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Jewish royalty and priesthood in the early post-exilic period

So Hyeong-Geun 1

1남서울대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Man says often the word 'post-exilic period' in the study of the old testament, but it is very difficult to define the period of the post-exilic. Nevertheless, the purpose of this article is to define the terminology 'early post-exilic'. This article methodologically separates the earlier post-exilic period from the latter with the transition of leadership in the post-exilic society. The post-exilic begins, of course, at 538 BCE after the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus. When is the end of the early post-exilic? This period can be supposed through the transition of leadership in the jewish community of the post-exilic period, and this time is around 500 BCE. Jojachin, who is released from prison in Babylon, is called as the king of Judah in the exilic period, Sheshbazzar is also called as the king (or prince, hebrew word ' ') in the post-exilic period, and Zerubbabel is accepted by prophets(Haggai and Zechariah) as the king of Judah in the post-exilic period. In addition, in all over the Ancient Near East, kings acted as temple-builders and the building of a temple was a royal initiative. The Second temple is not an exception to this rule. The builder of the temple in 515 BCE was Zerubbabel, a king of Davidic origin and a vassal king of the Persians, so namely the second temple was a royal building, as had been the first temple before. This period is the time to be reinforced by royalty. But after the death of Zerubbabel jewish community was frustrated by the delay of restoration of the Davidic Dynasty, and a new leadership appeared in this time. Therefore the time of the death of Zerubbabel, around 500 BCE, is the end of the early post-exilic period. With the end of the early post-exilic period the power of the priest appeared all over the surface in the jewish community. Resultingly the political and religious authority of the early post-exilic period in Jehud community was known by this article, and it is said in this article that the authority of the priesthood and the theocracy thought were reinforced after the early post-exilic period.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.