Babylonian Captivity and Prophetic Covenant
Babylonian rulers, exiled Israelite elites, and prophetic critics shape the captivity period that recasts Israelite identity during Judah’s fall and exile from Jerusalem and its priestly leadership.
Cyrus and the Merciful Federation
Cyrus the Great, Persian elites, and conquered peoples including Jews and Babylonians define the empire’s new model of rule across the Near East in the mid sixth century BCE.
Ezra's Bible Unification Program
Ezra, returning priestly elites, and Jewish men under Persian rule drive a reform movement to unify a divided community in Jerusalem.
First Temple Political Religion
Israelite tribal leaders, David and Solomon, Jerusalem priests, and the Yahwist literary elite anchor the early coalition that defines the first temple religious order of Israel.
Levant Divide and Rule
Persian administrators, returning Jews, and local Samaritans compete for authority in the Levant under imperial oversight after the exile.
Rabbinic Judaism and Diaspora
Rabbis, synagogue teachers, and dispersed Jewish households become the principal authorities for Judaism once temple sacrifice ends, stretching across the Mediterranean and beyond into Asia and Africa.
Second Temple Priestly Purity
Post-exile Jews in Judah, temple priests, and ritual specialists drive the second temple community while replacing royal authority with clerical power under imperial oversight.
Zoroastrian Administrative Eschatology
Persian administrators, Zoroastrian priests, and educated aspirants practice the imperial religion that governs bureaucratic conduct across the empire and its satrapies in the sixth century BCE.