Neither promises nor threats could induce
them to abandon their duty and worship
the idols of the heathens. After they had
be t in captivity 70 years, Cyrus, King of
Persia, having coqauefed Babyloti, set
them at liberty, and issued a decree by
which they were permitted to return to
their own dcontty and to rebuild Jerusalem
and the temple, 543 B. C. He restored to
them all the sacred utensils which Nebuch
adnezzar had taken away from the temple.
He laid down a plan of the new temple and
ordered thatb the expense of erecting it
should be paid out of the royal treasury.
All who desired it were allowed to remain
in their present places of residence and to
contribute as much as they pleased to the
holy edifice.
It may be proper to observe that the Isra
elites who returned from the captivity of
Babylon were then and ever afterwards
called Jews, because the tribe of Judah was
the most powerful of all the tribes of Israel,
and indeed almost the only one which was
considerable after the restoration to their
liberty and country. Many of the Israelites
chose to remain at Babylon. Those who
returned to Palestine began the work of the
temple with alacricity and vigor. Its pro
gress suffered a temporary obstruction
through the intrigues of their enemies and
the caprice of Cyrus' immediate .tcesseos..
