prodding by Haggai and Zechariah.\\nThis second temple was much smaller than the temple built by Solomon,\\nand those who had seen the first temple were struck by the difference\\nbetween the two.
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\\nZechariah and Haggai prophesy that Zerubbabel will see the completion\\nof the temple, and for that, he is part of the earthly lineage of the\\nChrist. While the people set about funding the rebuilding of their own\\nhomes, they do not do all they can to fund the rebuilding of the\\ntemple. God, through Haggai, chastises the people for not funding the\\nprocess and afflicts the land with a drought as punishment. The\\nrebuilding of the temple takes seven years, and then 50 years after\\nthat, Nehemiah, the governor arrives in the land. Ezra proclaims the\\nlaw to the people, and for the Jews, this triumphant echo of Moses\\nforms the end of the historical books of the Hebrew Scriptures.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian's Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com"