Turning Points in Jewish History - 1125 Words

Turning Point in Jewish History Diaspora will not be the death of a religion. The concept may seem to make sense to us, but the realization of this is what turned desperation of a displaced people into a lasting religion. The Babylonian exile of the Jews had such monumental and lasting effects, it has become proverbial. There have been many events in Jewish History that can be seen as specific turning points. Arguably, the most pivotal turning point may have been within the years of about 632 B.C.E. - about 332 B.C.E. During this period, the seeds of what would become known as the Jewish diaspora were sown; the Messianic dream made the most important contribution to a group of people yearning for familiarities and finally culminating†¦show more content†¦In 539, Cyrus the Persian conquered the Babylonians. The Judeans were finding themselves with an increase in the quality of life so much that some in the upper echelon were able to rise to prominent roles within the Persian Empire. The turning point came.In 538, the Persian province of Judea had begun its restoration and the exiles were starting to return home. This is when it really became clear that though the exiles were able to return to Judea, even if they chose to stay, whether it was in Babylonia or Egypt, they would still a sense of belonging to the people of Judea through factors such as history, family and most importantly, religion. In 515, the second Temple was completed, though it was said it could not compare to the splendor of its predecessor. During this period, there were efforts to reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem. The monumental task of reconstruction did not become a reality until Nehemiah, a Jewish courtier of Artaxerxes I used his imperial authority in the last half of the 5th century. Around this time, Ezra the scribe from Babylonia institutes the Torah as the law of the land on commission from the Persian emperor. We have Aramaic documentation confirming this in the Biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. From around 445-433 B.C.E, the first accounts of the reading of the Torah in Synagogues, the Judean authorities wanted to create uniformity among the way the religion was practiced. â€Å"These new rules aboutShow MoreRelatedThe Transformation Of Hebrews During Ancient Jewish900 Words   |  4 PagesThe Transformation of Hebrews during Ancient Jewish Throughout modern history, Judaism has been recognized as one of the most influential religions in Western Civilization. However, to reach the complexity and structure that Judaism has today, the Hebrews had to endure several periods and turning points in history. During the 1500 years after 1200 BCE, â€Å"numerous vast empires rose and fall around and over them (Hebrews)†, as they made their transformation into Jews (Pavlac, 45). During these phasesRead MoreThe Evolution Of Judaism. 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