שבכל דור ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותינו, והקדוש ברוך הוא מצילנו מידם .

1. שבכל דור ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותינו, והקדוש ברוך הוא מצילנו מידם. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”  - Mark Twain “Concerning The Jews,” Harper’s Magazine, 1899

2. Last Kings of Judah • Jehoiakim 609-598BCE • Vassal to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia • Jehoiachin 597BCE • Captured by Nebuchandezzar in a siege • Imprisoned in Babylonia • Freed in 562BCE by Amel-Marduk • Zedekiah 597-586BCE • Placed on throne by Nebucahdnezzar • Rebelled and entered alliance with Egypt • Watched children murdered before being blinded

3. 5 Stages of Destruction • Stage 1 – Judah becomes vassal to Babylonia in 605 BCE • Stage 2 – Exile of Yehoiachin in 597 BCE • Stage 3 – Breach of Jerusalem Walls in 586 BCE • Stage 4 – Beth Hamikdash Destroyed in 586 BCE • Stage 5 – Gedaliah murdered on 1st of Tishre586 BCE

4. Beginning of the Jewish exile • 722 BCE- King of Israel Hoshea is imprisoned and Jews of Samaria are exiled to Assyria(Melachim b,17:4-5) • Assyria settles foreigners in Samaria(melachimb17:24-40)”THE SAMARITANS” • 586 BCE- King of Judah Sidkiyahu is blinded and Jews exiled to Babylonia by King Nebuchadnezzar(melachimb 25:1-8) • 586 BCE- 9TH 0F AV-BeitHamikdash is burned(melachimb 25:8-9)

5. Babylonian Empire

7. IM ESHKAHECH YERUSHALAYIM TEHILLIM 137 :5-6 YOU TUBE VIDEO(urishani1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qV0pvc_VrQ

8. How to Count 70 • ירמיהו פרק כה:יא-יב וְהָיְתָה כָּל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְחָרְבָּה לְשַׁמָּה וְעָבְדוּ הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֶת מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה: וְהָיָה כִמְלֹאות שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה אֶפְקֹד עַל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וְעַל הַגּוֹי הַהוּא נְאֻם יְקֹוָק אֶת עֲוֹנָם וְעַל אֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים וְשַׂמְתִּי אֹתוֹ לְשִׁמְמוֹת עוֹלָם: • ירמיהו פרק כט:י כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְקֹוָק כִּי לְפִי מְלֹאת לְבָבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה אֶפְקֹד אֶתְכֶם וַהֲקִמֹתִי עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת דְּבָרִי הַטּוֹב לְהָשִׁיב אֶתְכֶם אֶל הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה • Reign of Nebuchadnezzar in 604 to conquest of Cyrus in 538 • 2. Destruction in 586 to Rededication in 516

9. Yirmiyahu the prophet : Build houses,plantgardens,marry and have children there..and after 70 yrs Hashem will return you to your homeland (yirmiyahu 28:5-11) Life in Bavel- • Autonomy • Aramaic language-similar to hebrew • Jewish infrastructure already set up from previous galut • Kept Shabbat and holidays • Stayed in their own communities,hardly any assimilation • Worked as farmers,irrigation and canal digging projects

10. The Persian Period Cyrus Returns Exiles Rebuilding the Temple

11. MIRACLES HAPPEN!!! KING CYRUS CONQUERS BABYLON 538 bce KING CYRUS OF PERSIA ALLOWS THE JEWS TO RETURN HOME AND BUILD THEIR TEMPLES

14. Cyrus Cylinder • Now in the British Museum

15. Cyrus Cylinder in British Museum, London

16. Read this

17. Cyrus Cylinder • [28-33] By his exalted word, all the kings who sit upon thrones throughout the world, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea [i.e., from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf], who live in the districts far-off, the kings of the West, who dwell in tents, all of them, brought their heavy tribute before me and in Babylon they kissed my feet. From Babylon to Aššur and from Susa, Agade, Ešnunna, Zamban, Me-Turnu, Der, as far as the region of Gutium, the sacred centers on the other side of the Tigris, whose sanctuaries had been abandoned for a long time, I returned the images of the gods, who had resided there [i.e., in Babylon], to their places and I let them dwell in eternal abodes. I gathered all their inhabitants and returned to them their dwellings. In addition, at the command of Marduk, the great lord, I settled in their habitations, in pleasing abodes, the gods of Sumer and Akkad, whom Nabonidus, to the anger of the lord of the gods, had brought into Babylon. • [34-36] May all the gods whom I settled in their sacred centers ask daily of Bêl and Nâbu that my days be long and may they intercede for my welfare. May they say to Marduk, my lord: "As for Cyrus, the king who reveres you, and Cambyses, his son, [lacuna]." The people of Babylon blessed my kingship, and I settled all the lands in peaceful abodes.

