The term "Assembly of the Exiles" refers to the gathering of the Jewish people who returned to Jerusalem and Judah after the Babylonian exile. This significant event in Jewish history is primarily documented in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which detail the return from exile, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the reestablishment of the Jewish community in their ancestral homeland.

Historical Context

The Babylonian exile began in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon, conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the First Temple, and deported a significant portion of the Jewish population to Babylon. This period of exile lasted approximately 70 years, fulfilling the prophecy given by Jeremiah: "This whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years" (Jeremiah 25:11).

In 539 BC, the Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and issued a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This decree is recorded in Ezra 1:2-4 : "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.'"

The Return and Rebuilding

The first group of exiles, led by Zerubbabel and Jeshua the high priest, returned to Jerusalem around 538 BC. This initial return is described in Ezra 2, which lists the families and individuals who made the journey. Upon their arrival, they began the work of rebuilding the altar and laying the foundation of the Second Temple, as recorded in Ezra 3:10-11 : "When the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: 'For He is good, for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.'"

Despite opposition from surrounding peoples and internal challenges, the Temple was completed in 516 BC, during the reign of Darius the Great, as noted in Ezra 6:15 : "And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius."

The Role of Ezra and Nehemiah

Ezra, a scribe and priest, played a crucial role in the spiritual and religious restoration of the Jewish community. He arrived in Jerusalem around 458 BC, bringing with him a second group of exiles. Ezra's mission was to teach the Law of Moses and to ensure its observance among the people. Ezra 7:10 states, "For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel."

Nehemiah, a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia, arrived in Jerusalem in 445 BC with the king's permission to rebuild the city's walls. His leadership and organizational skills were instrumental in completing the wall in just 52 days, as recorded in Nehemiah 6:15-16 : "So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God."

Significance

The Assembly of the Exiles marks a pivotal moment in Jewish history, symbolizing the fulfillment of God's promises and the resilience of His people. The return from exile and the rebuilding efforts under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah laid the foundation for the religious and cultural identity of the Jewish people in the post-exilic period. This period also set the stage for the eventual coming of the Messiah, as prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures.