I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezra 1-2.

    When Cyrus conquered the Babylonians one of his first acts was to issue a proclamation encouraging the Jews in Exile to return to their homelands. This was consistent with the actions of Cyrus and other kings of the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire encouraged the various peoples they ruled over to practice their traditional religions. Where previous Empires in the region had divided up ethnic groups and dispersed them throughout the land they controlled, the Persians encouraged the multitudes of ethnic groups they ruled over to gather together as groups. This tolerance and acceptance of ethnic and religious minorities in their empire explains how the Jews were able to reassemble in Judea. The willingness of the government and the various neighbors of the Jewish Exiles to give resources to the Returning Jews explains how they were able to so quickly re-establish themselves in Judea.