Kings & Prophets 20 Last Words - Eyewitness Bible Series

The Jews of the Southern Kingdom were taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The first contingent of Jews returned in 538-539 BC, soon after King Cyrus of the Persians conquered Babylon. The second contingent returned in 458 BC under Ezra, and the third contingent returned in 445 BC under Nehemiah.
Ezra’s goal was to improve the situation of the Jews who had previously returned. He had approval of the Persian government, and brought donations and holy vessels to the Temple. The Persian government supported the trip by giving Ezra supplies.
Ezra realized the situation in Israel had deteriorated over the previous decades. Political harassment from local leaders, intermarriage with other ethnic groups, and heavy taxes were burdens for the Jews. Their culture was under siege.
The efforts of Ezra to help his people were so successful that the local politicians appealed to the Persians to stop his efforts. The Persians managed to stop the work on the city walls for a period of time.