The
Second Temple (
Hebrew ??? ??????, romanized
Beit HaMikdash meaning
The Temple House or
The Holy House) was the reconstructed
Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE. During this time, it was the center of
Jewish worship, which focused on the sacrifices known as the
korbanot.
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was destroyed in 586 BCE when the
Jews were
exiled into
Babylonian Captivity. Construction of a new temple was begun in 535; after a hiatus, work resumed ca. 521, with completion occurring in 516 and dedication in 515. As described in the
Book of Ezra, rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by
Cyrus the Great of
Persia and ratified by
Darius the Great of Persia. The Romans
destroyed Jerusalem and its Second Temple on
August 4th 70 CE, ending the
Great Jewish Revolt that began in 66 CE.
After the return from captivity, under Zerubbabel, arrangements were almost immediately made to reorganize the desolated Kingdom of Judah after its demise seventy years earlier. The body of pilgrims, forming a band of 42,360 including children (besides their male and female servants, who numbered 7,337, and 200 singing men and women; cf. Ezra 265), having completed the long and dreary journey of some four months, from the banks of the Euphrates to Jerusalem, were animated in all their proceedings by a strong religious impulse, and therefore one of their first concerns was to restore their ancient house of worship by rebuilding their destroyed temple and reinstituting the sacrificial rituals known as the korbanot.
On the invitation of Zerubbabel, the governor, who showed them a remarkable example of liberality by contributing personally 1,000 golden darics, besides other gifts, the people poured their gifts into the sacred treasury with great enthusiasm (Ezra 2). First they erected and dedicated the altar of God on the exact spot where it had formerly stood, and they then cleared away the charred heaps of debris which occupied the site of the old temple; and in the second month of the second year (535 BCE), amid great public excitement and rejoicing (befitting Psalms 116; 117; 118), the foundations of the second temple were laid. A wide interest was felt in this great movement, although it was regarded with mingled feelings by the spectators (Haggai 23; Zechariah 410).
The Samaritans made proposals for co-operation in the work. Zerubbabel and the elders, however, declined all such cooperation, feeling that Judea must build the temple without help. Immediately evil reports were spread regarding the Jews. According to Ezra 45, the Samaritans sought to "frustrate their purpose" and sent messengers to Ecbatana and Susa, with the result that the work was suspended.
