History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

<p><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)>The destruction of Jerusalem and its temple led to a religious spiritual and political crisis which left its mark in prophetic literature and biblical tradition. The Kingdom of Judah was abolished and </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>annexed as a Babylonian province</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)> with its center in </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Mizpah</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)>. The </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Judean</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)> elite including the </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Davidic dynasty</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)> were exiled to Babylon. After </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Babylon had fallen</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)> to </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Cyrus the Great</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)> founder of the </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Persian Achaemenid Empire</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)> in 539 BCE he allowed the exiled Judeans to </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>return to Zion</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)> and rebuild Jerusalem. The </span><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Second Temple</span><span style=color: rgba(32 33 34 1)> was completed in 516 BCE.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>The author has comprehended all these things in seven books and has left no occasion for complaint or accusation to such as have been acquainted with this war. These have been written down for the sake of those that love truth but not for those that please themselves [with fictitious relations]. </span></p>