18. Replica of Cyrus Cylinder in UN, New York

19. Stage 1 of RedemptionYehoyachin Freed and Given Daily Allowance And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin (562 BCE) king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; and he spoke kindly jto him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table; and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, every day a portion, as long as he lived. (2 Kings 25:27-30)

20. Stage 2 of Redeption – Cyrus Grants Permission to Return and Rebuild in 539 BCE דברי הימים ב פרק לו )כ) וַיֶּגֶל הַשְּׁאֵרִית מִן הַחֶרֶב אֶל בָּבֶל וַיִּהְיוּ לוֹ וּלְבָנָיו לַעֲבָדִים עַד מְלֹךְ מַלְכוּת פָּרָס: (כא) לְמַלֹּאות דְּבַר יְקֹוָק בְּפִי יִרְמְיָהוּ עַד רָצְתָה הָאָרֶץ אֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתֶיהָ כָּל יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה שָׁבָתָה לְמַלֹּאות שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה: פ (כב) וּבִשְׁנַת אַחַת לְכוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס לִכְלוֹת דְּבַר יְקֹוָק בְּפִי יִרְמְיָהוּ הֵעִיר יְקֹוָק אֶת רוּחַ כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס וַיַּעֲבֶר קוֹל בְּכָל מַלְכוּתוֹ וְגַם בְּמִכְתָּב לֵאמֹר: ס (כג) כֹּה אָמַר כּוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס כָּל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהוּא פָקַד עָלַי לִבְנוֹת לוֹ בַיִת בִּירוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר בִּיהוּדָה מִי בָכֶם מִכָּל עַמּוֹ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ וְיָעַל:

21. Stage 3 Rebuilding of Second Bet Hamikdash in 520-516 BCE • Texts: Ezra 1-6, Haggai 1 • People Involved • Sheshbazzar – Yehoyachin’s son • Zerubabel – Yehoyachin’s grandson • Haggai • Zechariah • Dates • Commences in Darius I’s 2nd year = 520 • Finished on Adar 3 of Darius’ 6th year = March 516

22. The Samaritans mezuzah Samaritan man prepares for passover Sacrifice on mtgerizim 4/17/11

23. Samaritans on the Internet • Samaritan Passover • Samaritans Passover • Samaritan Shema • Samaritan Marriage

24. Samaritans In the Bible • 2 Kings 17 • Annals of Sargon II: • The ruler of Samaria, in conspiracy with another king, defaulted on his taxes and declared Samaria’s independence from Assyria. With the strength given me by the divine assembly, I conquered Samaria and its covenant partner, and took 27,290 prisoners of war along with their chariots. I conscripted enough prisoners to outfit fifty teams of chariots. I rebuilt Samaria, bigger and better than before. I repopulated it with people from other states which I had conquered, and I appointed one of my officials over them, and made them Assyrian citizens. • Ezra 4:2 – from time of Esarhadon (681-669)

25. Achaemenid Dynasty • Cyrus II, the Great ruled from c.550-530 BCE • Cambyses II ruled 529-522 BCE • Smerdis (Bardiya), ruled 522 BCE • Darius I, the Great ruled 521-486 BCE • Xerxes I ruled 485-465 BCE • Artaxerxes I Longimanus ruled 465-424 BCE • Xerxes II ruled 424 BCE • Sogdianus ruled 424-423 BCE • Darius II Nothus ruled 423-405 BCE • Artaxerxes II Mnemon ruled 404-359 BCE • Artaxerxes III Ochus ruled 358-338 BCE • Artaxerxes IV Arses ruled 338-336 BCE • Darius III Codomannus ruled 336-330 BCE

26. Read Ezra chapter 5-6 Letter to king darius for permission to rebuild

27. Stage 4 - Activities of Ezra and Nehemiah • Ez 7-8 Sent by Artexerxes (I? in 458BCE) • Ez 9-10 Mixed Marriages

28. Book of Nehemiah • Arrived in 455BCE • Ch 1-7:3 Rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem • 7:4-73 Census of returned exiles • 8:1-12 Ezra reads the Torah in public • 8:13-17 Celebrate Sukkoth • 9-10 A new covenant • 11-12:26 Repopulation, lists of people • 12:27-13:3 Dedication of city walls • 13:4-31 Legislation of laws

29. Early Midrash in Nehamiah Ch 10 • 10:1-28 List of Signatories • 29-30 Pledge to keep Hashem’s law in general • 31-40 pledge to keep a set of particular laws • 10:31 prohibition to intermarry all people in land from Exodus 34:11-16 and Devarim 7:1-3 • 10:32 buying is prohibited on Shabbat extending Ex 34:21 (farm work), 35:3 (fire), Jer 17:21 (burden), Amos 8:5 (selling), Neh 13:5 (selling and pressing wine) • 10:33 extends Ex 30:11-16 to be an annual tax • 10:35 enables law of Vayikra 6:1-6, wood to burn continually • 10:36 extends Devarim 26:2 to fruit trees

30. והוצאתי והצלתי וגאלתי ולקחתי, והבאתי 5 Stages of Galut • Judah becomes vassal to Babylonia in 605 BCE • Exile of Yehoiachin in 597 BCE • Breach of Jerusalem Walls in 587 BCE • Beth Hamikdash Destroyed in 587 BCE • Gedaliah murdered on 1st of Tishre 587 BCE 5 Stages of Geulah • Yehoyachin Freed and Given Daily Allowance • Cyrus Grants Permission to Return and Rebuild in 539 BCE • Rebuilding of Second Bet Hamikdash in 520-516 BCE • Activities of Ezra and Nehemiah • Hasmonean Independence

31. Important Dates • 604 Nebuchadnezzar comes to power • 597 GalutYehoyachin • 586 Destruction of Bet haMikdash I • 562 Yehoyachin taken out of prison • 538 Cyrus destroys Babylonia, decree • 520-516 Rebuilding of Bet haMikdash